And another episode focusing on questions about sourdough. Please keep them coming… I love to answer and help you!
Here are the questions I’m answering:
- sourdough starter doesn’t seem active
- how does temperature affect a starter
- easy sourdough recipes that don’t need kneading
- easy recipes for leftover starter
- appealing sourdough bread for husband
- it takes too long to start a starter
- how long can you ferment for bread
- how often/how much to feed starter to build it up enough for a recipe
- starter seems to thick
- how to cover a starter
All the answers are in this episode, and any links mentioned are below. Plus… the tip of the week!
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Feedback
Erika B. shared:
I need to thank you for a piece of information I received from you. On your podcast, I heard an interview with Shawn Stevenson of “The Model Health Show.” You talked about sleep, how important that is, etc. I later went to his podcast on your (Wardee’s) recommendation. This literally saved my family. We are undergoing a crisis right now with 55,000 gallons of crude oil having been dumped into the river our town drinks from. Our municipal water has been tainted with benzene in very high, unsafe amounts.
Because I had heard of Shawn through you and on your recommendation started listening to his podcast as well, my family was prepared and had good water available to us before the government even told us not to drink the water. (It smells like paint thinner, but for 48 hours they told us it was safe to drink.) We have been able to help others source fresh potable water and hopefully will be able to help more. So a huge thank you for all of the information you provide us, the time and effort you put into helping others. You helped save lives!
Sincerely,
Erika Billedeaux
Tip of the Week: 1 Dough, 14 Kinds of Cookies – Allergy-Friendly
Listener Questions
Carla B. asks:
“Hi, Wardee, My concern with my sourdough starter is that it doesn’t seem dry active. I get a few bubbles at the surface (maybe three) and no actual rise in volume in the jar it lives in. It does smell like a strong sourdough, but doesn’t “act” like one. Am I expecting to much movement out of those little guys, or are they sluggish to multiply? I have seen no change from using bottled water, to now using my softened well water.“
Sharon P. asks:
“Hi, Wardee, How does temperature effect starter? Living near Buffalo, our winters are tough and we use the kitchen door. Does the draft harm the starter?“
Mary B. asks:
“Hi, Wardee, I would like more recipes for things other than bread that needs to be kneaded. I don’t have the money to get a mixer to do this for me and don’t have the strength to do it by hand. I know about pancakes and cornbread,. Any others?“
Links:
- Pizza Crust
- English Muffins
- Crepes
- Chocolate Cake
- Spice Cake
- Cookies
- Sourdough eBook
- Sourdough eCourse
Karen N. asks:
“Hi, Wardee, My single biggest challenge right now with sourdough is _________ ” finding easy, quick recipes for using up left over starter. As a busy mom of 5 boys, with constant interruptions, I don’t have time for long recipes and I don’t want to waste useful starter.“
Links:
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Impossible Pie (in sourdough eBook)
- Cookies
- Crepes
- Sourdough eBook
- Sourdough eCourse
Rhonda H. asks:
“Hi, Wardee, My single biggest challenge right now with sourdough is ___ hard packy bread that is not very tasty or appealing to my husband. He is the main reason I started this because he eats so many conventional breads and sweets. I’ve tried all different kinds of flour but still no really yummy-can’t-get-enough-of-that bread. “
Links:
- English Muffins
- Sourdough Soda Bread
- Not-So-Dense (or Sour) Sourdough Bread
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread (in Sourdough eBook)
Brenda R. asks:
“Hi, Wardee, I think my biggest challenge with my starter is knowing how far I can push fermentation once the dough is pulled together. I have friends that are gluten sensitive and the longer ferment time > 12 hours seems to do better for them. I have had it go 18 hours, but how far can I go without adding density to the loaf?“
Kimberley B. asks:
“Hi, Wardee, My biggest challenge with sourdough right now is remembering to feed it and keep feeding it in plenty of time to have enough for a certain recipe. How can I feed it more or more frequently than every 12 hours to get it to grow more?“
Gail H. asks:
“Hi Wardee, My problem is that I took a break from baking bread. I put the starter in the fridge and forgot it until I had to throw it. The thought of starting all over is overwhelming. Now, when I would bake over the Holidays, it takes to long to make another starter.”
- Cultures for Health
- Carl’s Friends (Free Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter)
“Hi Wardee, My starter seems thicker than I anticipated. I am not sure it is as bubbly as I thought. It has been cool here and my house is cool, so I have occasionally turned my oven on 200, left the door cracked, and the jars sitting on the stove top near the opening to give a bit extra warmth. Also, do you actually “seal” with plastic wrap? I am tempted to use a dish cloth and rubber band it to the top. I feel like I want it to breathe… Any hints will be appreciated. I want to get a good starter going to use extensively in three weeks.”
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Anything to Add?
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The paleo diet not recomend the consumption of wheat because we can not digest it well, is that true?
Great podcast! I love sourdough. I started my traditional foods journey with water kefir so that I’d be able to make my own gluten free sourdough starter. An excellent gluten free starter that rises abundantly with many air pockets is 3 parts brown rice flour to 1 part flax seed meal. Per volume of brown rice flour & flax seed meal to water, add almost double the volume of water per brown rice flour/flax seed meal mixture. This starter is superb and light while providing added nutrition from flax seeds. I look forward to trying the cookies and other recipes linked to in the notes. Wardee, you, your team and school have been a tremendous blessing to me. You are making a huge difference in other peoples lives. Some of us have tremendous burdens to carry and your work brings optimism and light where there is darkness. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Hi Wardee, I was wondering if you sprout your grain before you grind it for flour?
I just listened to your superb podcast and my question is regarding my sourdough starter. This morning I pulled out my starter from the frig after leaving it in there for at least 6 months while I’ve been out of the country. There was black hooch on top so I wrinkled my nose, shrugged my shoulders and just stirred it into the starter and then added a little more flour.
When you were talking about reclaiming your starter you said that you drained off the black hooch. So – is my starter going to be poisonous and not useable because I didn’t drain off the black water?
Thanks so much for all your help!
Blessings,
Vicky B