Recently, my friend Don Seitz dropped off five pounds of Einkorn wheat berries and a book titled “Einkorn: Recipes for Nature’s Original Wheat”. Einkorn is the world’s oldest wheat variety and is more flavorful than our modern day wheat. The book has many recipes I want to try, particularly the raisin and walnut bread which is made with a sourdough starter. I look forward to baking a golden brown artisan loaf, just like the picture in the book and as seen in fancy bakeries.
Inspired, I pulled my flour mill out of the cupboard and retrieved my sourdough starter from fridge. I guess my sourdough starter slept in there for too many months because when it warmed up and I fed it with flour and water, nothing happened. Usually after a few hours, it transforms from sleeping beauty into a fragrant, frothy and foamy thing that bubbles away and increases in size. Did my many months of neglect kill it?
I began to troubleshoot. The house was a bit on the cool side so I put the starter on the cat heating pad I use to proof my bread. I switched the pad on, added flour and water and waited. After a few hours not even one tiny bubble had risen to the top. Starter needs a temperature of between 80⁰ and 110⁰ so I dug out my thermometer. The thermometer read 102⁰ so that wasn’t the problem. I felt an odd mix of emotions; one moment I was sad as if I had lost an old friend, then the next I was mad about the starter’s dismal performance. Then after that, I felt remorse because I had ignored it for so long.
I asked the AI how to resuscitate sourdough starter and it gave me some advice. For one, use whole wheat or rye flour instead of all-purpose and feed it every day for a week. My friend, Rob Couture, said adding a touch of sugar can jumpstart it.
I went away for a few days and left it on the counter. When I returned, I resumed my resuscitation efforts and added some more Einkorn flour and water. Slowly but surely small bubbles started to form on the top. I thrilled at the sight and peered at the starter with increased frequency. It’s alive and talking! I fed it several more times and each time there were more bubbles. Now the starter has a glorious smell and a superb taste it never had before. Maybe the long rest in the fridge did it some good after all. I will know for sure when I bake that fancy artisan sourdough walnut raisin bread.