Easy starter (based on one from the out of print Garden Way Bread book)
1 cup flour
1 cup water
2 tbs honey (more or less)
1 package commercial yeast
Mix all together in a plastic, Pyrex or other non-metal container, at least double the size of the resulting mixture. Cover container with a cloth (best) or plastic wrap (if you live in a kitchen with too many flies/bugs). You will need some air to get into the mixture so if using plastic do not pull tighter. Place container on a plate or pan to catch spill overs if the starter rises too much. Place in a warm spot (by the solid fuel stove is good in Winter a window in Summer). Not too hot, you don't want to kill the yeast but warm. Keep away from your trash or indoor compost bin but near any home brewing you may have.
Let sit overnight and stir down. Do this for at least 48 hours before using, three or four days is best. Be sure to stir at least once a day during this first week. After one week, you can move your starter to a glass jar and keep it in the fridge. Each time you use it "feed it" another cup of water and flour and/or replace what you take out. If you don't like you starter too sour, you can add a bit of sugar or honey once a month or so.
If you do not cook with your starter every week, be sure to feed it at least every two weeks (once is better) you can throw the extra starter in the compost if you have to. You can also freeze starters for another time.
Now, you want to try your starter out as soon as you can to make sure it taste good. What you are doing is getting wild yeast from the air and sometimes they are wonderful and sometimes they raise bread or pancakes but taste terrible. If you get a bad one, just dump it out and start again. The same thing if after a year your original starter suddenly tastes bad (or turns black at the top) just start over.
When I get a really good starter, I sometimes freeze part of it so if I lose it, I can restart it later by adding it to the water/flour/honey mix when I may more.
Oh, and always make a sponge when making sour dough bread. That is where you take out the 1 cup starter and add 1 cup flour plus 1 cup water and let it sit over night. You can use starter direct in a pinch but sponges make much nicer bread or pancakes.
Have fun!
expatriate Californian living in rural Ireland with husband, dogs, horses. garden and many, many cats
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Originally Posted by Hatcreekman
