Sourdough Starter

[Delmonico]

Capt:  Let us know how it turns out, If ya do yeast breads, let me know how it does.  The real test for sourdough is how well it does raising yeast type bread with out adding yeast. 

Any recipe that uses yeast can be used, just use at
least 1 cup of starter instead of a package of yeast, more makes things go faster.  The liquid will have to be adjusted a bit, but now big deal.  One might want a bit extra sugar to cut the sour a bit, I always use brown sugar with my sourdough, gives it a bit more of what I would consider an "Old Time" taste.

Just remember when making bread close is good enough most of the time.  Ain't used a recipe for bread making in many years.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Thanks for the tips, Del.  Heading out in the RV this coming Thursday for a month (or until we can't stand it or each other any more) and plan to take some of the starter along.  Will let you know if and how it works when we return.

[El Peludo]

It's been a while since y'all were workin'this post around the barn, but if I may, I'd like to offer an old observation.  When I was a pup, all of my Grandmas cooked "old fashioned", and a couple of them kept sourdough going all the time in their kitchens.  Now, we all lived in the greater Los Angeles area, there was a lot of humidity, and agriculture in the area in those days; the "ag" is pretty much gone, now.  One of them set up housekeeping in Yucca Valley, which is in the Mojave Desert, about 150 mile east of LA, and an entirely different climate; dry and just that.  She took some of her starter from LA out there, and it died.  She did this several times over a period of a couple of years, and finally gave up.  This starter was one she had started in Oregon, in the late Forties, and had kept it going for almost twenty years, so you know it "had some legs", but the desert just did it in, in short order.  I don't know the climate in Nebraska, but I imagine it is fairly dry there, most places.  Could that be the reason you have a problem with wild starter there?

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[Delmonico]

Can be wet or dry, cold or hot any where from almost ) humidity to 100%.  Temps can vary from -25 to 105.  The other thing to nature may not have had a reason to evolve a strain of yeast fer hear, don't know. 

I do know a lot of local made wild starters don't seem to do well outside their home turf. 

Is there a micro-bioligist registared on the board?  If so speak up we want to know.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Del and El Peludo,

Check out http://www.faqs.org/faqs/food/sourdough/starters/.  It contains considerable technical starter info that I found to be educational and helpful.

My wild grape starter is doing well.  Have only tried biscuits thus far, and am impressed to say the least.  Took a batch to New Mexico a couple of weeks ago, and the additional 4500 feet of altitude seemed to have no effect at all.  Am anxious to see if that batch picked up any "local" spores, and what effect they may have.

Hamp

[Delmonico]

Thanks Cap. I am at work right now and don't have time fer study.  Will mark when I get home.  Looks like what I've been lookin' for.  Found some similar info in a library book a couple of years ago, but not as detailed.

[Delmonico]

Cap, just read that site, exellant information.  I think the champagne yeast is still the way to go if you have no luck with the wild ones.  I think the com. yeast they talk about is the modern bread yeast that has always died out for me. 

Not really died but the yeast action slowed, the acid part still worked good.  I make a lot of yeast bread with sourdough though and I notice a weak starter real quick. 

Might have to see if I can find some wild grapes, never tried that, although most of the wild grapes around here were victims of heavy spraying back in the late 60's and early 70's, used ta be common when I was a kid, have never came back well since then.  Might try plums, plenty around. 

The nice thing about the champagne yeast is I can duplicate my starter at any time with out havin' to dry and freeze starter.  Do try yeast bread and let me know how it go's.