Starter

I made my first sourdough starter 10 years ago from a package of San Francisco sourdough starter that I got on the west coast. I know you can make your own starter from the natural yeast that is found in the air but it might not be as reliable right off the bat. So if you have some commercial bread yeast lying around, dig it out. For making your first sourdough starter mix up yeast, flour, and water and keep it alive in a covered glass jar in your fridge. Replenish the gloopy mixture with more flour and water as you use it. Be sure to leave enough starter to keep it regenerating and allow room in the jar for expansion! Try to use it (and refresh it) every few weeks. This is what keeps me baking! I can't throw out even a blob of starter, I must use it! Over time the starter will adapt to your conditions and ingredients.

When I first started using my own blobs of sourdough starter in my bread I also used a little bit of regular commercial yeast in the bread recipe as a back up. This is similar to the old dough method of making bread where you use a bit of your last dough to add flavor and age to the bread. It's like adding wine or miso soybean paste to a soup! The starter provides a great flavor and eventually I took the plunge into using just my starter as the sole leavening.