My bacteria have been very busy. Good boys! After only 20 hours of sitting around, they bubbled up like crazy and had already almost doubled in size. Hey boys, take it easy - that was to be expected after 36 hours, at the earliest. So please, don't overwork yourself - you can't just throw in a sickie or two! I'm depending on you guys!
Both pictures are taken after the 20-hours-period and show the satisfying progress of my little culture. The surface is now smooth due to the water which is a by-product of fermentation. On the sidewalls of the plastic container, you can see a network of tiny little bubbles.
Just to be sure, I decided to wait until 34 hours had passed (right before writing this post) before feeding my boys for the first time. When I opened the lid again, I almost shrank back - the smell was extremely tangy and acidic. By now, even on top, there were some really big bubbles visible.
Using a wooden spoon, I stirred in the same amounts of rye flour and water as described in stage 1. Do not use a metal spoon as the acidity will react with it. That’s why sourdough should be mixed in plastic or ceramic bowls. Stir vigorously, the bacteria like that. It distributes their food and lets them get some fresh air so they will happily continue to multiply. The temperature of the mixture should be the same as in stage 1. Already using a big plastic container, I didn’t have to transfer the mixture to another jar. Now, the lid won’t be closed tightly – otherwise the expanding mass could burst the jar – that’s why Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree call it their “Dynamite Sourdough Starter” (according to their book, they still find dried sourdough in unexpected places). Only twelve hours to go and we will reach stage 3. That means, the day after tomorrow I could already be baking my first own sourdough bread. Thank you, boys!
The source
Amy Scherber & Toy Kim Dupree: Amy's Bread
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