FjornF

To expand on what Chris said, some soap is good, too much soap is bad (allows to much oil to penetrate through the food making it greasy). Interestingly alot of Donut Shops do not worry about over saponification because they are continuously adding more fat the replace that which was been absorbed by their baked goodies. Joe Pastry on the subject I think there is not yet a consensus on if reusing oil is healthy. Does anyone have good information on this? From the article about soybean oil: Interesting, sounds like another compelling reason to switch back to animal fats. Ill take it.

Does anyone have knowledge (scientific or even better anecdotal) about how starters get, maintain and change their characteristics. I have encountered people who think that old starters are robust enough to maintain their microbial profile over time, and other people who think the starter eventually takes on a profile that is defined by the environment (namely the flour and location). I recently grew 3 starters, started with rye, white, and semolina flour respectively. After they were established I started feeding them all white flour. The Rye and White starters were indistinguisable, while the Semonlina starter had a distinct sourness and a somewhat weaker rise. One day I let my White starter feed in the oven. I accidentally let it get to about 110*F. I took it out and resuscitated it over the next 24 hours. However since then it has produced bread that tastes very flat (as if it were over proofed), and while it produces big holes, the crumb is very dense overall. What might have changed when it cooked? These experiences have really illuminated just how little I know about sourdough. Does anyone have experience with starters changing profile over time? Has anyone had success "breeding" starters?

Firstly, that CDC article is useless. If any food becomes contaminated the people who consume it can become sick. And listing a handful of food sickness cases that are tracked to raw dairy is pseudoscience designed to push an agenda. Also why is it in the healthy pets section? Secondly the Harper article is amazingly well written (Note: this is journalism not science). Drinking raw milk is a choice, with no clear correct answer, especially for those of us who did not have the luxury (hardship?) of growing up on a farm. However having the government make the decision is not an acceptable, socially healthy, or sustainable approach.