Tuesday 18 March 2014

Reviving my Sourdough Starter - Fail

My poor sourdough starter has been very very neglected.  It has been so long since I made a load of sourdough I couldn't even tell you when it was.  I think sometime before Christmas.

So the other day I retrieved my starter from the fridge and, well um, it was not a pretty sight.

Very sad starter

There was still some soft starter around the edges so I took that and tried to revive it with fresh flour and water. On the first day it looked like things were going to plan as there were small bubbles forming.

Small bubbles forming.
But after the second day things were not good.  I think something got into the flour and contaminated it (probably more of those damm pantry moths as I used the last of my wholemeal flour which I thought was bug free) as it had an awful smell.
So that was that I had to throw it out.  So now it is back to the beginning to create a starter from scratch if I want to bake sour dough, from clean flour that is.  This time I will need to make sure I look after the starter a bit better.
Alternatively I might just get back into the habit of bread making again using yeast, at least until I am baking it often enough.

Not sure.  Suggestions anyone?

6 comments:

  1. It was worth a try. I can't look after sourdough starter so I used soaked flour method. Still uses yeast but much longer time to proof more like sourdough. Recipe on my blog somewhere. ...

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  2. I found I dont make enough bread to keep sourdough going, so also now like the longer version of raising. I had a sprouted grain and also a soaked oatmeal bread that I liked. both took all day to rise.

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    1. Thanks AA it looks like that is something I will have to investigate.

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  3. Question - when i make Herman The German Friendship cake i am able to freeze portions. When i defrost it i just start feeding and its and 10 days later its fine for another batch. Can you do the same for sourdough starter? Please excuse my ignorance.

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    1. Hi Lynda I have heard that it can be frozen but I am not sure I could wait 10 days for bread baking.

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