If you visit Carl Griffith 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough website, you can order, free of charge, (although they welcome contributions) some of the dried sourdough starter. It is extremely easy to get going, and what they send is more than enough for at least 3 "starts" if you have bad luck and kill your sourdough (don't ask me how I know... )
You can download a brochure there that explains what to do and how to use the starter. I've had mine for quite a while now - I can't remember how long. Most of that time, it has lived in my refrigerator, and I've gotten it out and fed it once a week or so, occasionally washing out the container.
For the last few weeks, it has been living out on the counter. I keep it in a little glass bowl, covered with a saucer and some plastic wrap. The plastic wrap is to keep fruit flies out. I feed it twice a day now. I just take a small handful of whole wheat flour, add a little warm water and stir it up with a fork.
I used to use the formula of 1 part water and 1 part flour, but now I don't measure, and I keep it a little more thick than how I would want pancake batter to be. That way, if I want to make pancakes for me and my husband, here is what I do:
Scoop out 1 cup of starter.
Stir into it 1 egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sweetener and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
In the mean time, I'm heating my griddle and then I can just go ahead and bake the pancakes.
It is so quick and easy and convenient! I serve them with butter and real maple syrup. Yum.
If I need to go away for a few days, Carl just takes a rest in the refrigerator. :)
It's funny that you named it!
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