Hello, my name is Hermann, I am a sourdough cake starter, I am supposed to sit on your bench-top for 10 days without a lid, but covered with a clean tea towel.

You can’t put me in the fridge or I will die, if I stop bubbling I am dead.

Day 1: Put Hermann in a large mixing bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel or salad covering.

Day 2: Stir Well

Day 3: Stir Well

Day 4: Hermann is hungry, so add 1 cup each of Plain Flour, Sugar and Milk. Stir well.

Day 5: Stir Well

Day 6: Stir Well

Day 7: Stir Well

Day 8: Stir Well

Day 9: Herman is hungry again. So feed him 1 cup each of Plain Flour, Sugar and Milk. Stir well.

Divide him into 4 equal portions and give 3 baby Hermann’s to your friends with a copy of these instructions. Keep the 4th Hermann to bake tomorrow.

Day 10: Hermann needs a holiday. He likes to go to a hot resort. The oven is his favourite place.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C, and generously grease a large cake tin.

Add the following ingredients:

1 cup Sugar

2 cups Self Raising Flour

2/3 teaspoon Salt

2/3 cup Cooking Oil

2 Eggs

2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence

2 Apples or Pears, cut into chunks

1 cup Dried Fruit

2 heaped teaspoons Cinnamon

Mix well and put into cake tin. Sprinkle with a ¼ cup Brown Sugar and ¼ cup melted Butter and cook for 45 minutes.

 

Want to Make your Own and Start the Line?

What You’ll Need:

50oz Plain Flour

8oz Castor Sugar

1 packet of Active Dry Yeast

Half a Pint of Warm Milk

2 fl oz Warm Water

What You Do:

  1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water for 10 minutes then stir.
  2. Add the flour and sugar then mix thoroughly.
  3. Slowly stir in the warm milk.
  4. Cover the bowl in a clean cloth.
  5. Leave in a cool dry place for 24 hours.
  6. Now proceed from day one of the 10 day cycle.