Kefir for quick starter : )

What a terrific idea :)  But you're right -- the microbiology of it works out.  How's it doing for you?

Pictures when you can ;)

-- Maim

[quote=Jeannie143]

My starter died a natural death from neglect (too busy for myself making wedding cakes) so I was going to start some new. While reading the label on my granddaughter's Kefir I discovered that it contains many of the little critters we are trying to grow in our starter. So I mixed some with some pineapple juice and bread flour and got a starter that totally skipped the stinky stage and went directly to Real Starter in about two days. I'm baking again and have lost that worry about my starter because I can make new in no time.

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Jeannie143,

Interesting that you could start a milk kefir starter by taking your granddaughter’s Kefir and combining pineapple juice and bread flour to get a starter. Does it leaven bread with no other yeast? I guess it might be like a wild yeast starter, but if you taste what you have made does it have the sourdough taste like using a proven starter?

I have worked with real Kefir grains (like small heads of cauliflowers) and also with packets of milk kefir that are also fed milk fermented and from what I found after much experimenting with pizza, breads and bagels is that only the real Kefir grains can ferment by themselves and give that sourdough taste. I have a blog where I did all those experiments.

Will be interested if you do more experiments and see what you find out. Looking forward to seeing some pictures or your results.