I'm aware that it's possible to dry starter and restore it to life months later by adding water.
I've got two great active starters going now after an intial battle to get anything happening, and would like to dry some for two reasons: 1. insurance against anything happening to my current ones 2. I have a friend in another state who wants to try sourdough baking but lacks the patience to make his own starter. I would like to post him some of mine, dried.
So, if anyone has successfully dried their starter and later restored it to life with water, wouldja mind letting me know how you went about the drying part please?
Cheers all
Ross
I've got two great active starters going now after an intial battle to get anything happening, and would like to dry some for two reasons: 1. insurance against anything happening to my current ones 2. I have a friend in another state who wants to try sourdough baking but lacks the patience to make his own starter. I would like to post him some of mine, dried.
So, if anyone has successfully dried their starter and later restored it to life with water, wouldja mind letting me know how you went about the drying part please?
Cheers all
Ross
Category:
Replies
I've never tried to dry my starter, I've just got my first one going and am still learning all the particulars about it. I did fing this:
http://www.culinarycafe.com/Breads-Biscuits/Home_Drying.html
and it might be worth a look.
Peter.
Cheers
Ross
Scott.
I've got two great active starters going now after an intial battle to get anything happening, and would like to dry some for two reasons: 1. insurance against anything happening to my current ones 2. I have a friend in another state who wants to try sourdough baking but lacks the patience to make his own starter. I would like to post him some of mine, dried.
So, if anyone has successfully dried their starter and later restored it to life with water, wouldja mind letting me know how you went about the drying part please?
Cheers all
Ross
[/quote]
It's pretty easy. Get a couple of dinner plates, line them with cling wrap, pour in just enough *newly fed* starter to make a thin (1/4 inch -- or less than one cm deep). Cover it with something to keep flies and creepy crawlers off, and put it in the oven with just the pilot light lit, or if your oven has one, the oven light. That will keep the temp at bout 85 - 90 degress F. It will take in total about 3 - 4 days. when it gets a hard brown crust on it after a couple of days, peel the cling wrap off and turn the patty over for another day or two. If you let it get *too* hard, it will be a real bear to grind up in a blender or food processor. Of course a stone mortar and pestle will grind up *ANYTHING!*
In return for this magical information, I propose a trade. I have two cultures, both heirloom. One from up around the Columbia River in Washington, and one from Humboldt County in California. I'll swap you a good start of each (a level tablespoon) for a like amount of yours, assuming that you successfully dry your two cultures.
This deal will apply to anyone else on this forum, as well
DeeDee
Contact information is on my website at http://www.noseyparkernews.com., or just email me at [email protected]
Hiya DeeDee,
Thanks for your precise drying instructions. Appreciate that.
I think I'll wait until the weather warms up a bit here, then give it a try. I'll feed back the results and if the drying works well, will take up your offer. I assume you're aiming to get together a variety of starters from different regions (and hemispheres!) - interesting idea.
How different are the breads when you do the same recipe using different starters, I wonder? Obviously, a rye starter will add different qualities and flavour from a white flour starter, for example, but what about two rye starters, say, from different areas? Have you tried out this sort of comparison in your kitchen?
http://sourdough.com/comment/reply/1695/12664
http://sourdough.com/comment/reply/1695/12665
http://sourdough.com/comment/reply/1695/12666
http://sourdough.com/comment/reply/1695/12668
http://sourdough.com/comment/reply/1695/12670
I think these might also be of interest to you.
Yes, I have even spent what I consider to be outrageous amounts of money to collect other international sourdough cultures. When I'm satisfied with my collection, I'll have a couple dozen separate and distinct cultures. After I've activated them and taste tested them, I'll simply freeze or dry the activated cultures and keep them to share or use.
As it is, I use one culture, a very sour, traditional San Francisco culture for almost all my daily breads, and use the other, which is a very milky, or buttery tasting culture for things that need a sweeter, or less aggressive flavor -- breakfast sweet rolls, sticky buns, raisin bread, pancakes, waffles, monkey bread, and so forth.
When I'm showing off, I have a french boulangerie culture that I use to make baguettes and batards for personal gifts or for special dinners. I will expand my collection as I can afford it. As a retired and disabled former 'geekette', my income is limited, so I can't just order $200 USD worth of cultures that I'd dearly love to own and nurture.
I haven't got any rye cultures, although I use my sour culture to make Polish light rye. I flavor it with a TBS or so of dill weed, and two TBS of caraway seeds. Fennel seeds work, well, too.
I'm looking forward to obtaining a Russian culture that is specifically aimed at traditional rye breads, or whole wheat breads.
DeeDee