Feb tip of the month

[Hal]

This is for all you sourdough Dutch oven bread bakers.   Fool proof sourdough starter :  1c plain natural yogurt, 1c buttermilk, 1c unbleached flour.  combine yogurt and buttermilk in a glass or crockery bowl, cover with plastic wrap sealing with a rubber band and let set in a warm place, 85-90deg. for 24 hrs. Add flour and stir, return to your warm place for 3-5 days, stirring several times a day. When the starter is nice and bubbly and sour smelling, it is ready to use. It can be refrigerated but must be allowed to sit for 12-24 hours in a warm place before use. after use, replace the starter with equal parts of unbleached flour and water, or preferably buttermilk, allowing it to set overnight befor adding to the "Mother". If you have chlorinated water, use bottled water as the chlorine will kill the bacteria necessary to develop a sourdough starter.

[flcracker]

 I have never tried  it with yogurt . Sounds good. I have a great sourdough starter at home right now. My wife is makeing some bread for dinner tonite. I love comming home from work to the smell of fresh sourdough bread.

[Hal]

Hey Cracker, the plain yogurt has the enzymes needed to produce a nice bubbly sourdough starter.

[flcracker]

sounds great I'll try it soon.   By the way the bread my wife made last nite was awsome. I am having some for breakfast right now , warmed up with honey on top from one of the local beekeppers . 

[Hal]

I hafta do all the bread bakin' at this here outfit. My wife told me when we first met, She'd never ride a Arabian horse and never bake bread. She surenuff fixes me a great supper every evenin' though. 

[Steve]

I don't think I've ever had sourdough bread.  Does it taste better than regular home made bread?  Is it easier to make than regular bread?  I was also wondering, if you don't keep the starter warm, will it kill your starter mix.  I'm a greenhorn at dutch oven cooking.   I appreciate any advice you can give me!  Is it true that sour dough bread works better than viagra?

[Hal]

Hey Steve, no you can refrigerate the starter storing it in a glass or crockery vessel. Never store it in a metal container. When you are going to bake, remove the starter from the fridge 24hrs before use, placing it in a warm place. Sourdough bread is the best. You can use wheat, rye, or white flour. I get all my flour from a mill that uses stone grinders with no additives.