What starter can i make

Thank you xx. Skip to content Home My sourdough story My new book! Home My sourdough story My new book! Leave the bowl on the kitchen counter, somewhere warmish if possible. Day 4 Discard half of the contents of the bowl. So, how to make your own yogurt starter culture? It is quite an easy process to make your own starter culture, which you can use to make your own homemade yogurt.

Firstly, let us understand what starter culture is. Starter cultures are essentially the bacteria in yogurt that help in the fermentation process.

The main cultures present in yogurt are Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The starter cultures help to convert the lactose or milk sugar to produce lactic acid. When the lactic acid increases, the pH decreases causing the milk to curdle or ferment, producing yogurt.

The fermentation process of the lactose in the milk also produces the flavor compounds which gives the yogurt its classic tart and tangy flavor. The production of lactic acid also changes the protein structure, giving the yogurt its texture and allows you to store the yogurt for longer. According to law, it is only necessary for yogurt to contain the two cultures, i.

However, manufacturers add other probiotic cultures to the yogurt, such as Lactobacillus subsp. Now that we have an idea of when the sourdough starter is at its peak, is this actually the best time to use it for making sourdough bread? After all, when it reaches its peak, it is at its strongest right?

Actually, the answer is not so obvious. That is actually the only real prerequisite to making sure it will ferment your dough! But understanding what stage your starter is at, will help you have more control over how your bread turns out. Adding it your bread recipe at this stage will cause the dough to ferment quicker.

This will result in a sweeter tasting bread. Peak time is considered to be within 20 to 30 minutes of the sourdough starter being at the highest level in the jar. This is the most common activity level that is used when adding starter to the recipe. It is when the starter has the most leavening power how much rise it will give to the bread.

This will generally result in a better rise in your bread but with a more balanced flavor of sourness to sweetness. Once the sourdough starter has peaked, it will start to run out of food, and hence start to lose its leavening power.

In fact, using it at this time will actually be when the starter has the least amount of leavening power whilst still remaining active enough to raise the dough.

In conclusion, if the priority in your bread baking is simply to get the biggest rise, then using it at its peak is best. But if you want to adjust the flavor of your loaf to be sweeter or more sour, then using the sourdough at its respective activity levels is a good idea. If you want to take a break from feeding your starter every day, have a read of my guide about how to store properly so that it requires no maintenance.

Sourdough bread can only be baked once the sourdough starter has become strong enough. It usually takes a few months for it to mature enough to make bread. Check out my article here for inspiration on how to use up any excess sourdough starter you may have. Dairy-free diet Popular diets Healthy meal subscriptions Best vegan protein powders. Home Recipes Collection Dinner party starter recipes. Dinner party starter recipes.

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