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Sourdough feeding? - labradors - 06-25-2010

Well, I'm finally trying sourdough again, and I'm going to be more ambitious, this time, since I'll be trying three different starter recipes: one from Ruth Allman's Alaska Sourdough and one from Shirley O. Corriher's Cookwise and one from FreeCulinarySchool.

It has been about two years since my earlier attempt failed, but I have learned more about sourdough, since then, and now know that I starved that starter. I had known about replacing what you take out, but not that there should be regular "feedings."

With that in mind, I have a question for those of you who have made the sourdough from Ruth Allman's Alaska Sourdough: how often should the starter be fed? Some starter recipes I've seen say to feed it two or three times a day, but Allman's book isn't very clear. Obviously some of you must have had success with this book, else you would not have praised the book so highly when I mentioned having gotten it, so how did YOU handle it?


Re: Sourdough feeding? - foodfiend - 06-25-2010

Oh dear, I've always managed to kill any sourdough starter which I have ever had... BUT, I don't think that it has to be fed 2 or 3 times a day. Maybe weekly. I will be talking to my Mom this weekend and I will ask her since she has had the same starter for years (obviously, I passed on those particular genes!). And I don't think that different starters require various feeding schedules, either. I'm interested to see what others have to say.


Re: Sourdough feeding? - Mare749 - 06-25-2010

Sorry labs, it's been so long since I used that book that I've forgotten what I did, but I'm positive that I did not feed it 2-3 times a day. I think it may have been more like 2-3 times a week. Sounds like Vicci will have the best answer for you.


Re: Sourdough feeding? - labradors - 06-25-2010

Well, there are LOTS of ways to do sourdough, and the wide variations in feeding are during the very beginning stage. Otherwise, once everything's been going well for a while, just about all of them come down to keeping it refrigerated and feeding only once or twice a week.

In this case, I'm looking for the experiences of those who have used Ruth Allman's book, speciically, since that is the starter about which I have the question. The other two already have detailed-enough instructions.


Re: Sourdough feeding? - foodfiend - 06-25-2010

I know that it isn't the exact instructions for your starter, but my Mom called earlier and she was making sourdough bread, so I asked her how often she feeds hers. She said that it had been over 2 weeks since she had done so, but it was still okay, and that she tries to feed hers once every week to ten days.

Hope someone with the book is able to answer your question!


Re: Sourdough feeding? - esgunn - 06-25-2010

I think Sharon is the one that used that starter. Hopefully she will have internet and will help you out.


Re: Sourdough feeding? - pjcooks - 06-25-2010

Can't help with that particular starter, but you just reminded me to feed mine, since I haven't fed it or used it in a week. I use 1 c flour and 1/2 c water. Had some nice hooch going on and it smells great.

It's about 3 months old now and still doing great.

PJ


Re: Sourdough feeding? - karyn - 06-25-2010

My dad's starter has been going for as long as I can remember. He'll let it go for months, sitting at the back of the refrigerator, without feeding it. If it's been a while, he'll pour off a bit of the grayish alcohol and feed it for two days before he uses it. If he's using it more regularly, he'll just pull it out the night before to feed it. The pancakes and bread he makes from that starter is about the best I've ever tasted.


Re: Sourdough feeding? - DFen911 - 06-25-2010

Well in school we fed it ours about once every 3 days.