A VERY long time ago, (early 60's) my uncle gave me a
Sourdough Jack Cookbook with an envelope of dry sourdough starter. I mixed up the starter according to the directions. The first thing I tried were the sourdough pancakes. A little confused at first, but they came out great. I used this starter for several years, (mid 70's) and then I accidentally killed it by leaving it too long at too high of heat to ferment. I was without a starter until mid 90's when I started my own, using potato water, sugar and some flour. I will explain this later. This one was used up until about 2010 and I again accidentally killed it by having a warming over set at too high of temp for fermenting. I had, however, given starters from it to various friends and family members. Found out that all had destroyed theirs in one manner or another except for one brother. Meantime, I visited my daughter in Seattle, and found a real starter packet at Pikes Market. Trouble with most commercial starters is that they use commercial yeast and not the natural yeasts that are all around us in the air for authentic sourdough. This one worked great and travelled with me until one day, I opened the fridge after a really rough ride and something had dropped off a shelf and landed directly on the sourdough jar, shattering it. I had no starter for several months, and then out of the blue, my brother asked if I would like some of his starter, (from the one I gave him several years ago.) Picked it up a couple of days ago, and it was ALIVE! Mixed up a great batch of pancakes this morning. This starter is at least 21 years old and is descended from that first batch I started back in the early 90's. In case you don't know, the concept is to mix up a batch of "basic batter" using about one cup of starter. It ferments overnight and now you have a bowl of "basic batter". At this point, you take out a cup for "next time" and store it in the fridge. You can take as many one cup starters out as you want to give away, just make another batch for pancakes, biscuits, bread, etc. I have made the bread but since this is natural yeast, it is not the "souped up" kind of commercial fast rising that you buy. Bottom line is that it can take up to two days for a finished loaf after you let it double in size, punch down, knead, form in to a loaf and let double again.
Creating a starter
Pasted up from an Internet site. This looks like the recipe I used in the '90's.
To begin, you take two potatoes, cooked in enough water to
completely cover them (approximately 3 cups). Cook them until they are overdone
(with skins on). Mash this up all together and strain (I used a spaghetti
strainer). The skins will lift out of the strainer and mash the potatoes
through the strainer. Now, you have a thick potato "soup" texture (about 3 cups). Slightly cool this.
Add about 2 cups of good flour (I use King Arthur). Stir this well. Don't worry
about the lumps; they will dissolve. Add a tablespoon of sugar.
Now you have the starter completed. Stir it daily and add a little more flour
and a pinch of sugar each day as you will notice it starting to bubble. Keep
in a warm place. I put mine in a clear gallon jug so I can see it bubble.
When you see an inch or more of bubbles at the top, it is ready to use. Save 1
cup or more of the starter. To this, add warm (not hot) water and flour like
you did the first time. Your starter is alive and active. It can be used for
many years this way. Never does it give out unless you mistreat it.
Congratulations! You just made your sourdough starter with your own yeast.
Roger Continues:
In the beginning, I stored my starter in the "crock" that came with the dehydrated starter from Sourdough Jack. Later, I used an antique pint fruit jar with a glass lid. You do not want to store it in metal or use metal utensils. After the glass jar was broken, I decided to use one of the Ziploc, screw top plastic containers. This is the two cup size. I punched a couple of holes in the lid as sourdough needs to "breathe". Translate, it can build up pressure just like soda pop and blow the lid off. So far this has been a great storage container and it wont break.
Ziploc Sourdough Container
Note the liquid on top off dough. This is alcohol generated by the fermenting process. Not for sipping! Just stir it all together when you are ready to use it.
Making "basic batter".
When you get ready to use the starter, it all begins with "basic batter." This is just a method to "stretch" the starter in to a usable quantity as well as refresh the starter that you keep for next time. Any recipe that calls for a cup or so of starter, use "basic batter". This is also how you make pancakes. After you remove the cup for later, the rest of the batter with the additional ingredients, makes the pancakes or starter for other recipes. Be sure you take the cup for your starter pot out BEFORE adding any other ingredients.
This is my Anchor Hocking 8 cup measure. It is a great measure, glass mixing bowl and basic batter fermenter. It has a lid. Only problem is that in my RV oven, the measure will not fit in the oven for fermenting with the lid on and the oven rack in place. Just remove the oven rack and it fits fine. You really need the lid as overnight if you do not cover the batter, (not sealed) it will form a crust on the top and you have to skim it off.
In a glass bowl, measure in 2 cups warm water, (no more than 120F) and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix this up to get most of the lumps out. Blend in as much of the starter as you can scrape out of the container, including the liquid. Cover, not seal and put in a warm place over night to ferment. I use my oven with just the pilot light on and it is perfect temperature. Don't get it too hot, or you will kill it like I did. You can usually smell it overnight as it "works". By morning, it should be frothy and the consistency of heavy cream. Take out the cup for storage and what you have left, is basic batter. There are TONS of recipes on the Internet and many published books on how to make various items using sourdough. (I shy away from ones that call for commercial yeast as a "booster") Here is the recipe I use from "Sourdough Jack's Cookery. (BTW, this book has been out of print for years but some copies are available used on Amazon) The link to the book is in the beginning of this post.
Sourdough Pancakes
After you have removed the cup for your pot, add to the remaining basic batter:
1 egg (I use egg substitute)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 cup dry milk or evaporated milk (I have never tried the evap milk) (Fresh milk has active bacteria that might conflict with the sourdough)
Beat thoroughly and let rest for at least 1/2 hour to give the powdered milk plenty of time to dissolve.
Assemble these three ingredients in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly. Be sure to crush any lumps:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons sugar
When griddle is hot and you are ready to start cooking, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the top of the batter mixture and fold it in well so there are no lumps. It will foam up to double in size. Do not beat, just fold and stir gently. You will make the batter flat (like shaken soda). Spoon the batter on to a HOT 450F griddle right away. They cook quickly. Turn when they start to dry on top. Batter only lasts 5-10 minutes so move right along. If you make more than you eat, they freeze well.
This is a paste-up of a note I gave along with a cup of starter to friends and family:
I created this
starter around 1992 in Cameron Park using potato water and some flour and
sugar. It has always worked very well
for me.
Keep it in the
refrigerator and it will last indefinitely.
The liquid that forms on the top is alcohol. Just stir it all together when you are ready
to make the “basic batter”. After your
basic batter has fermented overnight, it should be bubbly and about the consistency of heavy cream. Stir it with a rubber
scraper or wooden spoon. Don’t use metal
bowls or utensils. Before you add any
ingredients, take out one or two cups, put it back in the vented glass or plastic container and
put it in the refrigerator. After you
add the egg, cooking oil and dry milk, give it about half an hour, stirring
occasionally so that the dry milk dissolves completely. Make sure there are no lumps of dry milk
before going further. I combine the
salt, soda and sugar separately, making sure there are no lumps. When you are ready to cook, sprinkle the dry
mixture over the top of the batter and gently fold/stir it in. Don’t beat the batter at this point as the
soda makes it foam up and you will make it flat, just like shaking up soda pop. In a minute or so you should have a bowl full
of foam. It will only last about
5-10 minutes so you need to cook all of it at once. HOT griddle. 450F. Well oiled but not deep fat. They tell you in the book to make dollar
size. I have found that this is just too
much trouble and I make regular size.
Always come out well. When temp
is correct, they will cook fairly quickly and come off an even golden brown.
BTW, don’t let the
batter dry on anything. This is the
original frontier super glue
Batter on the Griddle
Almost Ready
PS
If you don't have an oven with a pilot light for fermenting the mixture overnight, I have had some success using the oven light (if you have electricity) as a heat source. You can also try wrapping it up with a heating pad for warmth. Don't get it too hot, just good and warm, maybe around 110F.
