Sourdough Simpleton Lexicon: Starter

This edition of the Sourdough Simpleton Lexicon looks at just what a "sourdough starter" is. Producing and maintaining your own starter is the subject of the first episode of the Sourdough Simpleton: "Starting a Sourdough Starter."
This is one of the terms included in the Glossary of Sourdough Terms, a lexicon of words often baffling to the newcomer to sourdough baking. To see the entire list posted to date, look at the playlist posted at bit.ly/SourdoughLexicon.
The Sourdough Simpleton is designed for the newcomer to the world of Sourdough baking. I am a novice, myself, and am writing this from a perspective that I found hard to find as I navigated the straits of sourdough, encountering terms and techniques along the way that defied a simple explanation. The videos on KZbin are supported by a website, www.sourdoughsimpleton.com, and a Facebook Group, bit.ly/FBSourdough.