The starter, one of the most important parts of the sour dough bread baking process, so the real question
is what is a starter and what is the importance of a starter in our final bread?
Because if you don't have a good, strong starter that has the characteristics that you're looking for,
you're never going to get a bread that has the characteristics that you're looking for.
They are one hundred percent related.
So we're going to first talk a little bit about what is a starter and at its most basic elements, a
starter, just a mixture of flour and water.
And somehow through through this amazing process of fermentation, we're able to get this dough that
doesn't have a lot of flavor.
You probably wouldn't want to eat it if you just eat it raw and we get it to turn into something that's
really magical in the way that we get to do this is through the magic of fermentation.
And basically what fermentation is, is it's us giving successive feedings to certain types of bacteria
and yeast to have a symbiotic relationship.
And these bacteria and yeasts will colonise that that starter.
And then we are trying to control their relationship through controlling variables.
So what variables come in control?
Well, we can control things like time.
We control things like temperature, we can control things like what we feed them, and so you might
want to keep a journal handy that will allow you to keep track of some different things that you're
going to test out so that this way you find what works best for you and for the flavors that you're
looking for.
OK, but a starter is necessary in order to create 11.
OK, so let's talk a little bit about the difference between a starter and 11.
OK, so a starter is what we use to make 11 and that's starter should have some some strong smells to
it should also be slightly acidic.
And this is what we used to just kind of keep our colony going.
The Leathern really should be young and ripe when you go to use it and it should have a little bit of
a sweet smell.
So the levonne, we don't typically let the lemon ferment as long as we would let a starter ferment
for prior to feeding it, because that's what we're doing.
Right.
We're taking a starter, we feed it, and then eventually we're going to take that starter to create
11 and usually feed the starter.
We usually feed the starter after it's already risen and and collapsed, whereas 11, we're trying to
feed it and get it to a point where we are going to use it at its prime stage, OK?
And that's where it allows us to get some beautiful final characteristics that we can find inside our
our dough.
And the characteristics that are within the leaven are going to lead to the same characteristics of
your your final bread.
And so some characteristics that we're going to be looking for really are the flavors.
Right.
And so the question is, is how can we control the flavor of the lemon, which is then going to kind
of have some implications on the bread?
And one of the most important factors really is storage.
And part of the reason for this is that, again, we're talking about a symbiotic relationship between
some bacteria and yeast and some bacteria and yeast will thrive better in warmer environments, while
some will thrive better in cooler environments.
So in warmer environments, you're going to get a more acidic combination of bacteria and yeast, whereas
in a cooler climate, you're going to get a little bit of a less acidic flavor inside your yeast.
So typically, I like to keep my starter in the fridge because I like to have a little bit of a less
acidic.
And then what I'll do is I'll take that starter out of the fridge and then I'll use that to create my
my lhevinne.
But if you're looking for more of an acidic flavor, you might want to store yours outside.
You're going to have to feed it a lot more often, but you'll get more of the characteristics that you
might be looking for inside your bread.
But the most important role of the oven is one to make sure that we're building the strength inside
the bread, and two, to make sure that we're promoting the the acidity that the bread is going to have,
which gives it that beautifully distinctive flavor and smell.
And again, the acidity actually also will help us store the bread for a longer period of time.
So, you know, your starter is a crucial part of the bread making process.
And we'll talk a little bit more about how we can take care of that starter to create the best possible
bread for you, your family and your friends.