You have never tasted a summer beverage as cool as this one. It is distinctive in that it combines the flavors of fresh garden cucumbers, the vibrant acidity of fresh lemons, and the fizz of a lemon-lime soda to make a wonderful, thirst-quenching southern summer ade. Perfect for kicking back on a nice summer night on your front porch swing.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 6 days 22 hrs 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 6 days 22 hrs 40 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 4 cups |
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 cup white sugar, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 cups milk, divided
Instructions
- In a large glass or plastic container, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir in the flour and sugar, mix until smooth. (DO NOT USE A METAL SPOON)! Cover loosely and store in a warm place overnight.
- The next day, stir and refrigerate.
- Stir once each day for the next four days. On the fifth day, stir, then divide in half. Give half away with feeding instructions.
- Feed starter with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Stir until smooth. Cover and place in refrigerator. Stir once each day for next four days.
- On the tenth day feed again with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Return to refrigerator and stir once each day for the next four days.
- On the fifteenth day it is ready to be used for baking. Reserve one cup of the starter in the refrigerator and continue to follow the stir and feed cycle (Stir once a day for four days, stir and feed on the fifth day, ready for use on the tenth day.)
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 382 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 82 g |
| Cholesterol | 5 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 29 mg |
| Sugars | 34 g |
| Fat | 2 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I have made this starter dozens of times over the last ten years. But I soon realized I did NOT want to keep it alive and in the fridge for months or years at a time. For many years I have made and used once or twice a year, but sped up the process by keeping it on the counter. Everything I make with this starter tastes just as good with some of the starter being only 7-8 days old (just growing on the counter) as it does using the refrigerator method for 15-100+ days. I just use it up over the course of 3-4 weeks and don’t have to babysit it long term. Pancakes, banana bread/cake and coffee cake are my favorites. Cheers!
My Mom gave me a batch of this starter way back when I was first married (and we won’t talk about how long ago that was). I’m going to mix up a batch today. Just wish I didn’t have to wait so long to start baking with it. The recipes I had were soooooooooooo good.
While this was easy enough to do the amount of waste involved each day when you discard starter and “feed” the rest is a bit unnerving. While it was fun to make I don’t think I’d do it again. If you are going to bake sourdough bread weekly, it’s probably great but not for the once in awhile bread baker.
I really loved the sweet breads/rolls that I made with this starter.
GREAT BREAD STARTER!! Took me back to my original LOVE for sour dough! THANK YOU SO MUCH for this recipe!! Been looking for this 30+years!! We originally were given the starter by a little old lady… We didn’t have the recipe to make the starter. This Herman Sourdough Starter is easy to adapt to almost anything!! I have used it as a base to make various breads, pancakes, muffins, even pretzels! I just find recipes I think would be good with sourdough as the base, and I adapt the ingredients to include this as part (usually, I just adjust whatever is wet in the recipe, maybe reduce the water or milk used, and replace half of what it calls for with that much starter). I have had much success!! Getting ready to make the starter again now. Don’t be afraid to get creative!! 🙂
I have made this on and off for over 15 years. I will tell you yes you can make pancakes, bread or whatever in 5 days, you do not get depth of flavor if you wait! The longer you feed it the better the flavor gets!! Some reviewers are not very pleased with their results. There are many ways that can be the cause of it. Some of the most common are the flour your using, metal spoons, the strains of wild yeast in your area and your water are a few to name a few.
Followed to the t and it died. Thinking it needs a longer ferment time before it goes in the fridge. I have other starters in the fridge but they are old.
Can you use buttermilk instead of regular milk?
Love it!
This is a very cool recipe! I am at day nine and hope to bake bread this weekend ! This Starter is the same as I used 35 years ago! I have made the started for Chef John’s San Francisco bread and it is not very tasty yet! I will keep trying both for a while ! Thank you! Hope to have a good bread recipe in the next six days! Thanks!
This sourdough starter makes the BEST sourdough. I just made sourdough bread for the first time and I really, really love it. I hope to keep this thing alive for generations. It reminds me of baking with my grandfather.
Our Herman is about 2 months old now and he is a keeper.Herman like coffee is a smell that I can not get enough of. If you need culture [pardon the pun]in your life Herman is the healthy way to go. Herman pancakes and the San Fran sour dough bread on this site are our 2 favorites of all in their class type and the rolls are OK but not as good as french baguettes. Cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, sticky buns, and all that other healthy stuff is a must try in the near future.
Yep, this one is a keeper
I double the recipe in the bread machine and then last rise and bake in two loaf pans. I use molasses, instead of honey. Add vital wheat gluten. Egg the top and sprinkle some raw oatmeal on top and it is a show stopper both taste and looks.
Yuk.
Good sourdough starter! Basic and still very tasty.
tried it a couple of times and like it a lot! the starter gives my bread pleasant smell and my pancake interesting texture. but since i don’t have much time to bake, I discard the previous starter for several time…just learned that i don’t need to follow the instruction strictly.. wish i know this earlier…
my starter is now 3months old and gives me great breads! love it! when doing research i learned that this starter is VERY forgiving….you dont have to stir and feed as often as it says…only in the begining. other than that…i feed when i need more and stir when i think about it.
I’m starting a Herman right now! I agree with one of the previous commenters; there is NO NEED to wait all that time to start using Herman. After the 5th day, he is ready to go. Just use your discarded starter to start baking! Giving this recipe 4 stars just based on that one discrepancy.
This is an amazing sweet Starter. I keep mine in the fridge in a plastic container I got online from King Arthur Flour and I feed it and use it every week. It’s wonderful! So far I’ve made Pancakes and Cinnamon Rolls with it and they’ve come out great!
i ues this for amish friendship bread!great!!!