Making a Sourdough Starter

Make your own sourdough starter from the natural, wild yeast in the environment around you. I've used Nancy Silverton's technique of grapes, flour and water and demoed it in the vid. It is SO simple and yields fantastic results. You'll wonder why you haven't done it sooner.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• bread
• baking
• yeast
• sourdough
• food
• eating
• cooking
• dough

[GopiRasa]

This method WORKS! I tried for a month and a half before turning to the Grape approach: water and flour (white, wheat, white/wheat, white/rye), water and pineapple juice. I tried inside, outside, by a window, on the stove, cover ajar, cheesecloth, etc. Nothing but heartbreak and disappointment until the Grape Relief. Now I just wish I could find her recipe for bread... !

[boxa888]

@Doughnutchef hey is that the film that forms on the grapes in my yard??

[krsboob]

Sourdough snobbery !!?!! Ha! Who would of thought... Who are you people?

"This is all wrong. you do not use grapes to make a starter" and "it look very dirty and unclean"....etc. If it works, don't knock it.

She did say its a starter from Nancy Silverton from La Brea Bakery (tried and tested?). Google it, check out the site. They have bakeries in London and Dublin too. I'm guessing they are good at what they do; probably better than you.

[Brownslocksmith]

Hey to all you moaners and groaners out there... this is "One" way of doing it... there isnt only one way to make a sourdough starter ya dip shits. Get your head out of your ass's and like it try it or dont.

[jimi5800]

this looks very bad way to make starter or anything. it look very dirty and unclean.

[PerfectionObsessive]

@waynechung81 about measurements, this is a starter, not an actual bake, you don't need to be so prissy about volume vs weight.

No, yeast found on grapes are the same type that's used for wine and bread.

Historically speaking, alcohol yeast, namely from beer brewers were the original source of baker's yeast.

Third, you don't need to keep feeding starters everyday if you have grapes in them, grapes have a good amount of complex sugars that will constantly replenish the yeast's diet.

[waynechung81]

You do NOT want to use grapes in your sourdough starter. Grapes do have wild yeast on them, but it is wild yeast that feeds off grapes and not wheat. You are introducing the incorrect type of wild yeast to your starter. Just rely on the wild yeasts that are already present in the flour and omit the grapes. The water and flour should be measured by weight and not volume. You also need to feed a starter every day if you are leaving it at room temperature.

[austrilopithicene]

This is all wrong. you do not use grapes to make a starter

[memphis0162]

This is a really interesting starter. Starting a batch today and will post how it turns out

[737Pilot122]

Why pound, the yeast that you are after is on the outside of the grape, which you don't need anyway.