Sourdough Starters
Rye starter
In a plastic or glass container with a pop off plastic lid place 1 cup of whole rye flour, and 2 cups of filtered water. With fresh flour no starter is necessary, but 2 tbsp of kefir whey will help older flour. Mix all together, then place the lid on the container and keep in a warm place for 24 hours.
Next day, throw out or reserve half of the starter. Add ½ cup of flour and 1 cup water, mix, then seal
Repeat the above procedure for two more days, and your starter should be bubbly and foamy, and ready to use.
Alternately, place the first day's reserved starter in a similar container, and add also ½ cup flour, 1 cup water, and stir. On the successive days, the starter may either be halved and the excess discarded, or two containers can be added to without removing any starter. If the starter is nice and bubbly, the extra amount will not cause a problem. You are then free to use the second starter as the base for pizza dough, pancakes, or whatever. The other starter can then be used as normal, or as the basis of a slow fermented sourdough bread
Gluten-free Buckwheat Starter
First day, in the morning
2 tbsp milk or water kefir
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 cups of water
Whisk well, and place in a glass container with a plastic lid that will pop off if pressure builds. Failing that, cover with plastic or plastic wrap, secured with a rubber (elastic) band. Leave on the bench all day, you will probably notice bubbles starting at sometime during the day. Last thing before going to bed, pop it in the fridge.
Second day
½ cup buckwheat flour
1 cup water
Throw out or do something else with half the starter, whisk in the new ingredients into the starter, place the lid on, and leave all day in the warmest part of your house. Last thing before going to bed, pop it in the fridge.
Baking day
2 cups buckwheat flour
4 cups water
Kefir whey sourdough starter
You will need:
Kefir whey
Unbleached whole flour, spelt or rye is best
Filtered water
A jar or bowl, glass, ceramic or wood, between ¼ to ½ litre capacity
In your clean container, place 4 tbsp of flour, 1 tbsp of kefir whey, then slowly add water until you have a thick, liquid paste. Cover the container with muslin or similar, and leave it in a sun free spot where the temperature will be between 25 – 30 deg C most of the time.
Every day, feed the starter 2 – 3 tsp of flour, and enough water to make the wet paste up again. Within 3 days there should be bubbles in the starter, and a yeasty/alcoholic smell. Keep feeding, and the starter should be good to go by the end of a week.
Try also a mix of different starters. For example: 1 tbsp kefir whey, 1 tsp rejuvelac. My preference for rejuvelac is from sprouted barley. Organic raisins or organic red grape skins are also useful, but strain these solids out once the starter shows signs of life.
Wild strains may also pitch a starter. Proceed as above except for the kefir (or other microbiol source), cover with thin muslin and leave in a place where it will be exposed to airborne cultures. Either outside, or in a kitchen where fermenting takes place regularly. If outside, when the starter bubbles, bring the jar or bowl inside.
I use this to make my slow fermented sourdough bread.