Lee wrote:

> On 16 Aug, 21:30, Shadow > wrote:
>> C'mon guys, lets keep the group alive, even if it's only for
>> the newbies .....
>> Sourdough is an art. keep it that way
>>
>> Sourdough starter made 2002, still going strong, thanks to
>> this group.
>> []'s
>
> Hi
>
> After a couple of failed started attempts I'm looking for a good,
> foolproof starter recipe. Can you help?
>
> Ta
>
> Lee
Day 1: mix...
2 tablespoons whole grain flour* (wheat or rye)
2 tablespoons pineapple juice, orange juice, or apple cider

Day 2: add...
2 tablespoons whole grain flour*
2 tablespoons juice or cider

Day 3: add...
2 tablespoons whole grain flour*
2 tablespoons juice or cider

Day 4: (and once daily until it starts to expand and smell yeasty), mix . . .
2 oz. of the starter (1/4 cup after stirring down-discard the rest)
1 oz. flour** (scant 1/4 cup)
1 oz. water (2 tablespoons)

* Organic is not a requirement, nor does it need to be freshly ground.

** You can feed the starter/seed culture whatever you would like at this point.
White flour, either bread or a strong unbleached all-purpose like King Arthur
or a Canadian brand will turn it into a general-purpose white sourdough
starter. Feed it rye flour if you want a rye sour, or whole wheat, if you want
to make 100% whole wheat breads. If you're new to sourdough, a white starter is
probably the best place to start.

On average, yeast begin to grow on day 3 or 4 in the warmer months, and on day 4
or 5 during colder times of the year, but results vary by circumstance. Feed
once a day, taking care not to leave mold-promoting residue clinging to the
sides or lid of your bowl or container, and refer back to the different phases
to track progress. Once you have yeast growing (but not before), you can and
should gradually step up the feeding to two or three times a day, and/or give
it bigger refreshments. This is the point at which I generally defer to the
sourdough experts. There are several good books on sourdough which address the
topic of starter maintenance and how to use it in bread. Just keep in mind that
the first days of the seed culture process have nothing to do with developing
flavor or even fostering the most desirable species. The object is simply to
move through the succession and get the starter up and running. The fine-tuning
begins there. Once yeast are growing well, choose the hydration, temperature
and feeding routine that suits you, and the populations will shift in response
to the flour and conditions that you set up for maintenance.

[more]
<http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2>