Had sourdough bread in San Fransisco in 1989 and loved it. Tried a loaf "baked fresh" from the local supermarket back home, horrible stuff. Decided I'd make my own. Took a few years to figure it out , became a "Serious Home Baker". Eventually went to real baking school and now I own a small artisan bakery with a staff of 8.

Characteristics

PJ is a very reliable starter, even when it does get a little abused over the weekends. It easily triples over it's 12 hour fermentation periods. Breads made with this starter are not highly "sour" but do carry a definitive flavour.

Viscocity

Taste & flavour

Recipe

Starting ingredients

40% Flour
40% Water
20% Starter

Feeding ingredients

40% Bread flour
40% Water
20% Starter

At the midday feed, it again gets a 1:2:2 ratio feed, this time bringing it up to the desired final quantity required for that night's bread dough. Occasional feeds of Rye (30%) are given to invigorate. A 100% rye version is also made using PJ as the base starter.

40% Bread flour 40% Water 20% Starter

Working method

At the end of the baking shift, we feed the remainder "old" starter: we add water and locally grown and organic bread flour. It is a 1:2:2 ratio feed, and is a 100% hydration starter.

40% Flour 40% Water 20% Starter