# How to keep a bread starter (yeast)?



## WhiteHorse (Feb 28, 2009)

I am interested in making bread and pizza crusts throughout the week, etc but I do not want to buy all that yeast - it can get very expensive if I bake everyday. Does anyone know how to keep a bread starter? I have heard of Amish friendship bread, but that is a process in itself and I am interested in knowing how to simply keep the yeast alive and growing continuously and using what I need for each day's baking. I dont want to do a trial and error if someone knows already how to do it! Is there a website that has this info? I have searched and only found sourdough instructions - maybe that is what I need to do but I really just want to bake regular bread. Anyone?


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

Buy a mail order fresh starter. You won't be dissapointed and it's very simple to maintain. You just add flour/water, wait to bubble then use instead of dry yeast


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## Magelet (Nov 16, 2008)

In terms of keeping the starter, every day, you refresh the starter by dumping out half of it (into your bread dough, pizza dough, pancake dough, or the compost as a last resort. Or a container to give to a friend and refresh both batches), and then doubling the size with fresh flour and water. You can keep a very small amount and then when you are planning on using it, dump less than half, so that it grows to the size you want to use. If you must leave it for a while, it can be refridgerated for a short time, or supposedly frozen or dried. I've never tried either. Carl's sourdough has free dried starter that is supposed to be pretty good. I got mine recently (it takes a while), and haven't revived it yet, so we'll see. You can also make your own, which sometimes is hard, and sometimes isn't (aka the first time I did it, it worked great on the first try, the second time, I tried over and over and over for months, and finally decided to get carl's starter)


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## Norai (Mar 21, 2009)

If you don't want to feed it every day you can keep it in the refrigerator for around 2 weeks without any issues, just make sure to feed it and get it going again before you use it. I keep mine in the fridge and use it about once a week.

I got my sourdough also from Carl - if you send them a self addressed and stamped envelope they send starter to you for free. Starter is much less fussy than many directions imply, it's pretty easy to keep going. You can also make it with just straight flour and water, I have done it with the same results as Carl's - just mix a small amount together to pancake batter consistency and every 6 hrs or so dump half out and double it again with flour and water. Stir as often as you remember (every couple hours, but don't worry about overnight) to avoid mold growth for the first day or two. Once it's healthy and bubbling you're done, doesn't take too long.

Typically you use a couple ounces of your starter in your recipe to leaven breads and things, it takes longer to rise than normal yeast. There's lots of different techniques for getting it to rise well based on the recipe - might want to check out a bread book for that. I've found that putting it in a really warm spot (90 deg or so) gets much more of a sour flavor out of it than if I cold ferment it, if you dig the sour.

This guy http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm has more info than you ever wanted to know about making sourdough pizza.


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## Miasmamma (Sep 20, 2006)

I don't use a starter, just plain yeast. I buy it a pound at a time, about $4, and once it's opened, store it in the fridge. I bake at least 2x a week and a pound lasts me about 8 months.


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## dogmom327 (Apr 19, 2007)

Sourdough is really easy to use and care for.


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## calebsmommy25 (Aug 23, 2008)

For bread and pizza I use a no-knead recipe from mother earth news. I have been using it for months and have been so pleased. You can easily sub in wheat flour too.

1 1/2 tablespoons of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast
3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 cups of flour (best ratio i've come up with is 5 1/2 cups white to 1 cup wheat flour, any more and it doesn't come out very well)

A stand up mixer is ideal, but I'm sure you can manage without one. Mix salt and yeast in bowl with water and let sit for a few minutes. I usually give it a little swish. Slowly add in flour while mixing. Let sit covered with a towl for atleast 2 hours before use. Cut off a piece if you want to use it that day and let rest in a ball for another 2 hours. It is in your best interest to make it ahead and put it in the fridge first before you use because it is sticky and difficult to work with when warm. I store it in the fridge covered in saran wrap up to 2 weeks. Use a grapefruit sized ball for bread, a bit smaller for one pizza dough.

Allow ball of dough to rest on a cutting board, pizza peel or pan liberally coated with cornmeal for about 2 hours. When ready to bake place a pizza stone in the oven and a broiler pan (I use a bread pan) in the bottom rack for water. Preheat to 450 about 20 minutes before ready to bake. For free-form dough, sprinkle with flour and cut a few slits in top of dough. Slide dough onto pizza stone and pour about a cup of HOT water into the broiler pan and quickly close oven door. Bake about 30-35 min, or until golden brown and crust has a nice crisp to it when touched.

For pizza I usually just oil a pan and let rest on that. Spread out and bake at 350 for 20 or so minutes.

I've also used this for calzones, and even cinnamon buns. I really enjoy this recipe. You can usually use it for 2 or 3 breads and one pizza dough.


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