How to Make Sourdough Starter the Kansas Pioneer Way

Here's a pioneer recipe that my mother passed down to me. Use this vintage Kansas recipe to get sourdough started, then keep it going so you'll have some ready when you want to make pancakes or other recipes that call for sourdough.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 potato
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 cups of water
• 3 cups of flour

1. 

   Choose a good-sized potato, like you would use in baking. Wash the potato, then peel and grate it with a grater or the food processor. We always grated it by hand with a metal grater.

2. 

   Combine the grated potato, the cup of sugar and the three cups of water and three cups of flour. Mix this all together.

3. 
   Stoneware crocks

   Let it stand at room temperature in a gallon crock, lightly covered with a cloth. This step takes three days.

4. 

   After the three days, the sourdough starter is ready to use in recipes. Every time you remove a cup of starter, add one cup of water, one tablespoon of sugar and a half cup of flour to the remaining sourdough. This way you'll never run out.

Tips & Warnings

• I got this recipe from my mother, Ruth McGhee.
• We liked to use a cup of sourdough starter in our pancake recipe.

[sullysee]

on 7/30/2009 Great recipe for making sourdough starter the Kansas pioneer way. I can't wait to make pancakes with it and some butter and maple strup. Delicious!

[betterbody]

on 4/30/2009 Thanks for the details on making a sourdough starter. 5*s.

[Upon-Request]

on 3/23/2009 Great sourdough starter recipe. My father used to always have some on hand for camping trips. Thanks :)

[Meri]

on 3/15/2009 This is the way my Grandma taught me to make starter! Makes great bread too...