Meet festering Fern!
I've been waiting for the weather to warm to get a new sour dough starter going.
Here she is in the garden, under some flowering rocket to pick up the wild yeasts.
I've used 1 cup organic rye flour and 1 1/2 cups blood warm water (we have tank water). Mixed with a plastic or wooden spoon in a ceramic bowl. No metal! I have then sat it covered with a wet tea towel in the garden on a baking tray, I thought this might stop the snails that some times climb up!
Everything is sterilised with boiling water of course.
I will bring Fern in each night and pop her in a warm spot above the stove. Each day I'll give her a new sterilised bowl and a cup of flour and water. In 7 days she is done and will live in our refrigerator, then will be the mother to all our loaves :o) At this time she will only get a new bowl each month.
I'll let you know how Fern goes.
UPDATE: Fern is festering away beautifully. She is growing and smelling very nice. I have changed her bowl each day, boiled every thing, given her a clean tea towel. When I pour her into the new bowl the smell is a pleasant yeasty odor.
1st successful off spring!
This loaf is not as big as I thought it would be but the taste is amazing! It has a really hard crunchy, hold on to your fillings style crust and a soft but denser than I'd like middle.
I really like John Downes 'Natural Tucker Bread Book' for various bread types. Good recipes and excellent information. Off to investigate why it's not as fluffy as it should be ;o)