Starters For Bread I

Mix the flour, water, yeast, and onion together in a wide-mouth quart
jar. Cover with a cloth and put in a warm place for 3 or 4 days or
until it is well fermented, frothy, and smells pleasantly sour.
Remove the onion. Either use, or seal and refrigerate. Can be used as
part of the sponge in all sour rye breads.

SAN FRANCISCO STARTER 1 cup milk 1 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour

Pour the milk in a glass jar or bowl and leave uncovered at room
temperature for a day. Measure in the flour, stir and leave
uncovered in a warm place for two to five days, depending on how soon
the bacteria begin the fermentation process. If the mixture should
dry out, stir in a little warm milk. When the starter is bubbly,
frothy, and gives off a pleasantly sour aroma, it is ready. Either
use at that time, or cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. A
variation of this is to mix the milk and flour together in a 1-quart
glass jar, and seal immediately with a rubber sealing ring and a
substantial wire clamp. Allow the mixture to ferment for 5 days. Stir
down each day (thereby letting the accumulated gas escape), and
replace the lid. This starter obviously relies on the bacteria in
the milk.

RAW POTATO STARTER 1 cup warm water 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1
tsp EACH salt and sugar 1 medium potato, grated

Mix together the water, flour, salt, and sugar in a 2-cup measure. Add
graded potato sufficient to make a full 2 cups. Pour the mixture into
a wide-mouth glass jar or small bowl that will hold about 1 quart (to
allow for expansion during fermentation). Place a piece of
cheesecloth over the container and allow it to rest in a warm place
for 24 hours. Stir and cover tightly with plastic wrap which will
retain the moisture. The mixture will become light and foamy in 2 or
3 days. Stir down each day.

Pour the fermented starter into a glass jar, fitted with a tight lid,
and place in the refrigerator. In 3 or 4 days, when a clear liquid
collects on top of the mixture, it will have ripened sufficiently to
use.

HONEY STARTER 1 package yeast 2 1/2 cups warm water 2 Tbsp honey 2
1/2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour

Combine the yeast, water, honey, and flour in a quart jar which has a
tight fitting cover. Seal the jar and let the mixture ferment for 5
days, stirring daily. Replenish the starter with water and flour in
equal portions.

SHEEPHERDER’S STARTER 1 3/4 cups bread or all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp
EACH salt and sugar 1 package dry yeast 2
1/2 cups warm water

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and
water. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap to retain the
moisture and put in a warm place for 4 days. Each day stir and
re-cover. When it has fermented and smells pleasantly sour, it may be
used or refrigerated.

HOPS STARTER 3 cups water 1 quart fresh hops or 1/4 cup packaged dry
hops 1/2 cup cornmeal, white or yellow 2 cups mashed potato 3 Tbsp
sugar 2 tsp salt

In a saucepan bring water to a boil and steep hops for 20 minutes.
Drain and reserve the liquid; discard the hops. If necessary add
water to make 3 full cups of liquid. Pour 1 cup of the hops liquid in
a saucepan and stir in the cornmeal. Bring to a boil over medium
heat, stirring constantly. When it thickens slightly, remove from
heat.

In a large mixing bowl combine cornmeal mixture, mashed potato, sugar,
salt, and the remaining 2 cups of hops liquid. Cover the bowl with a
length of cheesecloth and set in a warm place for 24 to 48 hours or
until well fermented and bubbly. Stir every 8 hours or so during
this period.

When the starter is frothy and smells pleasantly fermented, pour it
into a two-quart glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Store in teh
refrigerator until clear liquid has risen to the top of the mixture
in about 2 days. Stir down – and it is ready to use.

To replenish when only 1 cup remains: add water, cornmeal, mashed
potatoes, sugar, and salt (as to begin). Set in a warm place. It will
ferment and become active in about 8 hours. Store in the refrigerator.

The Complete Book of Breads From the collection of Jim Vorheis