442 starter recipes

Whole-wheat sourdough applesauce cake bakes up moist and tender in a tube pan, with cinnamon, allspice, and clove warming a tangy starter-and-applesauce batter. A bundt-shaped keeper for fall.

Two-day sourdough potato rye bread with molasses, cornmeal, mace, and poppy seeds. A dense, earthy loaf with an overnight starter and old-world European baking technique.

Overnight starter pizza dough baked on a stone for a chewy, blistered crust with real pizzeria flavor. Just flour, water, yeast, and salt. Save a piece of dough as your next starter.

Authentic pumpernickel bread with a rye flour starter, whole wheat, wheat germ, bread crumbs, and caramel for color. A 4-loaf recipe with an overnight rye starter from scratch.

Amish friendship cake with brandy-soaked fruit starter, warm spices, and pecans in a bundt pan. A share-with-friends chain recipe where the fermented fruit starter grows and gets passed along.

A delicious pasta dish is a great conversation starter for a dinner with your loved one or friends.

Farmer's yeast starter, the old-fashioned way. Hops, potatoes, honey, and whole wheat flour build a wild, lively starter for hand-raised loaves. Refrigerator-keeper.

Miniature pumpkin soup served in hollowed roasted pumpkin shells with sage, onion, and Parmesan. Dramatic individual-portion fall starter that doubles as edible tableware.

Chilled minted pea soup with Boston lettuce and fresh mint, pureed silky and served cold. A vegetarian summer starter that takes 15 minutes on the stove.

Chilled spinach yogurt soup with potato, dill, and a nutmeg finish. Bright green, tangy, low-fat, and ready for hot weather dinners or a cool starter.

A silky pureed asparagus soup lightened with yogurt and brightened with lemon, finished with parmesan and a crisp parmesan twist. An elegant, fresh-tasting vegetarian starter for spring.

Microwave ginger squash soup with butternut, fresh ginger, orange juice and zest, finished with nutmeg. An elegant fall starter ready in 30 minutes, no stovetop required.

Roasted acorn squash soup: foil-roasted squash pureed with sweated onion and garlic, finished with cream, cinnamon, and a whisper of mace for a velvety fall starter.

Combine yeast, Herman starter, and flour into a simple dough that rises twice before baking into a golden loaf with sourdough tang and soft sandwich texture.

Cheddar carrot soup with sweet mashed carrots, sharp cheddar, milk, and a dash of cayenne. Velvety, vibrant orange, and ready in 30 minutes for an easy weeknight starter.

Cold pumpkin spice soup with canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, molasses and pumpkin pie spice. Chilled no-cook fall starter that tastes like pumpkin pie in a bowl.