Ben Starr

The Ultimate Food Geek

  • Welcome to The Ultimate Food Geek

    Welcome to The Ultimate Food Geek

    I’m Ben Starr, and whether you discovered me by watching YouTube, MasterChef, HGTV, or The Rachael Ray Show, or if you’ve been a follower of my previous website, benstarr.com, across much of its 20 year existence, you are very welcome here. This site is currently focused on Simple Sourdough recipes, as that’s what’s hot on…

  • Simple Sourdough with Whole Grain Flour

    (The “Print” feature is at the bottom of the recipe.) Whole grain flour is actually TERRIBLE for baking bread, for several reasons: -15-18% of the flour is made up of bran and germ, which have NO gluten potential. -Bran is sharp and destroys the gluten network of our bread as the bread rises, leading to…

  • Simple Sourdough with Freshly Milled Flour

    (The “Print” feature is at the bottom of the recipe.) Freshly milled flour is actually TERRIBLE for baking bread, for several reasons: -15-18% of the flour is made up of bran and germ, which have NO gluten potential. -Bran is sharp and destroys the gluten network of our bread as the bread rises, leading to…

  • The Best Waffles on Planet Earth (with sourdough option)

    Printable link at BOTTOM of recipe! TOYS IN THIS VIDEO: All Clad Belgian Waffle Maker (The very best, heaviest Belgian waffle maker on the market…STILL.) (“SMART” Version) My favorite kitchen scale (restaurant grade, takes AAA batteries or plugs in) Danish Bread Whisk (“Brotpisker,” incorporates batters more delicately than a whisk) Non-contact Infrared Thermometer (Allows precise…