Arri London wrote:
>
> zxcvbob wrote:
>> I just mixed 100 grams of rye flour with 100 ml of bottled water in
>> a covered bowl on my kitchen counter. No yeast, no salt, no milk,
>> no sugar. How long should it take before I see some life? (I
>> haven't done this in a few years and I don't remember.) Gonna try
>> making sourdough pizza crust; will switch over to wheat flour when I
>> start feeding it.
>>
>> Do I need to feed and divide it a few times before I freeze some of
>> it for insurance? I plan to grow it at room temperature for a few
>> weeks, then move it to the refrigerator to slow it down.
>>
>> Bob
>
> That's going to depend on what microorganisms are on your flour, on your
> bowl and in the air in your kitchen. Can take several days for a new
> culture to get going. What have you used to cover your bowl? I keep a
> cotton tea towel specifically for baking purposes, such as covering
> bowls or rising bread. It's only ever rinsed thoroughly with water and
> line dried. Bound to be some 'goodies' on there LOL.
>
>
> Once it gets going, freeze some without doing anything else to it. Then
> feed and divide it and freeze some more. Always check how it smells as
> you are growing. If it smells 'off' then dump it and try again.



After I posted this, I added a crushed vitamin C tablet (to acidify
it a little until the bacteria take hold) and a little more bottled
water because the dough seemed too stiff.

It's in a Rubbermaid measuring cup with a snap-on lid that can leak
a little so it doesn't build up pressure and blow off. I want to
keep flies and fruitflies out of it.

I stirred it this morning, and again when I got home tonight. It
hasn't actually risen any yet, but it does have bubbles in it. It
just smells like dough at this point. And it has thinned out a
little, but no hooch on top yet obviously.

Bob