The Bread Builders doesn't give any formulas, but talks in generalities about sourdoughs and gives a lot of tips and timetables. I watched the video of Nancy Silverton and it looked like she was taking her soupy starter culture and adding it directly to a dough. This is different from Reinhart and Wing, because they use an intermediate build called a sponge, which is incorporated into a dough. So they are getting a more active, mature wad of sourdough going into the dough.
A key paragraph for me in the Bread Builders is the one that asks Why is Silverton feeding so much flour to microbes which can basically be seen only with a microscope? All these differing techniques are after the same goal--to culture the resident wild yeasts and lactic and acetic acid producing bacteria which live on organic materials, such as grapes, raisins, wheat berries.
Reinhart has you rinse organic raisins in water and then use that water to make your starter with organic whole wheat flour.
Silverton bathes the grapes in the slurry for days. Why? Reinhart gets the yeasts and bacteria in a quick rinse.
The whole point of feeding these starter hinges on a growth curve, which is dependent on temperature. The Bread Builders has a couple of graphs that show that relationship.
By manipulating the temp, you can plan the feedings. Life doesn't have to revolve around feeding the beast. You can make it work for you.
Silverton has some comments about starters I've seen contradicted. She says they can get contaminated by commercial yeast. Daniel Wing says not so. He also says that a lot of the bacteria will come from you. And that the only place lactobacillus sanfranciso has been cultured from is dental plaque. Silverton says your kitchen will fill with wild yeasts the more you bake. I don't buy that at all. The yeasts are on the materials used to start the starter. I saw one book or something recently that said to put the starter freshly mixed in your kitchen where you think there might be wild yeasts. I guess in my kitchen that would be near the kitty litter box next to the back door. Keep reading folks.
this stuff is really cool!
