Help with sourdough starter!!
I made a sourdough starter using grapes, water, and flour. The first two days of the process went very well, but then it did not triple in size as it should. I've been keeping it in a warm spot feeding it daily, but forgot to feed it yesterday. It still hasn't tripled like it should. The starter has separated with murky looking liquid on top and white on the bottom. Is it okay? How can I tell if it is good? The smell is awful- doesn't have a yeasty smell. Anyone got any good recipe for making a starter using wild yeast? Thanks!
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9 Comments
Using rye flour will keep bacteria and yeast that you don't want in check; on wheat yeast quickly overgrow. You can use buttermilk instead of joghurt, it actually works better, but it has to be cultured buttermilk not a fake variant that has citrate added. The water has to be chlorine free, but any filtered water will do.
The smell of the sourdough should not be unpleasant, but rather be reminiscent of pickles or sour milk products and wet rye flour.