'Wild' Sourdough Starter

                                        Day 1, of my- 'Wild Starter.'


This is the old frontier method. Instead of using a yeast packet, to start your sourdough, you capture wild yeast from your kitchen. The method is the same, but slower. And you have the advantage of having a unique flavor, from all those wild buggers. The older your starter gets, the better it becomes. You will begin to smell the yeast after the first day, the yeast consumes the sugars in the flour, and gives off alcohol, and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what's in, all those bubbles you see. The yeast multiplying, and the carbon dioxide, is what makes the bread rise.

Day-1:
Sir together 1/2 cup flour and 1/2cup water. Mix well. Put the starter in a large container. Cover with a thin cloth, and secure it with a rubber band. Let stand 24 hours. This allows the starter, to capture live yeast, from the air. You will be adding, flour and water, everyday, to feed the yeast.

Day-2:
Add 1/2cup water and 1/2 cup flour. Stir vigorously. let stand 24 hours. You will begin to smell the yeast.

Day-3:
Add 1/2cup water and 1/2cup flour. Stir vigorously. let stand 24 hours. It will begin to smell it sour, and a layer of alcohol will form on the surface.

Day-4
Add 1/2cup water and 1/2cup flour. Stir vigorously. let stand 24 hours. Almost ready.

Day-5
You can begin to use your sourdough. I keep mine in the fridge, which slows down the rate of growth.
Once a week:
Remove 1 cup of starter, from the container, and use it for baking, or freeze it.
Add 1 cup flour and 1 cup water, back to the container, stirring it in vigorously.
Put it back in the fridge, until next week

If you want to use your starter, more than once a week. Don't put it in the fridge. Here's King Aurthur Flour co.'s instructions for maintaining your starter at room temp.