Mother Starter

The mother starter, sourdough, or barm is a natural leaven using naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeasts. Bread made with starter has a greater complexity of flavor. Making a mother starter is pretty easy. Once it is ready it can live in your refrigerator for several weeks without needing to be refreshed. After a few weeks in the refrigerator, the protein and starches will break down, giving the starter a structure or consistency of potato soup. At this point it is best to feed or refresh the starter.  I use pineapple or grapes to get the process started.  This recipe is the one that has worked the best for me (from: Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day).

Mother Starter

	Whole Wheat Flour	Pineapple Juice	Water	Mixture from the Previous Step
Stage 1 (1-2 days)	3½ Tbsp	¼ c	-	-
Stage 2 (1-2 days)	3½ Tbsp	2 Tbsp	-	All of the Stage 1 culture
Stage 3 (1-2 days)	7 Tbsp	-	2 Tbsp	All of the Stage 2 culture
Stage 4 (12-24 hours)	10½ Tbsp	-	2 Tbsp	½ cup Stage 3 culture
Finalized Starter	2¾ c	-	1 c + 2 Tbsp	¾ cup Stage 4 culture

Stage 1

In a small nonreactive bowl, stir the flour and juice together with a spoon to make a paste with the consistency of thin pancake batter. Make sure all of the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 48 hours. Two to three times each day, stir the culture for about 10 seconds with a wet spoon to aerate it. There will be few or no bubbles during the first 24 hours, but bubbles may begin to appear within 48 hours.

Stage 2

Add the new ingredients to the Stage 1 culture and stir with a spoon to distribute and fully hydrate the new flour. Again, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, stirring with a wet spoon to aerate two or three times each day. There should be signs of fermentation during this period. When the culture becomes very bubbly or foamy, continue to Stage 3. This phase could take anywhere from 1 to 4 days. As long as you aerate the culture regularly, it will not spoil or develop mold.

Stage 3

Add the new ingredients to the now bubbling Stage 2 culture and stir with a spoon as before, or knead by hand. Place it in a larger bowl or measuring cup, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, aerating with a wet spoon at least twice each day. Within 48 hours the culture should be very bubbly and expanded. If not, wait another day or two, continuing to aerate at least twice a day, until it becomes active and doubles in size.

Stage 4

Measure out ½ cup of the Stage 3 culture. Add the new ingredients to the ½ cup Phase 3 culture and mix to form a soft dough. Again, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until the culture becomes active. It should swell and double in size. It can take anywhere from 4 to 24 hours for the culture to become fully active.

Finalized Mother Starter

Measure ¾ cup of stage 4 culture. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and use a large spoon to mix until the ingredients form a rough, slightly sticky ball. Transfer the starter to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes, until the starter is fairly smooth and all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Place the mother starter in a clean, lightly oiled nonreactive bowl, crock, or plastic container large enough to contain the starter after it doubles in size. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lid. Leave the starter out at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours, until it doubles in size; the timing will depend on the ambient temperature and the potency of your culture. When the starter is fermented, degas it by kneading it for a few seconds, then form it back into a ball, cover tightly, and refrigerate. After a few hours in the refrigerator, vent any carbon dioxide buildup by briefly opening the lid or plastic wrap. The mother starter is now ready to use and will be good for up to 5 days. To use it after 5 days, you must refresh all or part of the mother starter, as described below.

Refreshing the Mother Starter

	Whole Wheat Flour	Water	Mother Starter
Refreshing your Mother Starter	2¾ c	1 c + 2 Tbsp	¾ cup Stage 4 culture

Measure ¾ cup of mother starter. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and use a large spoon or your hands to mix until the ingredients form a rough, slightly sticky ball. Transfer the starter to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes, until the starter is fairly smooth and all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Place the mother starter in a clean, lightly oiled nonreactive bowl, crock, or plastic container large enough to contain the starter after it doubles in size. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lid. Leave the starter out at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours, until it doubles in size. When the starter is fermented, degas it by kneading it for a few seconds, then form it back into a ball, cover tightly, and refrigerate.