Make the starter 3 days before you plan to use it. It will develop for two days and will be ready to use on the third. Use a large non reacting bowl; glass, pottery or plastic. The bowl should be a large one, because the starter will rise at one point during the first day. It will deflate after that, but it can make a glorious mess on your counter top, not to mention the tea towel if the bowl is not deep enough. Do not use metal to stir it. I used a disposable fork. Once ready, store the starter in the fridge. When you remove starter for a recipe, replenish what you have taken with equal amounts of flour and water. For instance if you use 1 cup of starter; add back 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water.
1 pkg. active dry yeast.
2 cups warm water [40-45C]
2 cups all purpose flour
• Sprinkle yeast into a large, dry non metallic bowl.
• Add warm water slowly.
• Stir with a non metallic utensil.
• Add the flour gradually, stirring constantly.
• Stir the mixture to breakup all the lumps.
• Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let stand for two days at room temperature.
• Stir down occasionally.
• Use on the third day.
• Replenish with equal amount of flour and water and refrigerate.
• If you don’t feed it for two weeks, chuck it and start anew.
• Recipe makes 3 cups of starter.
Begin the starter in a large bowl and transfer it to a smaller container for the fridge. But make sure it still has airspace for the yeast activity for when you replenish the starter.
