Michael Ruhlman: Red Cabbage Simple Sourdough Starter

[TXCraig1]

In a quart measuring cup or other container, put in equal weights of flour and water, about 8 or 10 ounces of each.  Stir it and and put a leaf or two of organic red cabbage. Carri covers it, I leave mine open hoping to lure more unsuspecting gas producing microflora.
 
Let it sit overnight, then add another addition of flour and water, same amounts as before.  You should have an active starter after another night.  Carri recommends 12 hours between feedings.  Also, if conditions are too hot or too cold, this may affect your starter.  If you don't have a bubbly starter after 48 hours, give it another day.

http://ruhlman.com/2009/07/simple-sourdough-starter/

[I Have Feet]

Interesting. 48 hours seems pretty quick, faster than any other method I've read about. I wonder if the cabbage is to lower the ph to levels preferred by wild yeasts, similar to the role pineapple juice plays in other methods?

If my raisin starter fails to get off the ground I will try this next. Though things are finally starting to look and smell promising on that front.

Brendan

[johngalt]

Just tried this, though following the recipe through to the originator, a baker in Alaska, she says to rinse the cabbage leaf and use the water for making the starter.  It worked, but I found the pineapple juice method to be 1 day faster in getting a starter going from nothing...amazingly easy.   Here's my twitter summary:

100% Flour 100% Pineapple Juice.  Discard 50% next day, feed 100 x100, after 2 days, switch to filtered water.  3rd or 4th day you should be good to make your mother starter/levain/biga/etc.

[tinroofrusted]

I love sourdough but my daughter does not, so I would like to develop a new leaven that rises will but isn't very sour.  Does anyone know what method to use if you want a starter that is not very sour?  Does it make any difference what you use to get the starter going as far as how sour the sourdough becomes? 

Regards,

TinRoof

[Jackie Tran]

TRR, what has worked for me is to make a natural starter using organic or fresh grapes.  The yeast off of grape or plum skins has typically given me a starter with great lift and very little sourness if any.   But I would maintain it in the fridge.  If you maintain a starter on the counter at room temp it could very well change flavor profiles within a week or two. 

[tinroofrusted]

Thanks Chau. I will give that a try.  I've got some grapes at home I think.  As it happens I do leave my starter on the counter, so maybe I should think about leaving it in the fridge instead of out. I take it that will result in a less sour leaven?  Have you been making much LMB lately? 

Regards,

TinRoof

[kramer73]

Interesting. 48 hours seems pretty quick, faster than any other method I've read about. I wonder if the cabbage is to lower the ph to levels preferred by wild yeasts, similar to the role pineapple juice plays in other methods?

If my raisin starter fails to get off the ground I will try this next. Though things are finally starting to look and smell promising on that front.

Brendan

There is yeast on the cabbage.

[Jackie Tran]

I have not.     Time to make some again..