When we moved to Kauai I had to leave behind my beloved sourdough starter in Montana. For twenty years I nurtured it, feeding it three time a day when I was in one of my baking binges. And in the winter, when my wife Dorothy and I escaped the unforgiving cold, my starter rested in a back corner fridge for months, undisturbed, but always at the ready to fulfill its destiny when we returned.
Aloha! Found your post while searching how to make a successful starter in Hawai'i. I tried a couple years ago and failed. Any way to trade some of your starter for a dozen eggs from my chickens?
BRILLIANT!!! Thanks Greg, you inspired me to start a new starter again! I always start by mixing with a tiny amount of sheep's milk yogurt with the organic, whole-wheat flour from Thessaly, Central Greece. My last sourdough was neglected for a long time and finally discarded, since I am now hooked in baking the heavy, but very tasty eftazymo bread with a starter of slowly fermented chickpeas --an old Greek tradition that has almost died...
Wonderful to know you’ll be re-starting your sourdough. I am fascinated by the chick pea starter. Once you get it going, please tell me your method and also how you make eftazymo bread.
Oh, I am so moved you felt you had re-order my book! it had been Costas’ and mine story too, because when we first came to Kea, actually around the time I was finishing that book, we thought it was going to be a part time move and kept buying second copies of most of our books to be able to work here.
I will certainly do, dear Greg. I plan to photograph the process which I have already described in my Foods of the Greek Islands book, in 2000. American food writers have told me that it is similar to what you call ‘salt rising’ and if I remember the descriptions it uses fermented potatoes.
Your Greek Islands cookbook is arriving today, Aglaia. Yippee! My original copy is packed away in Montana. I’m eager to reacquaint myself with your great book.
I live on the Big Island, high rain/humidity. I could not produce a healthy starter until I read up and found that the early bread makers here added pineapple juice. It always kills any bad bacteria and allows development of a healthy starter in a wet climate.
Thank you for this important information, Pamela. I know of other bakers who swear by including pineapple juice in their starters, but I didn’t know why, until now.
maybe i should start a sourdough and report on it in my own substack. it never seemed all that interesting, until you wrote about it! (well, interesting to read about, i'm devoted to sourdough to eat. DEVOTED!
Spain spoiled me for bread. Walking to the neighborhood bakery and returning with crusty loaves ...
I didn't hear the word sourdough until I was an adult, and I wasn't impressed. I thought it was all just sour bread. But, after learning that the marvelous dough at Biga Pizza in Missoula was made with a sourdough starter, my opinion started to change. And, working with Greg has certainly given me a fresh outlook.
I'm guessing that I'm not the only person who had a narrow view of sourdough. Now, I see it as a worthy topic!
When I was a restaurant chef in the early nineties, I spent time in German and Swiss bakeries where a majority of their breads were made with a sourdough starter. The flavors and textures of those loaves worked their magic on me, and I’ve been hooked since then.
It's been fun experiencing the ups and downs of Greg's challenge to develop a great starter. This morning he tested it making waffles, and it succeeded magnificently! So it's not "just" for bread!
That's a wonderful idea, Nora. I did bake a ciabatta yesterday, so I'll take you up on your suggestion. I just love sardines, especially packed in a top quality olive oil.
We left Montana the middle of October but didn't get to Hawaii until Oct. 31. There was no way to keep my starter alive during that time. So it's still in the fridge in Montana under the care of the new owners. Glad you asked!
I thought you might be able to dry it out to take with you to revive when you got to Kaua'i but glad the old one is still alive! You're doing what I 've wanted to do forever--live in a place (like for a year) to get to really know it, then move on to another and so on and so on. But I've lived in SLC for 47 years so I don't think that will happen. Keep writing so I can live vicariously.!
We might just do what you describe, Chris--it's great not being homeowners responsible for property any longer! Been there, done that, and ready for more adventures!
Aloha! Found your post while searching how to make a successful starter in Hawai'i. I tried a couple years ago and failed. Any way to trade some of your starter for a dozen eggs from my chickens?
I’d love that. Where are you?
I'm in Kapa'a. Could I email you?
Sure.
BRILLIANT!!! Thanks Greg, you inspired me to start a new starter again! I always start by mixing with a tiny amount of sheep's milk yogurt with the organic, whole-wheat flour from Thessaly, Central Greece. My last sourdough was neglected for a long time and finally discarded, since I am now hooked in baking the heavy, but very tasty eftazymo bread with a starter of slowly fermented chickpeas --an old Greek tradition that has almost died...
Aloha, Aglaia
Wonderful to know you’ll be re-starting your sourdough. I am fascinated by the chick pea starter. Once you get it going, please tell me your method and also how you make eftazymo bread.
Oh, I am so moved you felt you had re-order my book! it had been Costas’ and mine story too, because when we first came to Kea, actually around the time I was finishing that book, we thought it was going to be a part time move and kept buying second copies of most of our books to be able to work here.
I will certainly do, dear Greg. I plan to photograph the process which I have already described in my Foods of the Greek Islands book, in 2000. American food writers have told me that it is similar to what you call ‘salt rising’ and if I remember the descriptions it uses fermented potatoes.
Your Greek Islands cookbook is arriving today, Aglaia. Yippee! My original copy is packed away in Montana. I’m eager to reacquaint myself with your great book.
I live on the Big Island, high rain/humidity. I could not produce a healthy starter until I read up and found that the early bread makers here added pineapple juice. It always kills any bad bacteria and allows development of a healthy starter in a wet climate.
Aloha, Pamela
I would love to have specific info about how to incorporate pineapple juice into a starter. Mahalo!
Thank you for this important information, Pamela. I know of other bakers who swear by including pineapple juice in their starters, but I didn’t know why, until now.
Excellent commentary on developing a new starter.
I dried out my starter and it is stored in my freezer for when I want to bake more sourdough bread.
I should have done what you did, Clare, but time ran out.
Inspiring! I begin a new starter today.
Please keep me in your starter loop, Marlena!
maybe i should start a sourdough and report on it in my own substack. it never seemed all that interesting, until you wrote about it! (well, interesting to read about, i'm devoted to sourdough to eat. DEVOTED!
Spain spoiled me for bread. Walking to the neighborhood bakery and returning with crusty loaves ...
I didn't hear the word sourdough until I was an adult, and I wasn't impressed. I thought it was all just sour bread. But, after learning that the marvelous dough at Biga Pizza in Missoula was made with a sourdough starter, my opinion started to change. And, working with Greg has certainly given me a fresh outlook.
I'm guessing that I'm not the only person who had a narrow view of sourdough. Now, I see it as a worthy topic!
When I was a restaurant chef in the early nineties, I spent time in German and Swiss bakeries where a majority of their breads were made with a sourdough starter. The flavors and textures of those loaves worked their magic on me, and I’ve been hooked since then.
It's been fun experiencing the ups and downs of Greg's challenge to develop a great starter. This morning he tested it making waffles, and it succeeded magnificently! So it's not "just" for bread!
The bottom photo makes me want to take a slice and top it with a couple of sardines that have been processed in olive oil.
That's a wonderful idea, Nora. I did bake a ciabatta yesterday, so I'll take you up on your suggestion. I just love sardines, especially packed in a top quality olive oil.
I don't understand why you didn't take your MT. starter to Kaua'i? Contraband?
We left Montana the middle of October but didn't get to Hawaii until Oct. 31. There was no way to keep my starter alive during that time. So it's still in the fridge in Montana under the care of the new owners. Glad you asked!
I thought you might be able to dry it out to take with you to revive when you got to Kaua'i but glad the old one is still alive! You're doing what I 've wanted to do forever--live in a place (like for a year) to get to really know it, then move on to another and so on and so on. But I've lived in SLC for 47 years so I don't think that will happen. Keep writing so I can live vicariously.!
We might just do what you describe, Chris--it's great not being homeowners responsible for property any longer! Been there, done that, and ready for more adventures!