INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

How to dry and restart a culture from dadams@cray.com (David Adams)
Drying  For long term culture storage, store your culture in dried
powder  form. Ed Woods book doesn't tell you how to do this right out,
but I  sort of discovered it on my own.  Actually I believe it is an
old  trick.  Spread a three foot long section of wax paper on the
Table WAX SIDE  UP. Smear one tablespoon of fresh culture around evenly
and  thinly  over the surface of the wax paper.   Let it  dry
overnight, and then  scrape the dry flakes into a bowl and crunch them
(Mortal & pestle  style) into small pieces. Put the powder into a
labeled zip lock bag  and press the air out.  The culture forms spores
when it starts to dry out. The culture will  store in a zip lock bag at
normal temperatures like this for 6  months. It will store even longer
in the frezer.  I find that a zip-lock bag is very convenient way to
carry a culture  when traveling or moving.  Make sure the bag is labled
and don't  flaunt those little bags of white powder!  I find it
convenient to do several sheets of wax paper at once.  Then  when
friends ask for a start I spoon two teaspoons into a new bag,  and
carry it to work, or where ever I will see them next.  Another reason I
find this convenient is that if you own several  different cultures,
they don't all have to occupy a bottle in the  fridge at once.  And it
is fairly easy to include a small zip-lock with a teaspoon or  two of
start in a letter.  An easy way to share starts.  Restarting  Dr. Wood
recomends the following steps for activating dried sourdough  cultures:
Mix a couple of teaspoons of the dried powder with  1/2 cup of water
at 95 to 100 deg F.  Mix briefly and let stand for 15 min.  Add 1/3
cup of white bread flour, mix well and proof for 24 hours at 85 deg.
F. (My start needs 12 hours.)  "The jar lid should not be tightened.
During the first 12 hours the  culture should be stirred once or  twice
as convenient.  "At the end of 24 hours the culture should start to
bubble but the  time varies depending on which culture is to be
activated.  Regardless, add an additional 1/2 cup of 85 deg. F. water
and 1/2 cup  of flour. Then stir vigorously to whip some air into the
mixture.  Return it to your warm place for 12 hours.  When the culture
has a  layer of foamy bubbles on the surface, it is ready to use.  Some
of the cultures will fully activate in 24-48 hours, but some may
require 3 to 5 days.  During this time, keep the culture at 85 deg.
F., add water and flour at about 12 hour intervals and stir briskly."
(Copied by permission from information  sheet sent with culture  sample
from Sourdoughs International.)  >From: "Steven A. Hocevar"
<STEVE@stimpy.FhHosp.Ab.Ca> From:  Bread-Bakers Archives:
ftp.best.com/pub/reggie/archives/bread/recipe  Recipe By     :
Sourdough Newsgroup

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