Joy the Baker

This Sourdough Starter project is turning out to be an ordeal.  I don’t think it’s the starters fault.  It’s only a simple mixture of flour and water.  I think the ordeal came in when I became mostly obsessed with my starter.  See,  I took my starter out of the fridge yesterday to feed it, and hopefully make delicious sourdough pancakes in spite of my ridiculously busy schedule.

The starter sat on my counter untouched, and just as it came out of the fridge, the hooch had separated from the rest of the starter.  No big deal, right?  Well, it was no big deal until, at room temperature, my starter started to bubble!

AAAHHHHH!  Seriously!  I was totally not prepared for this!  I was not expecting little bubbles to come up from the bottom of my starter, reach the top and burst.  I am simultaneously horrified and fascinated.  I couldn’t tear myself away from my starter all night.  It was so creepy.  I think I would scream in excitement and disgust every time I took another peek.

Granted, I don’t have photo documentation of this.  You just have to be there to be totally freaked out by it.

Now, I have no idea if this is normal.  My starter smells sour but not totally icky and well…. I think it’s alive.

Are your starters marinating in the fridge?

Here is a sneak peak of the sourdough pancake recipe I’m using.  It’s another overnight deal.  I suppose that this whole process isn’t for the faint of heart.  It requires a serious love for pancakes.  And after all this, would you believe that I’m too lazy to make cinnamon rolls!?  That just doesn’t make any sense at all.

Read more »

We’re still talking sourdough starter!

Need to catch up!?  Here’s Sourdough Starter Day 1 and Sourdough Starter Day 2 and 3!

Mine seems to be happy and growing.  It might almost be time to preheat the griddle for those pancakes.

Jump on over and see the results of days of flour, water and bacteria.  

Read more »

Now we’re cookin’!  

Above is Day 2 of the sourdough starter.  You can see a layer of yellowish liquid running through the starter.  That’s the hooch.  I just stirred the starter well before its feeding.  

Below is Day 3 of the “situation starter”.  Now it’s starting to get going.  I’m totally excited!  It smells slightly sour but still mostly floury.  I can see the bread at the end of the tunnel!

After a swift 24 hours of sitting on my counter with the lid ajar, here are the (less than exciting) photographic results of my sourdough starter.  

This is the starter just before it’s first feeding.  

I know this isn’t terribly exciting.  

I promise I’ve got some lovely recipes in store for you. I won’t make you suffer through watching bacteria grow for too much longer.

How are your starters coming?