Uncle Buds Sourdough Starter Recipes

SOURDOUGH STARTER I

Steps:

• Combine instant potatoes, sugar, water, and yeast in a covered container. Let the starter sit on a counter for 5 days, stirring daily with a wooden spoon.
• On the morning of the fifth day, feed the starter with 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water. In the evening, take out 1 cup of the starter to use in a sourdough recipe. Refrigerate the remaining starter.
• Every five days, feed the starter 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup water. If starter is to be used in a recipe, let the fed starter rest at room temperature 6 hours before use. If starter is not being used in a recipe, keep refrigerated and discard 1 cup of starter after each feeding.

UNCLE JACK'S SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• To make your own starter, mix flour, sugar, salt and vinegar in enough warm water to make a creamy batter. Leave it in a warm place for four days to a week until it begins to sour, or "work." If it is ready, it should have bubbles on top. Pour some in a dish and mix a dash of soda with it if it is active and ready to use, it will respond like hotcake batter. (Batter should rise to about double, looks kind of like meringue).Sourdough "works" because of a culture similar to yogurt. It forms an acid which will attack most metal containers and could poison you, so keep your starter in glass, crockery, or plastic. Stainless steel is OK for mixing batter, but it's not best to leave it in that, or even in a fruit jar with a regular ring and lid. It is imperative to never use any metal pot or metal spoon with sourdough EXCEPT stainless steel, as it causes a chemical reaction. A wooden or plastic spoon is a good idea to go with the sourdough pot. Gas bubbles (carbon dioxide) are released as the starter "works," so don't close the lid too tight!Sourdough rises because of the gas bubbles, same as bread dough with yeast. The baking soda you add to the batter causes a rapid reaction with the acid in the starter to make the light hotcakes, and also, neutralizes the acid taste. There is no reason for sourdough to taste sour. A slight soda taste is OK, but if you get too much, it makes the bread look yellowish. When you plan to use your starter, take it out of the refrigerator the previous evening and mix flour and water with it to batter consistency. Let it set out overnight to work. Then you take out as much as you will need for the day, but be sure there is a cup or more left, and put it back into the refrigerator. If you forget it and it molds on top, simply get two or three tablespoons of clean batter from the bottom of the crock and mix with new flour and water. Never add anything to the starter but flour and water. No yeast, no leftover batter, no potato water or any of the other stuff you hear about. A slightly lumpy starter will work itself out overnight, so it's better to leave it that way than way too thin. A Back Country Guide to Outdoor Cooking Spiced with Tall Tales - Bread in Camp

UNCLE BUD'S SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• Use a crock or a big pickle jar works good (washed) Stir flour, water, and sugar into a medium batter.
• Use a jar or crock that holds 3 times the the amount you will start with. Do not use metal, set crock on back of stove or near the warmest part of the kitchen for it to start it's fermentation process. You can also fill a fruit jar with hot water and insert jar into the middle of the batter. This helps start the batter. You now have a sourdough starter. You will have to stir it down every day and close the lid. When the dough gets to working full steam ahead, place in a cool place, not cold but cool such as pantry.
• Now you will be able to use it as a yeast for you use pancakes, biscuits, or bread. Try not to use more than 2/3 at any time. As soon as you take some out replace the same amount with flour, water, and sugar. This will keep it going, you may dip out an amount out to put in jar for a friend but replace with the same amount of ingredients once more in to your jar.