All About Sour Dough .

[achookwoman]

Thanks JD and Cookie,  all good info.   AB,  my original starter is 15 years old,  or as DH says,  a teenager.  Less trouble than a teenager.!!!!
 Uni,  did you feed it ?  It looks like bubbles.

Wonder,  what are you going to do with the starter while on Hols?

Courton,  bad luck,  but easy to start again.  Maybe you could use plastic.  Just make sure it is sterile.

[fundj&e]

yes i did ACW

[Bonsai]

Thanks cookie and chookie. I did let the first loaf I made rise for ages, eventually left it overnight and still only rose halfway up my small loaf pan. I wonder if I'm expecting too much of 100g of starter to rise so much flour (although Yoke gets it to work).

[achookwoman]

Bonsai,  we all have different expectations for our bread.  I love Yoke's books but haven't had much luck with her recipes.  I find them too unnecessarily complicated and the result too heavy for our taste.  
I have posted another recipe for Sour Dough,  some time ago. You might like to look at this as the recipe is similar to Yoke's,  but I have explained the process with in a time table.  It is posted as.    Chookie's  Sour Dough recipe and process.

[achookwoman]

Bonsai,  this is made with the recipe,  Chookie's Sour Dough recipe and process.  It is posted here and on my blog.

[Bonsai]

Thanks Chookie I'll give your recipe a go 😊

[Cuilidh]

Yesterday I was lucky enough to become the proud parent to one of Chookie's starters (Ral) - thank you so much for bringing that in for me, I truly appreciate your kindness. 

I fed it again last night and only after an hour or so did I realise I didn't use filtered water.  OMG - did I kill it???  Anyway, I eventually plucked up the courage to check it out and it was bubbling away nicely.  I haven't looked at it yet this morning, will do so soon.  I am working on the premise that you use filtered or boiled water so that the water is as pure or clean as possible without all the added chemicals, etc. that you get in tap water.  Fingers are crossed that my jar of Ral will survive the trauma of last night!

[achookwoman]

Marina,  Ral is pretty tough stuff !!!  A small amount of tap water shouldn't do too much harm.  Have fun with your starter.   

[fundj&e]

ACW my bubbles have gone, will i still feed it or wait until  i have more  bubbles

[achookwoman]

Uni,  feed it.

[Wonder]

Chookie, I'm not going away for another two weeks so I'm hoping the starter will be nice and strong by then and I can leave it in the fridge  without being fed. We are only away for 8 days. Thinking a bit more I'm only back for the morning and then have to fly out in the afternoon for a work trip. Will I be able to take it out of the fridge feed it and put it back for another 4 or so days or should I just leave it for the 2 weeks all up and feed when I'm back and can make a loaf?

[judydawn]

Thanks JD, have I got it right I don't feed it for three or four days until it starts bubbling.

How are you going with yours Brenda?  I'm the last person to give too much advice on sourdough as I managed to kill my first attempt some time ago.  I think the best thing to do is write down the steps as Chookie gives them on this thread so that you have something to refer to along the way.  There seems to be so many questions we want to ask but I daresay once we get the hang of it, it is quite simple.

[fundj&e]

Uni,  feed it.

yes chef 

[achookwoman]

Wonder, sounds good to me.

[cookie1]

I'm really enjoying reading this and all the exciting new sourdough starters.