Keep some sourdough starter around and use it to bake with instead of yeast. Will pass along a few things learned along the way.
1. First batch was made as above. Worked well. Let it sit too long and thought I'd lost it, it was slimy and moldy. I have learned since that simply scrape all that off and get to the solid stuff at the bottom, take about a teaspoon, and put it in some new flour. I've used 6 week old starter to do this and it comes right back. In fact I've read you can lay the starter out to dry in to flakes and make new starter from it.
2. When making the first batch use a good sized container that will hold enough to keep adding to till it's ready after 5 days. Some tell you to throw half out every day. Have no idea why anyone would want to do that when it could be used.
3. My second batch was made from some
rejuvelac that I mixed in with the flour. Started bubbling within a day. Still working with that one, has a great flavor and is a really strong starter. I've fed it, then sat it straight in the fridge and it still spews over the top (it also adapts over time to cold).
4. I grind my own grain and make my own flours as well as purchased non-wheat flour. Sourdough doesn't care what kind of flour you use, it will adapt to all of them. Made some really cool stuff with mixed flours, even jerusalem artichoke flour. Even stuff like crackers that are flat, but rise it for 12 hours to get that tangy flavor.
5. Sourdough rises are 12 to 24 hours. I also make my doughs very loose and a high water content, just barely able to form it into a sticky ball. Since it's not as strong as conventional yeast, that will help it rise better. I also do almost no kneading, it really isn't necessary. Put wax paper over the dough to keep it from drying out over the long rise period, then cover with a paper towel and put it in a high place where it's warmest.
6. Sourdough is good for diabetics as the bacteria convert the carbs into a far less glycemic product, especially if you don't use white flour. Make sure you don't use too much sprouted grain flour as sourdough basically does the same thing as sprouting it and grinding it.
