Mike writes: All of this, to me, suggests that the theories about
climate and air causing changes in sourdough starters are just old
husband's takes.
Oh no, you don't, Mike. I'm a husband and I'm old, but I do believe
that climate and air do cause changes in sourdough starters. By the
way, did you mean takes or should it have been tales?
A few years back when I was a real sourdough fanatic, I had several
jars of sourdough starters perking away on the bottom shelf of my
fridge. I had obtained San Francisco, Russian, Egyptian, Lower
Slobbovian and several others starters from Ed Wood. I got them up
and running and fed them religiously as the book said to do. At
first, the loaves did taste differently based on the starter I
used. After a while though, they all began to taste the same. They
were becoming Blue Ridge Mountain sourdough. Why was I cluttering up
my fridge with all these starters when all I needed was one. I
became rather lazy and didn't feed those hungry little guys as I
should. Did they care? Hell, no. I could let them go several weeks
and they would perk right up as soon as I fed their gaping maws. And
then it dawned on me that I was really wasting money but dumping half
my starters to make room in the jars in order to feed them more. Was
it all worth it? Then I went on a cruise that was 28 days long and
left my starters to fend for themselves. That'll teach 'em. When I
got home, they looked a tad peaked but sat right up and asked me how
the cruise was as soon as I fed them. These guys are
tough. Finally, I learned that climate and air are important. My
San Francisco starter started at sea level and the wild yeasts in
that sea air were quite different from the wild yeasts that were in
my mountain air 2200 feet above sea level. And, of course, the
vegetation here is quite different than in the Bay Area. Yes, San
Franscisco sourdough bread tastes good, but does it taste any better
than Blue Ridge Mountain sourdough bread?
Nah! It tastes different but not better. San Francisco just markets
their bread better. So, I say that climate and air do make a
difference. I also say you don't have to be a slave to your
starters. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Bob the Tarheel Baker