Newbie Sourdough Starter Questions

[lostclusters]

I am going back to my home in California for a while and thought of making a starter, cause the bugs are better there then most other places. And I thought I should take full advantage of the situation. I have never made a sourdough starter before so to increase my chances of success I thought I would try to solict some help from the bread heads here.

I've played with dough before but in a very basic way. So assume I know nothing. I probably don't.

The plan is to make (a) starter(s) in Cali and bring it back to Wisconsin where i am currently staying on an extended vacation. Very extended.

Is it possible to transport a starter? What is the best way to make a starter? If it makes a difference, I plan on using the starter to make sourdough flat bread and pizza dough.

Thanks in advance for any input!

[Richard Chrz]

So first off enjoy your time back in California, sounds like you are going to enjoy that time. Asking questions to your starter and adjusting, repeat, certainly can be a fun. Looking forward to following along.

A starter can easily travel if kept in a cooler, The route to consider is before coming back, dehydrate it and put it in a ziplock baggy, until you need it again.

I’m not sure what you mean by bugs are better? The majority of the yeast in your sourdough actually comes from your flour., so pay attention to a few different flours, I highly recommend a high protein bread flour. Which I’m sure California will have lot’s of that available.

enjoy!

[Richard Chrz]

Edit: I think there is a lot of really good debate in science going on in regards where most of the healthy bacteria is provided, they do know that most of it comes right from the flour
.
Geo located, even what comes to the flour off the bakers hands ( it has been tested and found) can certainly apply to the bacterias found in a yeast culture.

I just believe the “best flavor, or a better starter” is more mystical.

[Richard Chrz]

By the way, I’m not debating it might taste different, I bet some of that is water, like NY claims about it’s Pizza.

[Mark V]

Richard Chrz Water, bacteria, taste, I am sure brewers can back you up big time.

[jfmorris]

Listen to Richard Chrz - I consider him the king of all things sourdough!

I'm still nursing along a sourdough starter I got from Richard a year or so ago - he mailed it to me in dehydrated form. We are eating less bread, so I keep the starter in the fridge, bring it out, feed it, make my dough the next morning, then put it back to sleep. As long as I bring it out of the fridge and feed it every week or so, it seems to just keep doing its thing.

[Draznnl]

Feeding your starter. - I’m having this Addams Family image of Morticia feeding the plants.

[jfmorris]

Draznnl haha. Yeah, I open that mason jar and HOPE it doesn't reach out and bite me!

[Richard Chrz]

Certainly not a king, or an expert, but I am very well practiced, in natural leavening of flour. I have not kept track, but I know that I’m over 1,000 loaves baked, asking 100’s of questions of the dough.

[lostclusters]

Ok, how do I get started? And what is the dehydration process?

[Richard Chrz]

As far as starter, flour water, equal amounts, then start carrying over equal grams of the starter you are building to the water and flour, fed daily for the first few weeks, then i recommended feeding it, leave it on the counter for a few hours and refrigerate, repeat this every 3 days or so, and start watching how it builds, I say this could go on for another 2 weeks. You should have a very healthy culture of good in that period.

[Richard Chrz]

Dehydrating. Take 50 grams or 100 grams of it and spread it thin over parchment paper on a pan, cover and let it dry up. Break into little pieces and put in a baggy. Just remember your pre dehydrated weight, you will need that for rehydration time.