You might be aware that the Cook the Books selection for August/September is Sourdough by Robin Sloan. If not, you are now.
Sourdough is a great, quirky, thought-provoking little book. If you want more information about the book, please click here.
As the host of this round and the one who picked Sourdough for the selection, I feel a bit of pressure to produce a sourdough bread product.
A couple of years ago, I bought a starter and it was rocking along fairly well; that is, until I replenished it with tap water and the chlorine killed it. I threw it out.
This winter, I tried to make my own starter by capturing whatever culture was wafting around our own environment. (I was inspired by the Michael Pollan’s Cooked “Air” episode.) I threw it out.
In July, I ordered a culture/starter. I followed the directions carefully. It molded. I threw it out.
So in hopes of having something to post by September 30 for CTB, I decided to try it again. My mom gave me a volume of The Kitchen Grimoire for Christmas and since grimoire translates to “a book of magic spells and invocations,” I decided to glean wisdom from its many pages. Maybe I could create my own mysterious and magical sourdough, just like in the novel.
There, I found a number of sour dough starter recipes.
The “The Hops Starter” sounded intriguing but I had no potatoes. (I have read that potato starters are the best, though.) I decided to try the “Honey Starter.”
Instead of using a quart jar which the recipe called for, I thought it would be too full with no room to bubble and ferment (hopefully). I put mine in a half gallon jar.
I’m really glad I went with the half-gallon jar because check out the foaming action after just 45 minutes.
Honey Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. dry yeast (2 1/4 t.)
- 2 1/2 c. warm distilled water
- 2 T. local honey
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 half-gallon jar with tight fitting lid
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the jar and stir. (A chopstick works best for this.) Make sure all the flour is mixed in.
- Screw on lid and let the starter ferment in a warm place for 5 days.
- After five days, store in refrigerator.
- Replenish using equal parts distilled water and flour.
I hope the this recipe has the magical mojo I knead. (Pun intended.)
You also have plenty of time to pick up Sourdough, read it and perhaps even start a starter before the posting deadline of September 30.
For more Cook the Book details, click here.
Keep your fingers crossed because I started this on August 19 and it’s still alive and I have even baked with it twice!