sourdough starter

Making your very own sourdough starter is very easy. It requires very simple ingredients, no special tools, and a little bit of time. Sourdough starter is made from flour and water. Yes, you read it right. It requires two ingredients only.

Sourdough is basically a process of fermenting flour mixed with water using natural wild yeast (that is in the air around us).

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Sourdough History

Sourdough Preparation is actually an ancient method. Instant baking yeast is a very new edition to baking and before that, Sourdough was used to make bread. It is noted that the first mention of sourdough bread dates from 3700 BCE in Switzerland.

Sourdough has gain a recent attraction during this pandemic when yeast was out of stock in the majority of stores.

What is sourdough starter?

Starter is a wild yeast created by fermenting flour and water. This, later can be used to bake bread instead of instant yeast to rise the dough and bake the breads.

What is feeding?

Feeding your starter means adding flour and water into the existing starter to keep it alive. Wild yeast needs feeding periodically so it is important to add fresh flour and water

How to frequently you can feed sourdough starter?

There is no specific rule about how frequently you must feed your starter. However, At initial, you MUST feed your starter every 12 or 24 hours to keep it alive. When you see little bubbles in your starter, It indicates that yeast has developed and now it is the time to add feeding in your starter to keep it alive.

When you notice the starter has significant amount of bubbles, has sour but pleasant fragrance and has risen, Your starter is ready to use. After that, you can store this starter in a refrigerator and can feed every 3 to 4 days.

Do you really have to discard it?

Starter discard is nothing but a weak part of a starter that is removed at the initial stage. These are the immature particles that will make your bread dense and do not rise. The more content of immature starter, the more dense your bread will be. Ideally, you need to discard your starter for the first 3 days(that’s what I did).

However, this does not mean that you can’t use the discarded starter. You can use sourdough discard in many recipes. One thing you should always keep in mind, to strengthen your starter, you must feed it with flour and water.

How to store sourdough starter?

Once your starter is ready, You can store it in a refrigerator. However, It is again important to feed your starter after 3 days once it is refrigerated otherwise your starter will die and you have to start the process again.

Is it possible to overfeed sourdough starter?

Sometimes, It happens. If you notice that bubbles are decreasing, you probably over feed it. Meaning that, You added too much flour and water into the starter so that your starter diluted. If this happens, do not worry. Keep your starter as it is, do not add anything for a day or two. Discard some parts and feed it. You will see the improvements.

My sourdough starter is not bubbly? what went wrong?

Sourdough starter requires time to get matured. If you don’t notice the bubbles on the very next day or even in 2 days, just continue the process and believe in the process. It will develop soon.

Weather plays an important role in developing your sourdough starter. If you are living in a colder area then it may sometimes takes time. If you are living in a warmer country such as India, It takes less time for starter to develop wild yeast.

I can not see a rise in my starter even after 5 days, what to do now?

As I have said earlier, It happens sometimes depending on the weather. If your starter smells weird by now or if you notice molds, then just throw your starter in a garbage bin and start again. If everything is good, just trust the process.

What should sourdough starter smell like?

A good, healthy starter should smell soury, vinegary but pleasant. If it smells weird, unpleasant throw it away.

What type of flour can be used to make a sourdough starter?

Rye flour, bread flour, unbleached all purpose flour and whole wheat flour works great. I have made this starter initially with all-purpose flour and feed it with whole wheat flour.

Ingredients

Flour – unbleached allpurpose flour or rye flour or whole wheat flour can be used to make sour dough starter.

Water – to provide enough hydration in the starter.

How to make sourdough starter from scratch?

DAY- 1 Take half cup of flour and water. Measure your ingredients as this is the important step.

Transfer it in a jar and mix it well. Make sure there are no lumps. cover with a loose lid and keep it in a warm place at room temperature.

DAY- 2 can you see the bubbles? Check if is there any bubbles on the top or on the side. Bubbles are the sign of fermentation. Fermentation is exactly what we need here. If you notice the bubbles, this is a good sign.

Discard the half of the starter and add whole wheat flour and water. Mix it up and keep it in a warm place.

If you notice any brown liquid on the surface, don’t worry. This indicates that your starter needs feeding.

DAY 3 and SO ON – keep discarding and feeding the starter for next 5 to 6 days.

As the yeast begins to develop, your starter will rise, and bubbles will form on the surface and throughout the culture. You will notice a significant difference from the 4th day onwards.

When the starter falls, it’s time to feed it again.

When your starter is ready to use?

You will notice these signs when your starter is ready.

• bulk growth – about double in size.
• small and large bubbles on the surface and throughout the culture.
• spongy or fluffy texture.
• pleasant fragrance.