Bread starter

Lately I have been thinking about starting a dough starter. I have searched a lot of websites and have come up with a lot of different ideas on how to start a dough starter. Here are a few things I found...

The simplest way I found is :
1 cup warm water mixed with a cup of flour......put in a jar.......feeding ( taking half of the starter away and adding 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 water) every 12hrs. for about a week..........along with other options from  http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/sour.htm

Another option and a more common way of making a starter is taking the basic flour and water and adding yeast, pineapple juice or grapes to create more yeast spores/ bacteria. Which I found on an awesome blog http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/2011/01/amish-friendship-bread-starter-and-day.html


So I decided to try the more common method. So here is what I did.

1. Gathered all my ingredients : 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 yeast packet, 1/4 cup warm water, and 1 cup milk. I later decided to go with a bigger container.....you will need room for it to expand. (Note: be sure not to use metal, it will react with your mixture)

2. In a separate bowl I added the yeast and 1/4 cup of warm water.......meanwhile I mixed the sugar and flour, then added the milk. After the yeast is mixed well, I added it to the mixture.

After it is all mixed I lightly wrapped it with plastic wrap. This is day 1 on your starter. Make sure you check out this blog for more details........http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/2011/01/amish-friendship-bread-starter-and-day.html




 If anyone has any pointers or have experience with starters I would love to hear from you! This is my first time and as silly as it is I am kind of nervous about how it will turn out!  I will keep you posted on how mine is doing :)


So here is how its going: 

Day 6, you add 1 cup flour, sugar, and milk and mix well! Only a few more days to go. I can't wait.

On day 10 you add 1 cup more of flour, sugar, and milk then you can take one cup of your starter to bake with and share the rest with friends. Here is the recipe that I used :)

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD:

1 c. Amish friendship bread starter
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. sugar

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Bake in 2 well greased and floured or sugared 9"x5" bread pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes.NOTE: Raisins, chopped apples, drained, crushed pineapple, candied fruit, coconut, mashed banana, dates, chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips (1/2 cup each) may be added to batter before baking.


(Recipe from: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,157182-224206,00.html )

So I decided that instead of sharing my starters, I bakes a bunch of bread and shared that. I will take my last starter and start the 10 day process again. I can't wait to make more bread! Yum!