Instructions: (Continued) How to Feed & Care for Your Sourdough Starter:

"Keeping a sourdough starter is somewhat like having a pet because it needs to be fed and cared for. But its requirements are simple and not time consuming. Baking with sourdough is also a simple process. All it takes is a little planning and timing. The results are so satisfying, youll grow to treasure your invisible pet the way our ancestors did."

"When you receive your starter, refrigerate it if you dont intend to feed it immediately (at any rate, starter should be fed as soon as possible after you receive it). To feed it for the first time, snip off a corner of the plastic bag and squeeze the starter into a glass or ceramic bowl (not metal). Stir in 3 cups of lukewarm water (what feels comfortable on your wrist) and 3 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour. Mix until its well blended and the consistency of pancake batter.

Let the replenished starter sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours to give the yeast a chance to multiply and become active before you put it in the refrigerator. Ordinarily you would feed your starter when you remove some to bake with it. A good rule of thumb is to replenish it every two weeks or so, preferably because you made a wonderful loaf of sourdough bread, a stack of pancakes or a delicious sourdough cake." (This previous paragraph is for those people who have ordered King Arthurs Sourdough Starter from their catalog.)

"During the time the starter is stored in the refrigerator, it becomes relatively dormant which is why it can survive so long with so little attention.

Youll find that a clear, amber colored liquid will accumulate on the surface of the starter. This liquid contains 12% to 14% alcohol."

"When yeast is in contact with air, it produces carbon dioxide; when its not, it produces alcohol. When you blend the alcohol back into the starter, it helps produce the unique flavor you find in good sourdough breads. For milder flavor, you can pour off some of the alcohol if you wish although this will thicken the starter requiring a bit more liquid to return it to its "pancake batter" consistency. (To "sweeten" a starter in another way, see Troubleshooting which follows.) The alcohol itself dissipates during the baking process."

(Continued)

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