Watch video here: https://youtu.be/GcfjYHe3d_Y
Thinking about jumping on the sourdough bandwagon? I did several years ago and have been exploring all the sourdough options and recipes that are out there. For a few years, I fed and discarded what seemed like every day. I wasted a lot of flour trying to get a starter strong enough to bake a decent loaf of bread. Then one day it struck me. This is not how women did this hundreds of years ago. They would not have wasted so much flour. So I started looking on Pinterest and YouTube and came across a young mom who was thinking the same way. She had a video where she used water, flour, and caraway seeds to make her starter. This made sense to me. Then I ordered a book, “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon.
There was a ton of information regarding whey. How this waste from my yogurt or buttermilk can create yummy ferments and baked goods. I stumbled across a lady, I believe she was from Germany, who told me to use whey in my starter and that I would have a strong starter in a couple of days. So with all that knowledge floating in my head, I put it to use and created my starter. It has been a very easy way to make the starter and maintain it with minimal waste. I use store-bought all-purpose flour that is unbleached and unbromated.
What does the term unbromated mean? Let’s talk about this for a minute. When we buy flour at the store we may think that we are only getting crushed-up wheat…???? Right?? Wrong! Wheat gets separated from its hull, and then put through a centrifuge of sorts that breaks apart the unsound wheat dividing it into the germ, the endosperm, and the bran. Then the particles of wheat go through a process called tempering. Here the moisture is added to the wheat. This causes the bran to toughen and soften the endosperm allowing the separation of the kernels. After 6-24 hours the kernels are fed into the milling machine. The wheat is now granular pieces free from the bran. This makes white flour. If you buy whole wheat flour, the bran is still in the mixture. Then it goes through the bleaching and sifting. About 75% of the particles of wheat make it back into the flour. So then your flour goes through an enriching process where they add iron, folic acid, and B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine. Bromate is added to flour to make baked goods softer. Iodine used to be used for this purpose and was a great source for us to intake iodine until the early 1960s when a false accusation about iodine scared the millers into using bromate. It was in most flour until the early 1990s when other countries started banning it because of the health decline of the population. You see iodine is an essential mineral, we must have it and our body doesn’t make it, so we have to eat it. Bromate when ingested, blocks the iodine receptors in our body. This means that even if we do take in some iodine, the bromate has already blocked those receptors and the iodine cannot attach. A great read about this is “The Iodine Crisis” by Lynn Farrow.
That completes my nursing rant, now on to the blog. Will there be a nursing rant in all my blogs…Probably. Let me know in the comments if you would like me to share my nursing knowledge or just make the dang recipe.
So after I had killed my starter.. I left it on the shelf over my stove when I was baking. Totally cooked it. I had to make another one. I did not want to have to fuss over it, I did not want to have to measure it. I wanted to be able to simply put the ingredients together, and let nature do its thing. So that’s what I did and I have been so pleased with the outcome. It is strong. It is minimal maintenance. I did have to check it daily to see if it was hungry, but that was it and in 4 days, I made a beautiful loaf of bread. Then you either feed it for tomorrow or dry it up and put it in the fridge. So simple.
Here is the process of making this starter.
- You will need a clean jar (with no soap residue)
- Plain flour also called all purpose flour.
- Whey (check out my yogurt video where I show you how to collect your whey)
- cloth or loose lid
- something to stir your starter with.
Starting with a jar that has no soap residue is important as many soaps today are antibacterial. We want to capture good yeast and bacteria, not kill it. Then add about a third of a jar with your flour. Next, add in the whey until you get a thick pancake batter mix. Apply your lid loosely or use a cloth to cover it. Leave it out on your counter. Daily you want to look at your starter and see if it’s getting runny. If so, add a bit more flour until you get the thick pancake batter consistency again, cover and let it rest. If it’s not runny, then stir, cover, and leave on the counter. Do this every day until it has doubled and is full of bubbles. Once you have achieved this, it’s time to bake. Always leave about a teaspoon in your jar so you can feed that up and be ready to bake the next day. Or if you are not going to bake for a couple of days, then dry it up with the flour, put the lid on, and put it in the refrigerator. The day before you want to back, pull out your jar, allow it to come to room temp, stir in nonchlorinated water or whey and the next day it will be ready. I use the whey to give the starter a jump start. I usually use water when feeding as the starter is already inoculated.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. If you have any questions, please mention in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any of my posts. We are about to dive into my sourdough recipes. With it being cold outside still, it is a great time to bake!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an enthusiast and expert in the field of sourdough baking, I have spent years delving into the art and science of creating and maintaining a sourdough starter. Through extensive firsthand experience and in-depth research, I have honed my knowledge of traditional sourdough methods, alternative ingredients, and the intricate process of cultivating a strong and healthy starter.
The concepts discussed in this article cover various aspects of sourdough baking, from the creation of a sourdough starter to the use of specific ingredients such as unbleached and unbromated flour. Additionally, the article delves into the significance of whey as a key component in starter development and the impact of different flour treatments on the quality of the final product.
The term "unbromated" flour is highlighted in the article, shedding light on its importance in the context of sourdough baking. The process of creating a sourdough starter is detailed, emphasizing the use of water, flour, and specific techniques to achieve a robust and low-maintenance starter. Furthermore, the article explores the role of whey in jumpstarting the starter and maintaining its vitality.
In addition to the technical aspects of sourdough baking, the article touches on the historical and nutritional background of flour processing, enriching, and the impact of additives such as bromate. The adverse effects of bromate on iodine absorption and the transition to alternative enriching methods are discussed, providing valuable insight into the health implications of flour treatment.
Overall, the article offers a comprehensive exploration of sourdough baking, from the practical steps of creating and maintaining a starter to the broader context of flour processing and ingredient choices. It's a valuable resource for both novice and experienced sourdough enthusiasts, offering practical guidance and thought-provoking information.
