Hi Brian, I'm apologize for the delay in responding to your question! Actually, your girlfriend isn't quite right when it comes to creating a sourdough starter; combining water and flour and letting it ferment is an age old, and quite reliable, method of creating sourdough starter. That being said, it can be helpful to be a little more methodical, and to know what to expect along the way. Check out our Sourdough Baking Guide for more information about how to successfully create a starter, and follow along with our recipe. It sounds like your starter would benefit from discarding and maintaining it with a consistent ratio of starter/flour/water. And keep in mind that during the sourdough starter creation process (which generally takes about 10 days) the starter is trying to set up a healthy balance of wild yeast and friendly bacteria, and much of the process involves weeding out unhelpful organisms (which can smell bad). You don't necessarily have to give up on your starter, but you may find modifying your process helpful. If you'd like to start over with a different method that utilizes less flour in the beginning, and is meant to avoid the type of bacteria that can delay the wild yeast from kicking in, check out Debra Wink's Pineapple Juice Solution. There are lots of ways to create a sourdough starter, most of which work well, as long as you are willing to be patient and persistent. 

Barb

• Reply