I am a newbie to forum use and I guess netiquette. I opened my web site about 6 or so weeks ago.I have been so happy with my sourdough culture, I wanted to use it and sourdough in general to help my husband make enough money to help feed our family. You know, just help out a little. I posted my new web site around the web including here, and boy was I roasted in some of the forums! I guess I was too exuberant and intrusive. Some of the usenet forums or whatever they are called were so negative and nasty that I am still in shock. I believe some of this was my fault for being too "commercial" sounding or maybe just stupid. I think in some of those places there may be individuals roaming around waiting to take a bite or attack! Anyway, I want to thank you here at this forum for tolerating my newbieness and being kind to me. I will try to sit back and learn more and ask more questions. I didn't mean to trounce in, hit hard and be unkind. If I have, please forgive me. I like this site so much, it is one of the few I have a link to from my site. Thankyou so much!
Teresa
Replies
Teresa
It makes me extremly happy that our forum has been able to find a place for you. There's arrogance all over the place. I get very worried when someone says there's only one way of doing something. You have found a system that works for you, both practically and commercially. But you have never said that it is the only way. You are prepared to accomodate other people's perspectives.
I have to admit to being a purist when it comes to making my own sourdough. But I also recognise that that makes me a conservative (a sourdough snob, if you like). It doesn't appeal to me to use anything other than flour and water to develop culture (plus sometimes rye sprouts). Using any additive, including yoghurt and preserved cultures just does not fit with how I have come to know sourdough. But I recognise that others want to try different ways and all of us benefit from looking at these other ways. New ways of looking at sourdough come from people like you, rather than from me.
Entertaining the possibility that a sourdough culture can be preserved, shipped elsewhere then 'awakened' has been enjoyable. I have even thought about ordering just to see what noticeable differences there are between your culture and ours. Possibly when I have access to an organised bakery environment again I will make that order, if only to prove I am no snob.
It helps that you obviously make a good loaf of bread.
Great stuff Teresa.
Graham
Thankyou Graham,
I really like your web site. There is a certain gentility and professionalism here that is appealing. Thankyou also for the compliment on my bread.
For me the serious interest in Sourdough culture was accidental.
I had made sourdough off and on for over 25 years with my own cultures.
No big deal and boring bread. Then I moved by the West coast of USA and decided to start some new sourdough because my daughter challenged me to make a "real" loaf of sourdough.
The yeast that I cultured surprised me with how wonderful my bread came out so I began to study sourdough culture.
I was intrigued that they found out that the San Francisco culture was a certain yeast/bateria combo and I read about Ed Woods who has collected so many cultures from around the world and he says they are different and have different qualities. I was interested in the fact that they are different, because of how different my culture is compared to all of the other ones I have ever had. It opened up the possibilities to me that the culture may make a difference in the bread you make. I thought that if I shared my sourdough, maybe it would be appreciated by others who weren't getting good results with the culture in their area. Indeed several people in Northern Washington have told me that they bought my culture because they were so disappointed in what they were able to culture. I have also had people in our desert areas of the USA tell me that catching a good culture was hard.
Now with Dom's blog on sourdough starters, it again makes me wonder if some starters are just superior to others and that is why just going out and starting your own starter is many times so disappointing to so many people (as we have all heard about). I know I was disappointed for 25 years with the starters I had cultured....sure they worked but....ho hum. Also sometimes if you try several times ... you can finally get a good culture.
I guess you could say I am interested in the way various cultures can make different breads, almost like different flours make different breads or different bacteria make different cheeses.
I haven't seen too many of the breads in the private albums but Bill's bread looks wonderful like he caught a great yeast. Maybe the rest of you have some wonderful cultures too. It would be nice to see more pictures of bread to see the end results of the sourdough starters. I can't wait to see Dom's end result bread!
Teresa
Teresa, I am a member of an Australian Woodwork forum and you wouldn't believe the arrogance that some of your countrymen exhibit when they come on to the forum, they usually don't last long. However I must state that some of them settle down and become valuable members.
I have noticed that when the first post on a forum is a blatant sales pitch there is usually a hostile reaction. I must admit my initial reaction to your first post was "Doesen't this bloody Yank realise we grow some damned good yeast down here too". But on further reading of your posts, particularly this one, I accepted that you may have been just over enthusiastic, and only suffering a mild case of Americanitis.
As far as I'm concerned all is forgiven, and an exchange of ideas can only benefit all.
regards
Bill
I cannot excuse the arrogance of my countrymen except to say that with the way our government is destroying our economy, sending our manufacturing overseas, encouraging China to become the giant that it is becoming, making laws and policies that take away any freedoms we had and tearing down our families, that we couldn't possibly be arrogant for too much longer! Soon we will be a third world country and in no place to police the world or tell everyone how to run their country.
That aside, thanks for being supportive, bread should unite us all.
I wouldn't mind doing an exchange, I could send you my starter and you could send me some of yours. I would also love a uniquely Australian bread recipe if you have a special one. That way I could make some Australian bread with some Australian starter! Thanks Bill,
Teresa