When bubbles appear to form constellations on the surface of tan liquid—bursting, they become craters on a lunar landscape of thickening matter. An aroma reminiscent of old farm kitchens and small town bakeries ascends into warm kitchen air.

Within an hour, the mass of bubbles has risen to the top of the bowl, threatening to escape beneath the towel much like monster blobs in freakish movies.

It is tackled and subdued with a worn wooden spoon. The batter will rise again, only to be beaten down. A third time works it into quiet submission. It is not finished, only resting.

It will sit three or four days, calmly moving in ever-so-slow tides, growing cells that will eventually blend with ingredients to become sourdough bread.

The magnitude of growth potential for sourdough starters can be seen by this incident reported in the February 1965 issue of Gourmet Magazine.

“A few years ago, a tourist who had become a sourdough convert, was responsible for a bomb scare in Fairbanks, Alaska. Having filled a small jar with her sourdough starter, she tucked it into her luggage. When an explosion was heard in the plane’s baggage compartment just before takeoff, airline officials unloaded the plane, spending more than an hour searching for the “bomb”. All they found was a suitcase full of clothes covered with sourdough starter so lusty that it exploded.”

On a more whimsical note, Paul Bunyan and his Big Blue Ox (Babe) seemed to magnify sourdough starters and batters more than any other person in history. The Great Falls, Montana, Tribune of 1922 reported many of Paul’s escapades including the following sourdough solution.

“Big Tadpole Country—winter of the blue snow. Shot Gunderson had charge of the job first and he landed all of his logs in a lake and in the spring when he was ready to drive, he boomed the logs three times around the lake before he found out there was no outlet to it. That would have stumped most any logger, but not Paul Bunyan. When they sent for Paul, he just threw his eye over the situation and then got busy.

Calling in Sourdough Sam, the cook, who made everything but coffee out of sourdough, he ordered him to mix up enough sourdough to fill the big water tank. Hitching Babe to the tank, Paul hauled it over and dumped it into the lake. When it “riz” as Sam said, a mighty lava-like stream poured forth and carried the logs over the mountains to the river. And if you don’t believe it, there’s a landlocked lake in northern Minnesota that is called Sourdough Lake to this day.”   

Well, we don’t plan on taking flight with our starter and we feel sure that the 25-acre lake called Sourdough which is in Lake County, Minnesota, would not appreciate being filled to overflowing with yeasty lava-like sourdough batter.

However, on any given day, driving through our fair country, you may perceive a distinct yeasty aroma on the air. Don’t worry. It’s just starters brewing. Flapjacks anyone?   

Our favorite starter recipe is from a 1973 Better Homes & Gardens, Homemade Bread Cookbook.

• 1 package active dry yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• ¾ cup warm water
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar.

Send comments to Connie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Box 61, Medway, OH 45341