Feeding The Starter And Finding The Magic

 It's way too easy to go down the rabbit hole. There is no secret to baking sourdough bread. There is however, a great deal of art required to make the starter.

Shakespear had it right if the bubbles ain't right there will be double trouble

 Consider for just a moment the art of wine making. A master knows her grapes, the soil, the sun, the rain and all of the possible combinations that are needed to make a great wine. And at the very heart of the wine making is the fermentation that is created by the natural yeast of the grapes.

With sourdough bread starter you enter the same magical realm. Sure, you can use pretty much any flour, any jar, any measuring system. But if you want the Champaigne of Sourdough Bread Starter, you will need to educate yourself on flour types, which type of container is best for fermentation, what does the air's moisture do to your water/flour portions, how thick is thick pancake batter, and a whole bunch of other details that only experience can bring.

Now for the good news: If you find one video on starter that makes sense to you and stick with it you will eventually pick up all the 'art' you need. It will take more than one effort. If you are as good at baking as I am, your first loaf may be just barely edible. But I promise, if you try, tweak and try again you will succeed.

I took three tries before the loaf actually resembled sourdough bread. Three more tries and I just might make a loaf worthy of sharing. 

So, if you really want to give it a try, be willing to test your patience. Everybody comes at Sourdough from a unique perspective. Find one recipe and style that seems to make sense to you and then have some fun.

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