Sourdough Starter

Directions

1. 1
   Wash the grapes and wrap them in a muslin or fine cheese cloth.
2. 2
   Loosely tie the open end with a string or elastic band and lightly crush the grapes inside with a rolling pin.
3. 3
   Combine the flour and water in a large plastic, ceramic or stainless-steel bowl.
4. 4
   It is best if you can find one with a lid.
5. 5
   Squeeze some of the juice from the grapes into the flour and water mixture, before completely burying the little bag inside the mixture.
6. 6
   Cover with the lid or a plate and leave for 10 days to two weeks at room temperature, around 20 C or 68 F.
7. 7
   The grapes should start to ferment and the bag should balloon slightly with the gases being given off by the grapes.
8. 8
   Pull the bag out of the mixture and squeeze any juice back into the white mixture.
9. 9
   Throw away the grapes and the bag.
10. 10
    Stir the starter, which should now be slightly pink and have a sour, grapey smell.
11. 11
    Now you should pour away about a third of the initial starter mixture and stir in one batch of its food.
12. 12
    In the beginning, you will have to feed your starter twice a day (best done at regular intervals) for two weeks.
13. 13
    Just before you feed the starter, make sure you also throw away 200ml of the basic mixture.
14. 14
    This might seem like a waste but if you don't you will have far too much starter!
15. 15
    After two weeks, your starter should really be alive and kicking.
16. 16
    Taste a bit and it should have a slight fizz to it.
17. 17
    If the starter doesn't taste fizzy, keep feeding it until it does.
18. 18
    A slightly lower room termperature can slow things up a bit.
19. 19
    When it tastes fizzy you are ready to start making bread.
20. 20
    To keep your starter going (it is a living thing, after all) you should only need to feed it once a week and leave it in the fridge, unless you are making bread more than once a week.
21. 21
    If you are not making bread very often, you can leave feedings for two weeks.
22. 22
    Make sure you keep it in the fridge, which slows the starter down.
23. 23
    If it is kept at room temperature, it will need to be fed every day.
24. 24
    Between making bread, give the starter at least a day to recover.