I'm a fool for good bread.

[J.A.F.O.]

Originally Posted by stupidglide

(Penthouse magazine references notwithstanding)

Originally Posted by stupidglide

Working with a sourdough starter is pretty easy- Just a couple of key things.
Make sure all of your ingredients are room temp, but I usually zap the water in the microwave for about 20 seconds or so, to bring the temp up to around 90 degrees or so, as the slightly elevated temperature helps the yeasts to activate.
Here is a pretty simple recipe for a basic sourdough starter:
1 package of yeast
4 cups of warm water
4 cups of flour (place this in a glass or crockery bowl with about a 12 cup capacity)
Mix the yeast with warm water in either a glass or crockery bowl (do NOT use metal or plastic- it'll affect the taste of the starter, or outright ruin it)
Then stir the mixture into the flour, until well blended- use a wooden spoon, this works best. cover loosely (I use a dish towel).
Allow the mixture to sit in a warm place for 8 or more hours.
Then you'll have a starter!
Couple of key things here too-
1- Put back in what you take out. If you use, say 2 cups of starter for a recipe, put in the equivalent (in this case, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of flour) to keep your starter going.
2- When you are storing your starter, keep it loosely covered in the fridge, and take it out at least 4 to 5 hours before use, but 8 hours is better. If it looks like its got a "skin" on top, or liquid, don't sweat it- just stir it back in.
3- Some folks like to add sugar when they add to their starter, I prefer honey.
4- If you ever get a pinkish look to the top of your starter- toss it- its gone all funky on you (this has never happened to me).

I keep my starter in a gallon glass jar, and just slide a gallon ziplock over the top of it when I put it in the fridge. I always keep at least a 1/2 gallon of starter around, so I can make a whole mess of pancakes, biscuits, bread, whatever, and when I have folks over for breakfast or the like, I'll have plenty to cook with.

Now- beings that you're a Texan- sourdough cooking should probably come natural to you.

(Just sayin!)

Intolerance of thread drift is just not cool.

[stupidglide]

Originally Posted by J.A.F.O.

[COLOR="Red"]


Intolerance of thread drift is just not cool.

Hey, far be it from me to do the pointy-finger-thing at thread drift.
I was just talkin' about makin' bread...........

Not pudding

(and actually I thought the Penthouse thing was pretty funny which is zacktly why I made reference to it. So there )

[J.A.F.O.]

Originally Posted by stupidglide

Hey, far be it from me to do the pointy-finger-thing at thread drift.
I was just talkin' about makin' bread...........

Not pudding

(and actually I thought the Penthouse thing was pretty funny which is zacktly why I made reference to it. So there )

You're lucky...

these things usually end up as oil threads.



Speaking of which...Where is Russ?

[stupidglide]

Originally Posted by J.A.F.O.

You're lucky...

these things usually end up as oil threads.



Speaking of which...Where is Russ?

[stupidglide]

Originally Posted by ms_tapestry

I learned to make biscuits at my grandmother's knee when I was five......

Mmmmmmmmmm..................
Homemade biscuits.
Methinks there might be a trip to Tejas in my future..............
P.S.-
Once you get a starter goin', and make some stuff with it, you're gonna be hooked- its habit forming! Let us know how you make out!

[dynageno]

Try Dave's killer bread! good seed.