SOURDOUGH
Source of Recipe
Food Reference
SOURDOUGH
A sourdough starter is basically a method of growing yeast.
The starter is a flour and water mixture�a basic unleavened dough�that serves as a medium for growing either commercial yeast that is added to the mixture or the ever-present wild yeast that is �captured� by the mixture from the air we breathe .
(Yogurt is also sometimes added to provide yeast).
This mixture is allowed to �sour� through a fermentation process that produces a gas and an acid. It is then used as a �starter� to leaven other breads: the gas produced by the fermentation is trapped in the elastic gluten structure of the dough, causing it to rise, while the acid imparts the final product with a tart flavor.