Culinary Notes
The White Borscht Standard: In the hierarchy of soups, Żurek uses rye, but Biały Barszcz uses wheat. The wheat starter allows the flavours of the white sausage and smoked meats to remain the "star," providing a refreshing acidic backdrop rather than a competing earthy flavour.
Thickening Power: Like the rye version, this starter contains raw flour solids. When added to a hot soup, these starches gelatinise, giving the liquid a silky, opaque body. Always stir well before adding to ensure you get the starch from the bottom of the bottle.
Bread Baking: While we use it here as a soup base, this is effectively a liquid "Levain" or Sourdough Starter. You can use it to bake naturally leavened white bread, though for soup, it is usually fermented to a higher acidity than you would want for a baguette.
Storage: Because it is a "living" fermentation, it will continue to produce gas in the fridge. If you are keeping a jar of it, ensure it is not airtight or "burp" it occasionally to prevent pressure build-up.
