So I guess it's time I posted an update on how my sourdough starter went! If you're a regular reader, you might know I started making a sourdough starter a while ago (if not you can read about it here!) now and should have been well into my sourdough bread baking by now. Whatever happend to that?
My first attempt, sadly, didn't quite work out. I named him Eric and the first couple of days he did great. I kept a daily record of the process as I went along, where I jotted down my observations. Kinda felt like I was back in school doing some sort of experiment for a science project! The mixture started bubbling and was smelling right and everything, but then it started separating. I didn't quite know what was happening as this wasn't mentioned in the recipe I was following, but thanks to Google I soon found out that this is something that often happens in the process. The liquid that separates is called hooch, and is an alcohol naturally produced in the fermenting process. Graeme somewhat jokingly suggested we try to drink it, which we then obviously did. I don't particularly recommend it for your next cocktail party.
Either way, I learnt that hooch should be disposed of, and that if your starter is producing a lot of it then you should try feeding it more often. Eric was just telling me he was hungry! Phew! Panic averted. But then a couple of days later, actual disaster struck, and I hold myself completely responsible. I had a bit of a lay Sunday, and managed to forget to feed him. The next day, not only did I realize I'd forgotten to feed him, I realized I had also failed to close the lid properly. Result? Eric had thrown a tantrum and developed a gross case of mould.
However, I've given it another shot and so far, my second attempt is going a lot better. I've learnt from my past mistakes and invested in a new jar that's easier to shut to avoid any airborne contamination. I've also put a reminder on my phone to prevent me from feeding him on the weekend. Eric Two appreciates this measures and is doing much better than his predecessor. However, I am currently on Day 7 and the process is going far slower than the recipe suggested, as so far there's only a small amount of bubbles. Clearly patience is key in this process!
I’ve been wanting to experiment with trying to make my own sourdough starter for a while. It’s one of my favorite breads, and I find the whole process of making a sourdough starter intriguing. How you have to keep feeding them. How people keep them for years and years and they keep growing. I’ve heard people refer to their sourdough starters as their pets, and people who even go as far as to take them on holiday with them to make sure they get fed. Clearly it's worth trying out!
After researching a few recipes online, I finally decided to try a basic sourdough recipe from the Kitchn. I figured as this is my first try at making a sourdough starter, I should probably try out a simple one. This recipe has no strange and hard to find ingredients or complicated techniques, which was a bit of a selling point for me. It only has two ingredients, and then it's really just a waiting game.
Basic Sourdough Recipe (from the Kitchn)
1/2 cups flour
1/2 cups water (filtered or spring)
Directions: On day one, mix the flour and water until there are no lumps and you're left with a smooth batter. Transfer to an airtight container and leave it for 24 hours somewhere with a consistent room temperature. (The Kitchn also write that you can add a bit of yeast to the mix to kickstart the process, but I decided to omit this step and go for the real deal!). On day two, three, and four, add another 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water to the mixture and stir well, making sure there are no flour lumps. You may start to see some bubbles already on day two, and it should be frothy and fermented and ready to use by day five.
As I've heard of so many who have tried and failed at making a sourdough starter, I'm gonna try not to be too defeated if this fails. I've already started looking for sourdough bread I want to try though, so hopefully it'll work out! I'll be posting a part two to this post to let you know how it goes!
