Here is a guide on how to make sourdough starter for all of your baking needs.
The process is straightforward and repetitive, but it takes a long time.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Sourdough Starter is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.
Sourdough Starters harvest wild yeast from the flour and water and the air around you.
And because its a living thing, it will have its own distinctive needs.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Dont let this scare you off though.
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make a Sourdough Starter?
You probably already have everything it’s crucial that you create a sourdough starter in your kitchen.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
You really just need flour and water, but quality counts and can change how your starter reacts.
Youll want to give your culture a great foundation.
Whats good for the earth is also good for your starter.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
When you’re able to, buy local to support the farmers and producers in your area.
However, your starter may look and react differently than one that is made with white flour.
Rye flour and whole flour are packed with nutrients and can make very vigorous starters.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
In fact, many bakers add a little bit of rye flour to their starter whenever it becomes weak.
Can You Feed Your Starter Different Flours?
You wont need to make adjustments to the amount of water you add to your starter.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
What Tools Do I Need to Make a Sourdough Starter?
The containeryou choose for your starter is really up to you.
I prefer to use a 16 ounce, mason jar with a wide mouth.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Volume measurements can be very inaccurate.
For example, depending on how you pack your cup you could potentially double the flour in a recipe.
For the best, most consistent results, its best to weigh your ingredients.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Find a scale that fits your needs in our guide to the best kitchen scales.
How Do I Feed My Sourdough Starter?
How Frequently Should You Feed Sourdough Starter?
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
How often you feed your starter will be entirely up to you.
But in most cases, feeding your starter once a day is enough.
You dont have to be incredibly strict with your feeding schedule.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Just remember to feed your starter at least once a day at around the same time.
For example, every morning as soon as you wake up or right before you go to bed.
Once established, youll find that starters really are unfussy and quite low maintenance.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
When Can I Use My Starter?
Your starter should reach maturity after about two weeks and typically 4 to 6 hours after being fed.
Here are some tips for checking the maturity and knowing when your starter is ready for baking.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
A word of caution though, the float test can be unreliable and is prone to user error.
My mature two year old starter regularly fails the float test.
Troubleshooting Starter
Unless you accidentally cook your starter, or it grows mold its not dead.
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Sluggish Starter:Your starter may take longer than two weeks to be ready.
Cold temperatures make yeast sluggish, which can slow down the development of your sourdough starter.
If this happens, try keeping your starter in a warmer spot in your kitchen.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
If your starter does grow mold, throw it away and start over.
How Should I Store My Starter?
Weekly Baker:If you bake often keep your starter at room temperature and feed it every day.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Monthly Baker:If you only bake a few loaves each month, store your starter in the refrigerator.
Cold temperatures can make yeast sluggish and slow down fermentation.
If this isnt possible, feed it immediately when you return.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Remember, if your starter has not become moldy its alive and viable.
How Do I Use My Starter to Bake Bread?
What is Sourdough Discard?
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Remember, your starter is a living thing, it feeds, and it reproduces.
As these microbes multiply they will continue to need sustenance in the form of water and flour.
While this practice may seem wasteful, you dont necessarily need to throw your discard in the garbage.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Its a great ingredient that can be used to make pancakes, cakes, cookies and even pasta!
How to Store Sourdough Discard
Store sourdough discard in a separate container in the refrigerator.
It should keep well without feeding for at least 6 months.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
It takes two weeks of caring for the sourdough starter before it’s ready for use.
Stir until you no longer see any dry streaks of flour.
Cover the jar with a lid and set it in a warm place undisturbed.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Your sourdough starter should begin to show signs of activity.
Stir your starter, cover it loosely and set it aside.
You may notice a small layer of liquid has formed on the surface of your sourdough starter.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
This is hooch and is an indication that your starter has exhausted its food source.
Youll need to feed your starter for the first time.
Stir until no dry streaks of flour remain and the starter is incorporated.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Dont let this fool you, this burst in activity does not mean your starter is ready.
Place your fed starter back into the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.
During this time, it will appear watery and flat.
Simply Recipes / Hannah Dela Cruz
Youll see few if any bubbles on the surface or throughout the starter.
Dont lose hope, continue feeding your starter and it will soon show signs of life.
Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.
Days after appearing lifeless, your starter should finally begin to show signs of life.
Tiny bubbles evenly distributed throughout my starter may begin to appear and it should begin to thicken.
It may also start smelling like beer.
Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.
Another huge burst of activity, large translucent bubbles could appear on the surface of your starter.
This is a sign that it has exhausted all its food and is more active than ever.
Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.
Do this once in the morning and again at night.
you might start storing any discard in the refrigerator to use for sourdough discard bakes.
This is a good indication that its time to test the readiness of your starter.
Mark the level of your starter with a rubber band or dry erase marker.
Combine 15 grams of starter, 30 grams of water, and 30 grams of flour.
Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.
Do this 3 times each day, once in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
Once it has doubled or tripled in volume its ready to be mixed into your dough!
