Sourdough and civics - starter and water edition

While government has many problems, it’s important to remember the essential work it does.  In the
United States, clean water has been a public health miracle.  In this blog and accompanying video (link below), I provide tips on sourdough and highlights on the history of clean water.  This is the first video I have made for this blog.  I would love feedback on the format and content, as well as help boosting it.   

Most of you know I am a maker who bakes, upcycles, sews and crochets. I have also spent decades working in nonprofits and government (and this blog does not represent the views of my employer, by the way).

I have been making sourdough bread for more than a decade. My starter is that old too. I store the starter in the fridge between baking and when it turns a bit black and separates, it’s time to feed it. If I am not planning on baking with it soon, I will discard about 80% of the old starter of what is here, then add ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup whole wheat flour and ¼ cup water from the tap.

Because of efforts by government, I can safely use water from the tap. My regional water utility is St. Paul Regional Water Services.  The Board of Commissioners of the utility is comprised of St. Paul City Council members and people appointed by the St. Paul mayor and city councils of suburban communities who rely on the water services. According to SPRWS website, the utility provides about 450,000 people with 40 million gallons of clean water daily.

Safe and clean drinking water is a public health miracle.  A number of government agencies have made it possible.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, Jersey City New Jersey was the first town to disinfect its drinking water in 1908.  Many other cities followed suit leading to a dramatic decline in diseases such as typhoid and cholera. According to the CDC, in 1900, there were approximately 100 cases of typhoid fever per 100,000 in the United States.  By 2006, the incidence of typhoid fever had decreased to 0.1 cases per 100,000 people (only 353 cases) and the majority of people who acquired it, acquired it while traveling internationally.

Back to my starter now. After adding the two flours and water from the tap, I mix up the starter, put the lid on the container and put it back in the fridge. I can keep it in the fridge for a week or two before I need to feed it again.