Title: Sourdough Starter (2 of 2)
Categories: Breadmaker Sourdough Genie
Yield: 2 Servings
Many cookbooks suggest stirring the starter once a day even when being
refrigerated; I find that it is not necessary. You must, however, use a
portion of the starter at least once a week. If you choose not to bake
sourdough breads that often, then remove a cup of your starter and feed it
as though you used some during the week. If this is not done, your starter
will turn rancid and have to be replaced. Should you be away on vacation or
otherwise not able to tend to the starter, freeze it. Upon your return,
thaw it in the refrigerator and then remove a portion and feed it as soon
as you are able.
You may be thinking that this sounds too complicated, but it really is
not, nor is the starter overly fragile. A friend of mine had the same
starter for 14 years!
My first few loaves of sourdough were not very sour and I feared it was
my starter. After allowing the starter to mellow a little by sitting in the
refrigerator and using only once a week, it and the breads became more
sour.
Another hint is to put the bread in on the timer cycle for early morning
baking. The milk put in the night before adds a little more sour taste. If
the bread is getting too sour for you, feed with water more often than
milk. Source: The Bread Machine Cookbook by Donna Rathmell German MM by
Cathy Svitek