Sourdough Starter with Potato Water
Submitted by badinda
Mix flour, salt, sugar, and starchy potato water in a crock, then let wild yeasts work their magic over several days for a rustic sourdough starter with earthy depth.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
2 daysCOOK
0 minREADY
3 daysThis old-fashioned starter method uses potato cooking water to feed wild yeasts floating in your kitchen air.
It takes patience (several days of waiting while the mixture bubbles and sours), and the results can be unpredictable, which is why even the original recipe author suggests using it as a last resort.
But if you’re curious about traditional techniques or want to experiment, this is how folks made sourdough before instant yeast existed.
Pro Tips
- Save the water from boiling potatoes, let it cool to lukewarm before using
- Expect funky smells during fermentation, that’s normal as wild yeasts colonize the mixture
- If nothing happens after a week, start over with fresh ingredients
Ingredients
Directions
Put all ingredients in a crock or large jar and let stand in a warm place uncovered several days.
This is the authors last choice for making a starter, but seems to be in all the cookbooks dealing with Sourdough Starters.
Use only as a last resort.
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