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My mother ordered 100-year-old sourdough starter from San
Francisco when I was 15. She shared it with me when I left home
so I could continue baking sourdough bread. I have baked
bread almost every week my whole life.
Francisco when I was 15. She shared it with me when I left home
so I could continue baking sourdough bread. I have baked
bread almost every week my whole life.
My mother died at age 93 in 2015 and when we cleaned out
her house, I found a blackened quart jar on her screened
porch in Mississippi - not refrigerated and not used for at
least four years. I brought it into the house and opened the
jar. The jar's interior (and suddenly the whole
house) smelled like the sewer. My sister was horrified
that I was going to empty this jar, but after I pulled off
spoonful after spoonful of black gunk, in the center
I found pure white starter.
her house, I found a blackened quart jar on her screened
porch in Mississippi - not refrigerated and not used for at
least four years. I brought it into the house and opened the
jar. The jar's interior (and suddenly the whole
house) smelled like the sewer. My sister was horrified
that I was going to empty this jar, but after I pulled off
spoonful after spoonful of black gunk, in the center
I found pure white starter.
We had to leave the windows wide open in the house for hours
to get rid of the awful smell. And to bring the starter home with me,
I triple bagged it in zip-lock bags like a plastic version of the
stacked Russian dolls.
to get rid of the awful smell. And to bring the starter home with me,
I triple bagged it in zip-lock bags like a plastic version of the
stacked Russian dolls.
I brought Mother’s starter back to Atlanta to see if I could revive it.
I put about a tablespoon of it in each of nine small bowls and fed
each of the bowls about 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water.
I covered all of them and went to work.
I put about a tablespoon of it in each of nine small bowls and fed
each of the bowls about 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water.
I covered all of them and went to work.
When I got home it was like the starter that ate my kitchen. Thrilled
to have food after four years, the starters had all bubbled up and
over the rims of the bowls in which I had left them. My kitchen
counter was covered with glorious, revived, 151-year-old starter.
Sadly, there are no photos. I have been baking with it several
times weekly ever since and sharing it with everyone who
expresses an interest.
to have food after four years, the starters had all bubbled up and
over the rims of the bowls in which I had left them. My kitchen
counter was covered with glorious, revived, 151-year-old starter.
Sadly, there are no photos. I have been baking with it several
times weekly ever since and sharing it with everyone who
expresses an interest.
In case you have any worries about the fact that it was in
the Mississippi heat, unfed, for four or so years, a sourdough
starter was scraped off of a pottery jar in an Egyptian
tomb and brought back to life. Microbes are amazing
survivors! (see Rob Dunn’s book: Never Home Alone).
the Mississippi heat, unfed, for four or so years, a sourdough
starter was scraped off of a pottery jar in an Egyptian
tomb and brought back to life. Microbes are amazing
survivors! (see Rob Dunn’s book: Never Home Alone).
I love knowing that this starter now includes my microbes
as well as my mother's, microbes from my Atlanta kitchens
over the years, and those from my childhood home in
Mississippi.
As you use a sourdough starter, your microbes and those
from your kitchen will be added as well!
as well as my mother's, microbes from my Atlanta kitchens
over the years, and those from my childhood home in
Mississippi.
As you use a sourdough starter, your microbes and those
from your kitchen will be added as well!
