Help Please With Starter

[texastweeter]

I'm so mad right now. Our maid tossed my sourdough starter. I'm stupid and had none dehydrated and frozen as a backup. Does anyone have a wild sourdough starter that is nice and mature that I can buy a bit of it dehydrated from you. So mad right now.

[RonB]

I am sorry for your loss.

But that does suck.

[texastweeter]

About 2 years ago, she washed all the seasoning out of my enamled steel coffee cup....10 years of seasoning gone with one hard scrubbing...

[Oak Smoke]

Well she got it nice and clean! Our daughter’s house keeper spent one whole morning scrubbing the seasoning off both her cast iron skillets. She is a sourdough baker. I’ll ask her about a starter. She made us sourdough pancakes last week. They were great.

[PGH_RAM]

I walked my housekeeper through the do's and don'ts of my cookware when she scrubbed the patina off of my carbon steel wok and used steel wool on my enameled CI Dutch ovens.

[mrteddyprincess]

Let me get mine out of the fridge and see if it fluffs up when I feed it. I'd be happy to share. It was started last fall from wheat that I milled. As of last weekend it was still active...

Brian

[texastweeter]

Pm me and we will figure out logistics and payment, thank you so much. I'm a little less pissed now

[J-Melt]

If that doesn’t work, it may be worth it to shoot a message to Richard Chrz and see if he is available to get you some. He graciously sent me some dried starter about a year ago.

And if all those fail, I could dry mine and send it to you. I’ve never tried drying it, so I would be hesitant to have my first try be for someone else.

[texastweeter]

Lol this one was his, my orignal got left on the shelf too long while I was on vacation, and I came home to a bacteria colony, bucked cause it was quite old. At least I am better at keeping my wife and kids alive than I am at my starters.

[J-Melt]

At least you have your priorities in line!

[SheilaAnn]

texastweeter I can dry some of mine, too if you want. I have Nancy (from Nancy silverton) and Sir Fairchild (from RichardChrz). Let me know!

[58limited]

I have a couple I can share. One is from a friend in Nacogdoches. Her friend made the starter and I've used it several times recently. The other is from Richard Chrz and is also a good robust starter. I can bring them with me when we meet up for the hot sauce.

[texastweeter]

This can be my backup plan. I'm in Plano, TX next week and Greenville, NC the week after for work, sometime after that we can meet up.

[Huskee]

Well that stinks. And that is 100% the reason I do not have a maid, yessir, 100%.

[Clark]

Huskee I thought you were married. :-)

[Oak Smoke]

Huskee Don’t answer that! It’s a trap!

[texastweeter]

Clark that's a washing machine

[MattTheGR8]

Bummer, time to find a new maid.

I've never tried drying a starter, but I do have a nice healthy one with which I can try it for you.

[MBMorgan]

You know, a starter is so easy to start, you really don't need to rely on somebody sending you one. Here's pretty much what I know about the topic:

Sourdough Starter (100% Hydration)

★★★★★

Baking

Source: MBM (2/4/2023) - loosely based on Ken Forkish, "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast (FWSY)" and Maurizio

Leo, "The Perfect Loaf"(TPL)

INGREDIENTS

:////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////:

Sourdough Starter, 100% Hydration

Over the first 5 days, you'll need a TOTAL:

525 grams Water

425 grams (1 pound) whole wheat flour

100 grams white flour (All Purpose)

:////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////:

Startup (5 Days) [1:2:2]

([Starter:Water:Flour])

Note: Initially Make 250 g for Startup

>>> Day 1 (start):

125 grams water, 90°F (32°C)

125 grams whole wheat flour

>>> Days 2-5:

50 grams STARTER

----<plus>----

>>> On Days 2-4 (build):

100 grams water, 90°F (32°C)

100 grams whole wheat flour

>>> On Day 5 ONLY (add white flour):

100 grams water, 85°F (29°C)

100 grams white flour

:////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////:

From This Point:

>>> Use 1:4 (Whole Wheat:White (AP))

Flour Mixture

>>> Water Temp for Feeding: 85°F (29°C)

>>> Maintain constant [1:2:2] starter ratio

:////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////:

FEED (ROOM TEMP (Daily) or

REFRIGERATED (Monthly; takes 2 Days)):

>>> Feed; keep warm for 24 hours, then

optionally refrigerate:

[20 g STARTER:40 g water:40 g flour] is

typical

(USE ANY AMOUNT/KEEP CONSTANT

RATIO)

DESCRIPTION

MBM - loosely based on information from Ken Forkish, "Flour,

Water, Salt, Yeast (FWSY)" and Maurizio Leo, "The Perfect Loaf"

(TPL)

Starter Ratio [starter:water:flour] and Composition (in grams)

for Feeding:

For showing detailed amounts (grams) in a mixture of flours, flour

may be divided into multiple values (e.g., whole wheat and white

flour) ... shown as ww+white. So [20:100:100(20www+80AP)] is a

[1:5:5] mixture consisting of [20 g starter:100 g water:20 g whole

wheat flour + 80 g all-purpose (AP) white flour].

STICK WITH A STARTER RATIO OF [1:2:2] FOR A MORE

VIGOROUS STARTER THEN, WHEN PREPARING A LEVAIN

FOR BAKING, ANYWHERE FROM [1:2:2] TO [1:10:10]

BECOMES FAIR GAME

DIRECTIONS

IMPORTANT - Before you begin: Weigh the empty dough tub

(no lid) and record its tare weight where it won’t be rubbed

off.

:================:

STARTUP - A 5-DAY PROCESS (FEED AT APPROXIMATELY

THE SAME TIME EACH DAY):

Day 1 (Start): >>> See Ingredients List for Day 1 Amounts

· Sanitize the dough tub (2 qt. recommended) and anything

touching it or its contents.

· Into the tub, add the Day 1 ingredients; mix by hand just until

incorporated.

· Leave the slurry-like mixture uncovered for 1 to 2 hours, then

cover and let it rest in a warm place. 75°F to 90°F (24°C to 32°C)

would be ideal, but a little warmer or cooler is OK, too.

Days 2 - 4 (Build): >>> See Ingredients List for Days 2-4

· Discard most of your initial mix. Leave the remainder in the tub.

· Into the tub, add the Day's ingredients; mix by hand just until

incorporated.

· Leave the mixture uncovered for 1 to 2 hours, then cover and let

rest in a warm place.

· >>> On Day 2: By the end of the day, the starter should have

about doubled in volume, with some small bubbles visible.

· >>> On Day 3: The starter should be 2 times the volume it was

when you mixed it the previous day, with bubbles throughout and a

leathery alcohol smell. Later in the day it should have a distinctly

pungent, “sour porridge” odor.:////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////:

RESTORE FROM REFRIGERATION (2 Days)

>>> Days 1 and 2 (feed; keep warm):

20-100 grams STARTER to make 100-500

grams, or more as needed

:////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////:

TO REFRIGERATE (AT PEAK)

>>> 100 grams STARTER (keep; discard the

rest)

After using to make a levain for baking,

<or>

After the last feeding, warm for 6-8 hours, then

>>> coat with a film of water; refrigerate.

:////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////:

· >>> On Day 4: The starter should again be back up to about 3

cups, with bubbles throughout.

Day 5 (Add White Flour): >>> See Ingredients List for Day 5

ONLY

· Discard most of the starter

· Into the tub, add Day 5 ingredients; mix by hand just until

incorporated.

· Cover and let rest in a warm place. In about 6 to 8 hours, the

starter should be ready for use in dough.

· By the end of day 5, the starter culture should be vigorous

enough to use in any of the levain bread and pizza dough recipes

in the book (FWSY). The best cue that a starter is mature is when,

7 to 8 hours after the morning mix, it has a medium-ripe pungency

and, if you wet your hand and pull out a chunk of it, you should feel

its gassiness and be able to sense its weblike internal structure. It

will be very goopy, with somewhat viscous texture. In any case, on

Day 5 you’ll switch from building your starter to a regular feeding

schedule, using a blend of white and whole wheat flour, and

slightly cooler water.

:================:

Feeding the Starter (Feed at approx. the same time each day):

· Levain bread recipes generally assume you have a mature ("ripe") starter culture. If you’re going to bake with your

starter several days each week, you’ll want to have a daily routine for feeding it. You can do it each morning, ideally

at about the same time, but it can vary by an hour or two without causing problems.

· The target temperature for the starter right after mixing is between 78°F and 80°F (26°C and 27°C). If you aren’t

sure what temperature of water to use, measure the temperature of the starter after you’ve mixed it and adjust

accordingly next time. Between feedings, cover the starter and let it rest at room temperature. You can pare down the

amount of starter, fresh flour, and fresh water used with each feeding as long as you maintain the same ratios.

When it’s time to feed daily, for a starter stored at room temperature:

· Throw away all but a small amount of the starter

· Into the tub, add: >>> See Ingredients List for FEEDING (ROOM TEMP): Daily; mix by hand just until

incorporated.

· Cover and keep in a warm place.

One note on hand mixing starter: These cultures are quite acidic. If you mix starter frequently and have sensitive

skin, you might want to use vinyl disposable gloves.

After using your starter in a recipe, keep the remainder in its tub at room temperature. The next morning - when you

regularly feed your starter - refresh the remainder as usual.

:================:

STORING AND RESTORING YOUR STARTER

If you will not be making dough with your starter culture every day or don’t feel like feeding it every day, you need to

have a plan for storing your starter on those off days and restoring it as needed.

It’s best to store it in the refrigerator. After using it in a final dough mix, take 100 grams of the remaining starter,

coat it with a film of water, and put it in an airtight container or non-perforated plastic bag, then refrigerate for up to 1

month.

When you’re ready to use it again, you’ll need to plan ahead in order to bring it back and use it at full strength.

:================:

FSWY procedure for breads in chapters 9, 10, and 11:

[STEP 1] TWO DAYS BEFORE YOU PLAN TO BAKE:

· >>> Remove the starter from the refrigerator and put a portion (about 20%) of it into your empty starter bucket.

Discard the remainder.· Let the starter warm up at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

· Then add: >>> See Ingredients List for RESTORE, BAKE, REFRIGERATE Day 1 (feed); mix by hand just until

incorporated.

· Cover and let rest in a warm spot overnight.

[STEP 2] THE MORNING OF THE DAY BEFORE YOU BAKE:

· Feed the starter again, using about 1/2 as much as used in [STEP 1]:

· >>> Discard all but about 1/2 as much as used in [STEP 1].

· >>> Add >>> See Ingredients List for RESTORE, BAKE, REFRIGERATE Day 2 (feed)

· Mix by hand until just incorporated. You have now completed the first step of each of the levain recipes.

· Cover the starter and let it rest in a warm spot until you mix your dough later that day.

· After overnight bulk fermentation or proof, depending on the recipe, you will be ready to bake the next day.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE:

If you’re starting a new starter and want to have it ready for baking bread on, say, a Sunday morning, then start with

Day 1 of the section “Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Levain” the Tuesday before.

If you have a refrigerated starter, here’s a schedule to refresh and feed it for baking on Sunday morning:

1. On Friday morning, refresh your refrigerated starter following [STEP 1] of the procedure in the section “Storing and

Refreshing Your Starter,” above.

2. On Saturday morning, toss all but a small amount of the starter and follow [STEP 2] of the procedure for

refreshing.

3. On Saturday afternoon, mix the dough following the recipe of your choice.

4. For hybrid leavening recipes (FSWY chapter 9), on Saturday evening divide and shape the loaves and

refrigerate overnight for slow proofing. For pure Levain recipes (FSWY chapters 10 and 11), bulk fermentation

extends overnight, and the loaves are divided and shaped the next morning.

5. For hybrid leavening breads, bake on Sunday morning; for pure Levain breads, bake at around noon.

NOTES

SEASONAL VARIATIONS (From Ken Forkish, FSWY):

"I’ve found that although my kitchen temperatures are roughly the same year-round, it’s still colder in there in winter.

As a result my levain culture isn’t as active in winter and my levain doughs develop a bit more slowly than in the

summer. Your own experience will vary depending on the climate you live in. In winter, I compensate by putting more

levain in the final dough than I do in summer - somewhere around 50 grams (3 tablespoons) more. I’ve put notes

regarding this option in the pure levain dough recipes in this book because those are the doughs most affected.

Another wintertime adjustment if the levain is developing slowly is to increase the amount of levain retained in the

morning feed by about 30 to 50 grams (2 to 3 tablespoons), keeping the fresh flour and water amounts the same. In

summertime, if the bread is too sour, I sometimes reduce the amount of levain retained in the morning feeding.

Commercial yeast is much more vigorous than the wild culture in a levain, so hybrid leavening doughs with added

baker’s yeast will have less seasonal variation than pure levain doughs."

[texastweeter]

Yeah I know, but it takes quite a while for it to mature and developed a complexity of flavor.

[jfmorris]

I have some of Richard's starter, going strong after several years still. I also have a second packet of dehydrated that he sent me at the time, that has never been opened. If you can't get hold of Richard, let me know and I'll send that packet in an envelope and you can see if it is still viable.

I wonder if I could put active non-dehydrated starter in the mail and have it survive the trip from Alabama to Texas?

[MBMorgan]

With a cold pack, yes. I keep my starter in the fridge and feed it only once every 2-3 months … so a short trip to TX shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

[jfmorris]

MBMorgan good to know, and a cold back would be a good idea of course. Not sure why I didn't think of that.

I let mine sometimes go 2 weeks in the fridge, but try to feed it weekly if I am not actively baking. I just feed it, put it right back, and it works slower in the fridge than out on the counter, but seems happy enough. The starter I got from Richard is very "strong".

[texastweeter]

To everyone offering to help thank you so much. To update you all. I have been graciously taken care of. This place is awesome! I owe you all a whisky.

[Cvedrick]

Coming late to this thread, but here amigo

https://carlsfriends.net/

Or If your near to League City, I'd be glad to hand some off to you, just be aware its been dried and frozen for about 10 years. But then Again Carl's family and friends have been using this same starter strain singe the 1850s so its very robust.

[58limited]

Welcome to the forum! I've used this strain and it is very good. I lost mine awhile back in one of the hurricane power outages (mold grew), need to order more.

[fzxdoc]

Welcome to The Pit, Cvedrick , and thank you for posting the link.

Kathryn