volunteer sourdough starter

This sponge is now in the refrigerator fermenting until Wednesday. I expected this to rise more, I'm a little bit disappointed. I thought having originated from whole wheat by switching to refined, the culture would respond even more vigorously but that was not the case.

The final additions of flour were all refined white. It occurred to me that since all of the flour associated with the first half of the water was whole wheat then the second half would have to be refined white to achieve 50/50 for the total amount of the sponge. But I wanted slightly less whole wheat than refined white so that would be made up by the difference between the wetness of the earlier sponge and the fermenting sponge which is very close to actual dough. As it turned out, the final was even more refined white than that because I made it was too stiff so I corrected by adding more water until I got the looseness I wanted. So although I don't know the exact percentages of whole wheat to refined white flours, I do know the percentage of whole wheat is somewhere between 30% and 40% and that's where I want it so I'm cool with that. But honestly, after another seven hours, I expected it to be at the top of the bowl judging by how it behaved earlier with straight whole wheat. Also, the portion reserved for future starter didn't rise vigorously either that I could tell anyway by being in a measuring cup. It's just my impression. But they did rise, and that's the thing that's important. Also, its odor improved.

These photos show how well the sponge is kneaded. It stretches, and then it really stretches. You can see the sponge did rise that last seven hours, but not outrageously. It's appears to me to be poised to explode if just given the chance, and It will be given that chance when it's removed from cold storage in a few days and stretched.

The last photo shows the portion that was reserved before the refined white flour was added to the sponge. That portion of all whole wheat starter was also returned to the refrigerator for future use. Although by doing this it seems to me just as easy to start it directly from the flour as it does from a stored starter so I have to ask myself, "what's the point?" Unless there is some character imparted along the way by having been previously started and stored, that is absent from something brand new, but I rather doubt it.

previous post here and here

volunteer sourdough starter

This is the start of something beautiful -- the pursuit of a dream. It's going to take a little discipline, patience and understanding, but I think I'm ready for that. The goal: a sourdough starter derived from the grains of wheat, cultivated and raised on nothing but that whole wheat grain and fed nothing else. I am anticipating some organisms will not do so well and in their failure to thrive become superseded eventually replaced by those organisms that do, and in this manner develop a stupendous culture that can do the heavy lifting required of whole wheat loaves.

Of course once it comes time to make dough for bread a percentage of refined flour will most likely be added for the actual loaves, that percentage, whatever I decide on, will be like sugar candy to these brutish gladiator microorganisms, they'll go nuts feasting on it and by so doing be even more fierce than any other comparable culture around.

But that sponge or dough will not be added back into the culture which will remain pure and unadulterated by any slacker organisms that might develop during the period of ease in metabolizing that easier, more accessible refined flour, candy, in its near sugarness compared with whole-grain wheat.

That's my theory.

The difficult part will be keeping the culture pure and separate from weakening influences. That's going to take some discipline. God, I hate that word (shine your shoes, iron your pants, line up your buttons with your fly, make sure your collar is straight, tuck in your shirt, clean your face, do you homework, get good grades, graduate, do your exercises, get to work on time, blah blah blah). I have a tendency to forget and to slide and I must not do that. I must keep it of primary importance that the culture be maintained active and separate from all other non-sturdy influences, except for that portion that goes on to be baked, which is more akin to granting one final break-loose anything goes get totally bombed party. This is more easily written down and committed to than it is to actually perform. Like I said, I tend to be neglectful. It also means I must always have whole grain around that I can mill right here, and that too I tend to neglect.

Oh well. If I fail somewhere along the line, I can always start over. It's not like these things are going anywhere.

I'm starting out with a mere two tablespoons of grain because I'll be feeding it in increments that double its volume with each feeding, I'll check at 12 hours but the target for the first feeding is 24 hours. I'll just have to see how this goes. I do not want the whole feeding it double thing to get out of hand within the first few days, so I'm starting out small. They are microorganisms, after all.

I milled that first two tablespoons in the coffee grinder just to show it can be done. I think even that isn't necessary because the organisms are on the surface of the grain. All that need be done really, I think, is to moisten the grain to activate them and to help provide access to the inside of the grain for them, but I believe milling the grain hastens and eases that access a little. I could have used flour that I already milled from this grain, but this way is more fun.

I intend to post again on this, fail or succeed, right through to baking bread from this culture and I'll refer back to this post in summary. For convenience I intend to compress these images as a reminder, hopefully they will not become wearisome to see.

The towel covers the burner with the chimney from the oven. The heated air is channeled by the towel over to the jar with the ground wheat grain and water slurry. I'll check it occasionally to make sure it's about the right temperature and for appearances, but I'll hold off worrying about it for 24 hours. It should take about that long to start noticeably multiplying.

Update: experiment continues here.