# Homemade Sourdough Starter



## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Now how cool is this? You can make your own sourdough starter from scratch, using wild or cultivated grapes that are not sprayed or washed.

Wild grape sourdough starter - Flourish - King Arthur Flour

What got me started looking was a Facebook comment that described this process with a little better detail. She puts a cup of grapes in cheesecloth, squeezes the juice into a bowl, adds flour (I just read somewhere else that sourdough rye does not upset gluten sensitive stomachs, despite having gluten, worth trying perhaps if that's an issue) and water to create a thin paste. Then she adds the cheesecloth grapes in, covers the bowl with a cloth and rubber band and lets sit for 3-4 days. The end result is sourdough starter that can be fed and used like any other.

Grapes grow pretty well everywhere, don't they? So even in a survival situation you could create the ability to make yeasted breads.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

Cool.

"Back in the day", yeast starters were one of the most valuable things a family could own; they were sometimes protected with their lives and were hung in bags around their necks for safe keeping.

People actually killed each other for them.

Since bread was the staple...if you didn't have a yeast starter, you may starve.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

We grew up with starter in the kitchen you knew not to mess with it. Sourdough pancakes, breads, biscuits ect.
However time in other places I have grown found of breads made without yeast also.


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## deserth3 (Oct 11, 2015)

I had a friend make a starter with just flour, water, cover with cheese cloth and let it sit outside for awhile. 
This was supposed to be better than doing it indoors because of the type of yeast you got.
Also local yeast is supposed to help reduce allergies. Very much like local hunney.
She then brought out inside and feed it for several weeks.
Made very good bread.

Sent from my LG-H700 using Tapatalk


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

deserth3 said:


> Also local yeast is supposed to help reduce allergies. Very much like local hunney.


Oh, that's good to know!


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## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

This is a great topic.....about catching wild yeast spores for baking or cooking bread type foods......just in case you run out of Fleischmann's. 


Here's a recipe for the flour/water sourdough starter....

1/2 gallon jar
cheesecloth or small towel or some kind of cloth (breathable) covering
1/2 C flour
up to 1 C water

Stir flour & water to a thin batter consistency, scraping sides of the jar. Cover with a cloth & let sit in a warm spot (top of fridge?). 

Next day add another 1/2 C flour & up to 1 C water, stir to mix well, scraping sides. Cover & let sit. 

Keep adding flour/water amounts & stirring every day. 

Should start seeing bubbles by day 3 and possibly expansion.

Depending on how sour your preference, starter should be about ready to use by Day 5 for a mild sour. By Day 7, should be a strong pungent sour. 

Smell is probably the best indicator of readiness. It should smell like sour yeastiness....a good sour smell. 



Possible problems? If the starter smells like acetone (finger nail polish remover), or a 'chemical' type smell caused by bacteria outnumbering yeast......just means you didn't feed it enough or may have missed a feeding. Just add more flour & a bit less water than usual and stir like crazy. Within an hour or two, that sharp chemical smell should be gone and starter is ready to be used. 

If you plan to keep a starter going for a long time, then always take out a half cup of starter and feed it daily, while you use the rest for baking/cooking. 

Sourdough bread-add enough flour and 1/2 to 1 tsp salt to make a dough, knead a few times on well floured surface till no longer sticky, put in a pan, cover & let rise a couple hours (takes longer for the wild yeasts to fully develop than store bought instant). Bake 350 till golden brown and hollow when thumped on the bottom. 


When I wanted to learn about doing this, I found there are almost as many suggested recipes as there are people making it. Some say to use a bit of sugar in the very beginning, some say to feed it once a day, others say twice a day......so much of it a personal preference. I listed a common measurement to be added once per day, but you can use less, more often. I guess it's an easily forgivable recipe to whatever adjustments that work for you. 



Then there's also the option of an 'instant' sourdough starter if you want to use it without the week long wait......add a pinch (up to 1/4 tsp) instant yeast to 1 C. flour & 1 to 1 1/2 C water and stir and let sit for several hours in a warm spot. It should be bubbly/frothy.


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## Gunn (Jan 1, 2016)

I just checked with my wife and our starter is going on 5 years old.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Robie said:


> Cool.
> 
> "Back in the day", yeast starters were one of the most valuable things a family could own; they were sometimes protected with their lives and were hung in bags around their necks for safe keeping.
> 
> ...


Now wonder why those light weights couldnt eat some good old flour torts? It sorta amazing how many cultures in the world have some version of flat bread as a staple of the diet. Flour torts are astoundingly simple to make..for them with a bread machine or has a cute mamacitia who dont mind doing a little hand kneading.
https://growagoodlife.com/flour-tortilla-recipe/


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

Wow, that is good to know.
I used to eat at this restaurant every time I landed in San Fran or San Diego as it was near by the airport.
Their story of their starter goes back to the 1800's, still in use today.
https://boudinbakery.com/our-story/


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