1 bunch organic grapes
2 cups white bread flour
2 cups water from a bottle (non chlorinated)
| 1. Crush the grapes slightly, and measure out about 2 cups into a glass bowl. Add the flour, apples and water. 2. Mix with a wooden spoon until the batter has become thick and gooey. |
| 3. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it sit at room temperature overnight. |
| 4. The next day, check the starter for bubbles of gas coming to the surface, a sure sign of fermentation. Be patient: This can take as long as 5 days in some environments. |
| 5. Once the starter has begun to ferment, strain out the grapes and apples and “feed” the starter with a bit of flour and water. |
| 6. You can use the starter right away, or you can let it sit for another few days. The longer you let the starter ferment, the stronger the flavor of your bread will be; after about 4 days, chances are it will be too sour to eat. 7. If you aren’t ready to make bread right away, or if you’ve made enough starter for several loaves, you can freeze your starter and save it for later. Simply divide it into 1-cup portions, wrap each one in 2 layers of plastic, and put them in the freezer. 8. To bring the starter back to life, let it sit in a glass bowl overnight at room temperature. When the yeasts “wake up,” the fermentation process will start again. Making a great starter is only half the battle, you also have to maintain it, which is not unlike having a pet, or, some might say a very low-mainenance child! Once a week remember to feed it with 1/2 cup of non chlorinated water and 1/2 cup of flour. or, you can do this twice a week with 1/4 cup of water and flour. When you feed it, you might want to discard a tablespoon or two of the starter so that the amount doesn’t grow too big. Remember your starter is alive and growing which means it’ll increase in volume. |