Make this 10 days before you plan to bake your bread. "Mashing" the starter every day – squeezing it to mix – takes just a few seconds. Keep tabs on the dates you need to "feed" the starter by writing it on the plastic bag or posting a calendar on the fridge.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup shelf-stable milk, such as boxed milk or evaporated milk
About this recipe
Don’t refrigerate the starter. Don’t use metal utensils or bowl to mix. It’s normal for the creamy, off-white batter to rise, bubble and ferment, but if it turns colors, toss it out and start over. If too much air accumulates in the bag, let it out.
Instructions
Combine in one-gallon zip-top bag. Seal and set aside. This is Day 1.
Days 2-5: Mash the bag.
Day 6: Add to the bag 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mash the bag.
Days 7-9: Mash the bag.
Day 10: Pour entire bag into a nonmetal bowl. Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Reserve 1¼ cups starter in the bowl if you plan to bake. Divide the remaining batter into 1-gallon zip-top bags to give to friends along with a copy of the recipe. Label the bag with the date.
