I have plunged into the baking of sourdough breads under the guidance of
Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book.

While my outputs were eminently edible (and will doubtless get better as
my expertise increases), I have found the offered guidance less detailed
than that which relates to yeast doughs.

She advises, and I have confirmed, that the ripened starter keeps well
in a refrigerator and can be aroused from its sleep by sitting at room
temperature overnight.

However, when it comes to using the starter, there is a marked
difference between the routine described in the recipes available from
this newsgroup (recipes/part1) and her "German Sourdough Rye".

Briefly, the posted recipes keep back a little of the starter (to grow a
fresh lot) and use the bulk in the bread. The German Sourdough Rye uses
only 1/3 cup of starter, builds it up (to a "full sour") and then uses
that as a starting point for the bread.

From the point of view of the baked loaf, one is probably as good as the
other. But what about the remaining starter? Does it need more radical
refreshing than merely replacing what has been used?

Comments from seasoned sourdough bakers will be gratefully received.

Felix Karpfen

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Felix Karpfen
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