The Starter Stirrers!
San
Francisco Sourdough Starter is viscous and
sticky and it's sometimes tricky to mix--which we do often while
activating and getting ready to bake. I was fussing about this
the other day and my husband Walt, who's a woodworker, took one of
my wooden
spoons and drilled a couple of big holes in it.
He brought it to me and said, "Try this!" I did, and it turned out that it's not just perfectly wonderful for mixing and blending sticky starter, it's great at mixing lots of other stuff that needs really good blending, not just a casual stir--like puddings, cake and brownie mixes...you get the idea.
I also discovered that it's great for stirring and mixing other liquids that are thin, like soup and broth. Because of the holes, liquids don't splash. Guess it's kind of a cross between a whisk and a spoon. Naturally I sent him right back to his workshop to make more of these gadgets (Alton would approve because they definitely multi-task!) and here they are!
You've probably not seen a stirrer like this one and you're gonna love it. $15.99 with free shipping in the USA is a real deal for a handmade tool that is not only efficient, but unique and beautiful too. Walt makes these mostly of rock-hard Maple and sometimes other very hard woods, like Cocobolo or Bubinga.
A Note on Care: The wood of your Starter Stirrer is finished with food-grade mineral oil, just like you use to oil your wooden cutting boards. Please don't put your stirrer in the dishwasher. Like all natural wood, soaking in water will raise the grain. If that happens, just give it a gentle sanding with some 180+ grit sandpaper and it will smooth down nicely. This goes for every wooden utensil in your kitchen. And using mineral oil (sold in the drug department--it's edible!!) makes sure that the oil on your wooden tools won't go rancid like all vegetable oils will.