Sourdough has been used for many years and is an oldest form of leavened bread. I remember my grandma making it although often she would get the ever growing in popularity yeast. Well yeast is very difficult to get hold of these days, so we’ve started our own sourdough starter. The instructions are below:
- 250g strong white bread flour
- 7-10 seedless green grapes, chopped
- 250ml of lukewarm water (cold in summer)
The culture works best between 22-25C and so the mixture will behave differently in different seasons. In Spring (which we are in now) it takes 3-5 days to mature, as the weather gets warmer it will probably take less whereas in winter you should be using lukewarm or perhaps warmer water to make it.
Mix all the ingredients in a jar or an airtight container and leave to ferment at a room temperature for at least 3 days. Once the mixture has risen and frothing up, is slightly darker in colour, it is ready to be used. When you open the lid, it will smell! This shows that the mixture is active.
If after three days it isn’t working, add more flour and a bit more water (I add about 3-4 tablespoons of flour) and perhaps a couple more chopped up grapes, mix it and leave it for few more days (it will probably start working after a day).
Refreshing the starter: Once your starter is active, discard half the mixture and stir in another 3-4 tablespoons of flour and a bit more water (to keep it the same consistency), close the jar and leave it at the room temperature for another 24 hours. It should bubble up and become thick and almost jelly-like. Your starter is ready to use.
For the bread recipe read here
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