Dear Sourdough Starter,
Consider this a new start for us. Things will be better from here on out.
I know we’ve had our problems in the past. I’ve treated you badly, I’ve wronged you so many times. Our relationship has been one of horrid neglect, hunger pangs, and mold.
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I’ve starved you, dropped you, fed you to the compost monster, yelled at you, asked you to perform miraculous things that you’re incapable of doing. I’m sure in this painful past you would have screamed out in pain if you only had a mouth. The abuse ends here. I know now that I can’t expect you to transform into a beautiful, bubbling, sour smelling batch of goodness if I don’t nurture your sourdough spirit. I’ve turned a new leaf and I hope you’ll join me in this brand new life together.
This time is going to be different. I’m going to treat you right. I promise not to neglect you. You will be fed a nutritious meal of flour and water every day so you can grow big and strong. With my tender loving care, you will bloat into the stinky, yeasty starter you’ve always dreamed you could be.
Our new relationship is going to be one of mutual respect and care. For my part, I’ll take the responsibility to lovingly feed you, stir you, and throw half of you away every day. Never again will you starve to death. I won’t allow you to become coated in mold. I won’t forget you.
In return you’ll grow and ferment. You’ll turn deliciously sour and lend your wonderful stink to our nutritious and amazing bread. I’ll feed you and you’ll feed us. It’s the way it should have been all along.
I’m going to take care of you. My days of neglect and mistreatment are over. I’m going to make a point to make time in my life for you. Every day for the next week will be spent bowing down to your all mighty sourdough attributes. You’re the King of Breads and your time to rule has finally come.
LOL, great post! Please keep us updated as to how your starter is doing!
I am laughing so hard at this. I too, have murdered the starters in my life. One day I will remember to care for them and then I will enjoy delicious home baked sourdough bread.
I really want to do this cause I love me some sourdough bread. Have a slice every morning. Am a bit afraid of doing my own starter for fear I won’t do it right. Have even thought of ordering it the first time and growing it from there.
I always say keeping a sourdough starter or a kefir culture is like having a demanding pet.
how much flour and water do you use, like how do you actually make sour dough???
…..sorry for the ignorant qs!!:)
Thanks 🙂 xx
Good question! I’m really not very scientific about it, I’m lazy with measurements and just kind of eyeball it. I start with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water. Every day I add 1/2 cup (heaping) of flour, and a scant 1/2 cup of water and mix it in. Every 3rd day I use rye flour instead of white, it’s not strictly necessary but I like the flavor and it gives the yeast a nice boost. I usually don’t toss out part of the starter daily like a lot of people do, I keep adding until the container fills up then give some to friends or to the chickens. It’s taken me years to really get used to baking bread and sourdough is fun, but it’s a lot of work and difficult if you’re not used to it. Let me know if you have any trouble, I’m glad to help! 🙂