my sourdough starter: part 1

As mentioned in another post, I sent away for a sourdough starter from an organization known as Carl's Friends. You can read all about them on their website and even order your own for free but the gist is that this is part of a sourdough starter that Carl's family, and now friends, have kept alive for over 150 years. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?!

My boyfriend and I were both spoiled in that we grew up with original San Francisco sourdough at our fingertips. It was only after moving to southern California that I realized sourdough bread wasn't something you could get just anywhere. And now, living in Alabama, it's absolutely impossible to come by unless you have it shipped overnight from a company like Boudin Bakery. And as one can imagine, that costs a pretty penny. So I decided to try making my own, I have high sourdough standards so we'll see...

I sent my SASE to the group and was beginning to get a little worried since it had been a few weeks with no sign of my starter. But I read on their website that it could take up to 6 weeks (it's a network of volunteers and they have to dry the starter...you can read the lengthy explanation on their site). Then, a few days ago, mine arrived!

It comes in the mail looking like this: 

I followed the directions, from the site, for reviving the starter and here is where I softened the granules in warm water.





Then I added the flour, and a tad more water to make it a 'thin pancake batter' consistency. So far, no action. Our house is pretty warm (70-75 degrees in the kitchen because it gets so much light during the day) so I left my starter on the counter for a few hours. I kept checking on it and there wasn't much going on so, before bed, I stuck it in the oven so it could sleep, draft free.


When I checked it in the morning it looked like this! Okay, not really...I added more warm water and flour, stirred it and THEN it looked like this:

I returned it to the oven, but this time I turned the oven light on for a few hours. At the end of the day it was very bubbly again so I added even more flour and water (and transfered it to a bigger container).


Now it's resting in the oven, I'll check on it before I go to bed (in a few hours) but probably won't feed it again until the morning. Then tomorrow night I plan on separating it into two containers, maybe mixing some Rye flour into one.

You can check out my progress and exact measurements HERE !!!

If all goes as planned, and I don't kill my starter, I'll have some beautiful sourdough pictures to post soon!