Making your own sourdough starter is a fun and rewarding process! It’s a simple mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and bacteria from the environment. These are essential for the fermentation that makes sourdough bread rise and develop its unique flavor.
Step by Step:
What You Need
Flour: It’s best to use whole grain flour (like whole wheat or rye) to start because they contain more nutrients, which help kickstart the fermentation process. After that, you can switch to all-purpose flour if you prefer.
Water: Use filtered or dechlorinated water to ensure no chemicals interfere with the fermentation.
A Jar or Container: A glass jar or container with a loose-fitting lid or cloth to cover it. You’ll need something to let air flow in but not let contaminants in.
The Process
Day 1 - Mix the Flour and Water
In a clean jar or container, mix 50g of whole grain flour with 50g of water. Stir it well until there are no dry spots of flour. The mixture should be thick, but if it’s too dry, add a tiny bit more water.
Cover the jar with a cloth or loose-fitting lid. The goal is to let the mixture breathe and attract wild yeast from the air. Let the jar sit at room temperature (ideally around 22°C) for 24 hours.
Day 2 - Look for Early Signs of Activity
By now, you may notice some small bubbles or a slight tangy smell. If you don’t see anything yet, don’t worry—it’s just starting. Give it a good stir to mix it up, and then let it sit for another 24 hours.
Day 3 - Begin Feeding
At this point, you should see some bubbles, and the starter may have a slightly sour smell. If you see no bubbles yet, it may take a little more time.
Discard half of the starter (about 50g) and then add 50g of flour and 50g of water. Stir well. This process is called "feeding" the starter, and it helps to keep the yeast growing while preventing it from becoming too large and unmanageable.
Let it sit again for 24 hours.
Day 4-7 - Continue to Feed Daily
Continue the process of discarding half and feeding with 50g of flour and 50g of water each day.
Look for Bubbles: As the days go on, you should notice more bubbles and a stronger sour smell. The starter will double in size within 4 to 6 hours of each feeding.
After a few days, you can switch to all-purpose flour if you prefer a milder starter, although using whole grain flour for a few days helps jump-start the fermentation.
Day 7 - Ready to Use!
By Day 7 (or sooner, depending on the temperature and environment), your starter should be bubbly, rising and falling consistently, and have a pleasant sour smell. It should be doubled in size after each feeding.
Tips for Maintaining Your Starter
If you plan to bake often, you can keep your starter at room temperature and continue feeding it daily. If you’re not baking regularly, you can store it in the fridge and only feed it once a week.
If it’s been in the fridge, take your starter out and feed it a couple of times before using it for baking. This wakes it up and ensures it’s strong enough to rise your dough.
Patience and good luck. If you need your sourdough bread and your starter is not ready, just
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