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Ingredients
½ oz.
fresh yeast or 1tbs.dry yeast
2 cups tepid water
½ lb. whole-wheat flour (any flour of your choice can be
substituted)
Using Fresh Yeast:
Put a little water into a medium sized
mixing bowl and add in the yeast. Using a fork, mash it
together until it’s a smooth paste. Add the remaining water
to the yeast mixture and stir it together. Slowly mix in the
flour. The consistency will be like a thick batter. Cover
the bowl with some plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm
place to ferment for 24 hours. Personally, I wrap the covered
bowl in a blanket as well and then set it aside. I think it
helps keep it warmer.
After 24
hours, the mixture will appear bubbly and is ready to use.
Some village women will let it ferment for one or two days
more, which will give a much stronger Sour Dough flavor to
their bread. You can also choose to refrigerate the starter
for use on another day. Starter can be kept for up to a week
in the refrigerator, but must be revived again before using
it.
Using Dry Yeast:
Put a little water into a medium sized
mixing bowl and whisk the yeast granules into it then set it
aside for 15-20 minutes to ferment & absorb the water. Follow
the directions as per using fresh yeast.
Reviving Sour Dough Starter:
Take the starter out of the refrigerator
and put it into a bowl. Add one cup of flour and enough water
to make it into a thick batter. Set it aside in a warm place
to ferment for 24 hours. The next day, it should appear
bubbly and can be used for your bread recipe.
Susie’s Note:
If you bake bread often,
it’s easy to have a batch of sour dough starter always on
hand. All you have to do is reserve a small portion of raw
bread dough – about ½ lb, from your next bread making
session. Wrap it in saran wrap and keep it in the
refrigerator. Take out the portion of dough the day before
you bake your next batch of bread. Using the directions
above, revive the starter.
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