One of the few things I like about the Whole Foods Market, is their sourdough bread. They bake it right there in the store. It’s almost as good as what you can get in San Francisco. And some batches are superb.
I stopped by after work to pick up a few things and on an impulse decided to ask a bakery worker if they sell their sourdough starter. Really, much to my surprise he said yes. He packaged up a dollop of dough for 99 cents and off I went.
About 8 years ago, I spent a lot of time and effort trying to get my own starter going. And I did get it going and made dozens of loaves over a couple of month’s time. It eventually turned a shade of green and I discarded it. It’s hard work to keep sourdough alive and well. It requires regular feeding like any other creature. And warmth.
Once I was home with my dollop of starter, I realized I didn’t have anything to keep it in. Even though I keep buying large canning jars, there’s never enough. After transferring my oatmeal into a plastic container, had a 2 quart jar that I could use.
I’ve taken the starter and added some flour and water, stirred, and placed it into the jar. I covered the jar with several layers of paper towels and secured them with a rubberband. Cheesecloth would be better, but I don’t have any. I put the jar in a semi-warm place. Ideally it should be in the lower 80’s, but it’s in the mid-70’s.
With any luck, I might have enough to make bread sometime this Thanksgiving weekend. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
