Sourdough Breads and Starters

In old days, people didn't use the current array of life-killing "cleaning agents," so a suitable baking yeast was quite likely to be around for the invitation, unless you were camping in the Klondike in February. Incidentally, the Klondike miners sometimes drank, straight, that floating layer of grain alcohol that sourdough produces--they called it "hooch." (I don't recommend the stuff.) Even now, if you put out something tempting to eat, like a bowl of lukewarm potato water, you may capture a fine supply of wild yeast.

But if you have a problem capturing a good wild yeast, then start from the store yeast, or borrow a sourdough starter, or buy one. Even a sourdough starter begun from commercial yeast, over a period of time, will probably acquire wild yeasts, too. At Sourdoughs International you'll find many varieties of yeast starter for sale.

SECRETS OF SOURDOUGH
1. Wild yeasts are likely to be in the air, in soil, and on containers.
2. Wild yeasts cause a fermenting action that raises bread like that of tame yeast.
3. Any container sourdough lives in should be non-metal!
4. Don't use metal utensils in sourdough.
5. Never put sourdough in a tightly covered container such as a sealed glass jar. It needs air to live, and it produces a gas that could explode the container.
6. To make bread with sourdough, make sure the bowl, the ingredients, and the place it rises are all warm; 80-95° F is best.

SOURDOUGH STARTERS FROM SCRATCH
When you try to catch a wild yeast, one of four things will happen:
1. Nothing, in which case you try something different.
2. Your mixture has a moldy, awful smell, in which case you throw it out and try something else.
3. Your mixture has a light color and looks foamy or effervescent. It will leaven bread, but it tastes terrible. In that case, you've caught an effective yeast but not one that tastes good.
4. The ultimate: it leavens and it also makes tasty bread.

GLEN HOWERTON'S STARTER Mix 1 c. flour with 1 c. water. Leave it covered with a light cloth 2 or 3 days.

MILK AND WATER STARTER Mix 1 c. unpasteurized milk with a cup of flour. If your milk is pasteurized, let it stand 24 hours first. Leave covered with a light cloth in a warm place.

STARTER WITH COMMERCIAL YEAST Mix 1 c. flour, 1 c. water, and 1 pkg. dry yeast.

HAZEL'S STARTER Mix 1 pkg. dry yeast, 2 1/2 c. warm water, 1 T. sugar, 1 T. salt, and 2 c. sifted flour. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. lukewarm water. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir and add remaining water, sugar, salt, and flour. Mix well. Let stand in covered bowl for 3 days at room temperature (78-80° F). The container should be big enough to let the starter rise to about 4 times its starting size. Stir down every day.

PRESERVING SOURDOUGH STARTER: You don't have to struggle to keep it going unless you like eating sourdough every day. It will slow down some if you keep it in the refrigerator until you want it again.

Drying. Before freezers, the old-timers, who may have had a problem with their yeast being overactive in warm weather, preserved it by drying. Dried yeast cakes should keep 5 months or so. [Ed note: a recipe for Homemade Yeast Cakes from Hops follows.]

Reviving and Old Starter. Just stir it up and feed it. Add 1 c. lukewarm water, 1/2 c. flour, and 1 t. sugar. Cover and let stand in a warm place until it foams; then it's ready to use again.


[Adapted from the "Of Sourdough Breads and Starters" section of Chapter 3: Grasses, Grains and Canes. The section includes 11 sourdough bread, pancake, cake and cookie recipes, plus recipes for leftover breads. Illustration copyright 1994 by Cindy Davis.]

Sourdough Selections Part 2: Recipes

Congratulations! Half the battle toward taming sourdough supremacy has been won. You have followed one of Carla’s recipes I posted last week and have created your own sourdough starter to have on hand. Now that you’ve made your delectable sourdough starter, you must be looking for some recipes to put it to good use. Carla Emery’s Encyclopedia of Country Living has some easy gems, and I’ve included a few to get you started.

Sourdough Pancakes

Mix 2 c. lively starter, 2 c. flour, 2 beaten eggs, 1 T. sugar, 1⁄2 t. salt, and 2 T. melted butter or oil, plus enough milk to make a good pourable batter (about 11⁄2 cups, depending on how thick your starter is). Lastly, add 2 t. baking soda. Mix well; then let it rest a few minutes. Heat your griddle or frying pan. Shine it with oil before each panful of pancakes. Fry on medium heat. It helps to make dollar-sized pancakes. Be sure they are cooked through. You can’t make good pancakes in a big pan on a little burner; you need even heat and heat over the entire bottom of your pan. Sourdough pancakes taste even sourer if underdone.

Sourdough French Bread

Soften 1 pkg. yeast in 11⁄2 c. warm water. Blend in 1 c. sourdough starter, 2 t. salt, and 2 t. sugar. Add 21⁄2 c. flour. Beat a few minutes with a strong arm or mixer. Cover and let rise until it’s bubbly. Combine 1⁄2 t. soda and 21⁄2 c. flour, and stir that into your dough. Continue adding flour until you have a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface almost 10 minutes. Divide your dough into 2 halves, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 10 minutes. Now shape into 2 French bread loaves. Place them, not touching, on a greased baking sheet. Let rise until it doubles and then bake at 400˚F for 35–40 minutes. Just before your loaves are done, take them out of the oven long enough to generously spread butter on their tops. Then return to oven for a few minutes. Serve in about 1-inch slices, cut somewhat on the diagonal.

Sourdough Cornmeal Cakes

Beat well together 4 c. flour, 2 c. cornmeal, 1⁄2 c. milk, 1⁄2 c. starter, 3 eggs, and 2 t. salt. Let rise overnight in a warm place. Bake on a griddle in the morning.