Thanks so much for visiting! My aunt would have used real sourdough starter, which she kept in a glass jar in the fridge and occasionally stirred to re-incorporate the black liquid that would rise to the top.

But much easier than the traditional sourdough starter, which was made using natural yeasts from the air, is the serially-ubiquitous“Amish Friendship bread” starter” which is very easy to make (here’s a story about Amish Friendship bread, with a recipe and directions very similar to the one I was given)

One thing I learned was that while you don’t refrigerate the Amish Friendship starter (as you can refrigerate traditional sourdough starter), you can freeze it in 1 cup portions (after the “day 10″ stage, when it is truly “starter”) — this way you don’t have to use or maintain it, and you also aren’t stuck with the ever-multiplying recipe that reminds me a little of a Star Trek Tribble attack…

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I haven’t, but I’m sure it would be much better, sigh. (This recipe came from my frugal great aunts, for whom “oleo” seemed the more fiscally responsible choice, I’m sure!)