Cookbook talk:Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Starter, How should it smell?

Can anyone who has worked with beginning a "Sourdough Bread Starter," tell us how it should smell? Our current 2-day-old-starter has a strong Romano cheese odor? Should this be considered as normal or should it be discarded and restarted? Please any information on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, g

Rather wet starter
In the "Method" paragraph it is written "1/2 tablespoon to 3 tablespooons of water" to start the starter.

You try mixing half a tablespoon of flour with 3 tablespoons of water and you'll get a fluid that looks much like non-fat milk.

Are you sure about this half a tablespoon of flour to 3 tablespoons of water ratio - to begin the starter? The results (according to your instructions) seems rather "wet" for a starter.


 * It's probably an advanced technique that uses a higher hydration during the motherdough stage, or possibly only during the first three days before the culture has stabilized. I haven't analyzed it, therefore the weasel word, "probably". Are you perhaps suggesting that a more simplistic approach, or perhaps a second technique that uses a stiffer initial hydration, would be useful and an improvement to the cookbook:sourdough (article) page? Gzuufy (discuss • contribs) 17:38, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

Interesting but needs help
The unnecessary complexity of the text makes it hard to fallow for one that is for the first time looking into the subject. Some information of historical reference should be reduced as much of the unnecessary contextualization (for the purpose of the Cookbook). --Panic (discuss • contribs) 19:32, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * You're free to delete at will. I'm burned out for now, and have many other tasks which I'm now prioritizing higher. Thank you. Besides some poor grammar that I wrote, There are also some subjects that are not yet covered well in the article, such as temperature, how it relates to organisms' generation times, and even pH. Creating spontaneous sourdough starter is not a simplistic subject, and I didn't create that section (whatever it's title was before) ... let me make a metaphor! To treat creating spontaneous sour as simplistic is much like asking a kindergärtner to watch the panic button, but not to touch it. If I purchased a cookbook and it didn't cover those subjects, I'd want my money back right now! Gzuufy (discuss • contribs) 23:32, 12 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Delete no, I was only remarking that the prose should be improved. I have not the knowledge to contribute to it meaningfully. My interest in this is simply as an observer that sees this type of basic knowledge that is important to our civilizational structure being lost. That as is it seems only accessible to one that already has knowledge on the subject. I full agree with you that this type of knowledge has structural importance and is often relegated to the use of "black boxed" solutions, mostly demonstrating the lack of knowledge or a commercial interest.  --Panic (discuss • contribs) 23:44, 12 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Thank you for your feedback and constructive critique. I will try to return in a month, maybe two, and revisit the prose. Self editing is also difficult, and I find dismissing it from the mind for a longish time, followed by returning, helps. Maybe someone else will come by and do some editing in the meantime. Gzuufy (discuss • contribs) 00:17, 13 April 2012 (UTC)

Seems to me that the most important part of the article is what's missing: what *is* a sourdough? If it's a matter of throwing regular yeast, water, and flour together and letting it sit, while adding new water and flour regularly, then that needs to be said as soon as possible. While reading the article, I'm reading a lot of fascinating stuff, but as someone who knows very little about making bread, I don't have any frame of reference for the material. I need a frame to hang all the facts on as I'm reading. As an example, in my own cookbook, I start the section on sauces by simply stating something like "Your basic sauce is simply dissolving a starch into a fat, heating it up, and adding a liquid". Then I go off into gravies and mexican sauces and stuff. So, what is sourdough, and how does it turn into sourdough bread? In 200 words or less... I'd be happy to help edit the prose for simplicity and style (it is unnecessarily wordy in a lot of areas), but since I have absolutely no idea what sourdough is, I can't help. 66.68.59.243 (discuss) 23:08, 7 August 2016 (UTC)

Intro
In the intro when explaining why locality alters cultures, it may be interesting to add why. I'm guessing that temperature, humidity, weather and atmospheric pressure, even altitude and variations of sun light/darkness could be factors for the cultures to diverge. --Panic (discuss • contribs) 03:29, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

The rising and taste in the intro is in relation to the "raw" sourdough starter right? As it ferments it rises, but is the taste important at this time (I ask because it is given importance). When backed the taste will undoubtedly change, even if characteristic is the initial taste so important/noticeable in the final product? For instance in relation to the backing process or what is added to the mixture ? Can it be said that as it ferments (rises) the cultures enter a state of symbiosis or equilibrium/balance and that is why it is preferred to start with culture that has not only already reached that state but has proven viable in its function ? Thanks for the work... --Panic (discuss • contribs) 03:43, 17 April 2012 (UTC)