I have just received my copy of HANDBOOK OF DOUGH FERMENTATINS. (NY :
Marcel Dekker, c.2003) and dekker.com.

At $170.00 I'm sure it's not within everybodies reach. But, it sure am
good!

Chapter 6, "Commercial Starters in the United States" is by T. Frank
Sugihara. OK, purists out there, "Commercial" means to use flour and
water to get your starter going, not some behemoth landing on your
genetic structure.

Brief tips, as I've only had the book 2 days:

Use some cooked yeast in your starter, the bread bugs need vitamin B
in "quantity". Take yeast 1-2 tsp., 1/4 tsp. sugar, add 1/2 C. of
water (di-hydrogen oxide). Allow to ferment 90 minutes. Bring it to a
boil. Allow to sit, covered on countertop, overnight. Strain off the
water and use it as part of the water for the starter. Leave the yeast
residue behind.

San Francisco style bread prefers a starter development temperature of
around 72 degrees F.

More interestingly, according to the work, it would be impossible for
Ed Wood's San Francisco dried starters to work. Or for anybody eles's
as well. Freeze drying kills the yeasts, the "fluidized bed" to make
yeast, kills the bacteria. So, it's unlikely that purchasing starter
will help. However, the Lesaffre Co. (France) has patented a process
to keep both LAB and yeast alive for use. We have tried some of their
products. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the yeast, S.
Chevalieri has been used due to it's "high flavoring potential" and is
a strain "isolated from spontaneous breadmaking sourdoughs".