Every so often I get this urge to make or try to make sourdough...... and every time I fail....
I have obtained all linds of starters, and many very kind souls have sent me some of theirs to get started.
But always the same, after about 3 days it stinks like strong paint. so I dump it.
I have tried different flours, different water, still the same, now what can I do...
Many many years ago I did manage some how to get a decent loaf, how I don't know. but it was a long long time ago.....Any ideas...... qahtan
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Good morning Qahtan,
You can't go past reading and following SourDoms beginners blogs on this site.
Let us know how you go.
Farinam
... should be sainted - he's responsible for getting a huge number of sourdough bakers going successfully! (Including me, thanks Dom.)
One thing I think is mentioned somewhere down in the voluminous comments in that blog, and which has been verified elsewhere, is to add a little unsweetened pineapple juice at the beginning.
A high proportion of starters go through what is really a contaminated stage early on, caused by the intrusion of leuconostoc bacteria. They cause objectionable odours, sometimes like vomit, which are quite alarming. If allowed to continue developing, the lactobacillus in the starter will overpower the leuconostoc, so in the end it's not a bad thing - but incorporating a small amount of pineapple juice eliminates that stage and can get it going faster.