Pinch My Salt

Food, Recipes, and Photography

It’s Alive!

by 37 Comments

Sourdough Starter

I’ve been maintaining this sourdough starter at my house in Sicily for the last year and a half. I really didn’t want to throw it down the drain when we had to move but I was a little leery of packing it in my luggage and taking it on the plane. I don’t think I would have been allowed to carry it on board with me and I was worried about it being discovered in my checked luggage during a random search or at customs. Although it’s pretty much just flour and water, I was sure it would somehow cause a problem!

So, I shipped it to myself instead! I put about a quarter cup of my well-fed starter in a little thermos, packed it up with some of the other last minute things I was sending, and shipped it to myself Priority Mail. Priority Mail from an overseas military post office takes a bit longer than the promised 2-3 days here in the states. But the package arrived on Wednesday, several days quicker than I expected!

The thermos did leak a tiny bit but most of the starter was still inside and was smelling very, very strong after it’s journey around the world. I wasn’t sure if it was still alive but I had high hopes because that starter has managed to stay alive even through my most neglectful periods when I let several weeks go by at a time between feedings.

I was right to be hopeful because my beautiful sourdough starter, although a bit sluggish the first day, is now alive and well and bubbling and happy and smells absolutely wonderful! I am so excited that I brought it with me! I am imagining all those crazy little Sicilian yeast meeting up with the local-laid back southern California yeast and I can’t wait to see how they get along!

My sister and brother-in-law look at me like I’m crazy when they see me leaning over my bowl of starter with a huge grin on my face. But they are certainly looking forward to some homemade sourdough bread baked in their own oven! And they know what to expect because they were visiting me in Sicily when I baked my first perfect loaf of sourdough from this very same starter!

So that’s my exciting news for today! I plan on starting a new sourdough starter from scratch soon just to see how it compares to the one that I brought with me. When I start the new one, I’ll write more about how to start, feed, and maintain a sourdough starter. I also have some great sourdough recipes to share! I use my starter for everything from pancakes and muffins to pizza dough and bread!

Ciao for now!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Marie says

    WOW! It is alive. I love the title. I tried to keep a starter in my house once for about 2 days. Granted I was prego with baby number 2 and couldn't handle any kind of smell. So it got tossed. Don't be too sad for the starter though, my friend had just made it, so no history involved. I can't wait to read more about this on your amazing blog. Have you about had it with NaBloPoMo? I have, the pressure. Just 4 more!!
    Reply

  3. Bri says

    Congratulations on your starter surviving the move. I would love to know details of starting a new mother sponge. My husband and I tried for a few weeks and it just didn't turn out well. The sponge always made the bread we attempted taste alcoholic, and never tasty. So, I'm excited to get a lesson from a seasoned baker. It will be interesting to see how the Sicilian yeasts mix together with the California yeasts and change your bread over time.
    Reply

  4. Joel says

    Brilliant! Isn't it funny how we develop a relationship with the things we tend... I've gone so far as to give my starter a personality. "Won't bake today, the starter's in a tiff!"
    Reply

  5. Marty Copeland says

    I live in San Diego and my starter is dead. I really need to get a good starter from someone before my son arrives for Xmas. We always have sourdough pancakes on Christmas morning. Help, anyone!
    Reply

  7. Jeff Hertzberg says

    Thanks for trying our method, Amanda. I'm Jeff Hertzberg, one of the co-authors of "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day." We maintain that our approach (storing high-moisture dough for two weeks), makes using a starter unnecessary. More at our website: www.artisanbreadinfive.com. Jeff Hertzberg
    Reply

  8. John says

    That's a fantastic story. You've inspired me! I've been using the same sourdough starter here in Thailand for three years - and I am about to move back to Canada. I would never have considered bringing it back with me - but, maybe I will give it a try! I think I will freeze it solid and pack it in checked luggage. See what happens! Thanks for the inspiration, John
    Reply

  12. RSA online says

    Is yeast a plan or an animal. I guess it must be a plant. Hold on, it's a fungus according to wikipedia. It eats sugar and oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide, and in some cases, alcohol.
    Reply

  13. Carol says

    Hey Nicole! I just learned last week that you can store your starter (assuming a live one) dried and in the freezer for an indefinite amount of time. I haven't done it yet with mine but plan on doing it this weekend, hopefully. The method is to smear a thin layer of the starter on parchment paper and let it dry completely. Then crumble it and store in a freezer ziploc bag, air removed, and them freeze until you need it again. I hope it works.
    Reply

  14. ivy says

    What coincidence that I found this site...... I am on day 6 of a new sourdough starter; well, it is an Amish Friendship Starter, actually..... Had a King Arthur's starter years ago, but it up and died almost immediately. Guess it didn't like Yonkers much. I now live in Putnam County NY, and the new starter seems to be going strong. Love the idea of drying out after the holidays instead of starting a new starter.... thanks! anyone still active in your staters? How is the Italian starter doing? Has it Americanized to our California breezes yet? :-D
    Reply

  15. Charlie says

    Just found this blog -- came up in a search for late nite meals in Catania (different entry), and then one click led to another. Are you still in Escondido? If yes, want to trade some Alaska starter for Sicily starter? My wife brought back starter from a trip to Alaska eighteen months ago -- it dates back to something like 1910's. And get this, we live in Escondido and are headed to Sicily for six nights in September.Perhaps I can pick your brain for "don't miss items".
    Reply

  16. Helen says

    Your blog is amazing. I would like to work up a Starter and I was hoping someone would pass one on to me. I work at a Bed & Breakfast mostly weekends so I cook and bake nonstop. I would like to visit Sicily I have never been, and I'd like to start a Blogbut I don't enjoy spending a lot of time on the computer. However I am determined to write a Cookbook Memoir. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Helen
    Reply

Leave a Reply