Making a sourdough starter is not as hard as you may think. Yes, it does take some time, but with this simplified version, even beginners will be making their own sourdough goodies soon enough.
Sourdough Starter
Sourdough starter is a simple mixture of flour and water which acts as a natural leavening agent. The wild yeast that is present in all flour is cultivated in a way that you are able to bake with it.
Before Starting
Before starting your sourdough, read through all the entire process. You will see that though it is a lengthy process, with a little patience and focus, you will have an ‘active’ sourdough starter before you know it.
Quick Reference
Here is a quick reference on what I do.
Day 0 – Mix 125g of flour with 125g of filtered water. This needs to stand for 48 hours.
Day 2 – First Feeding – Remove the sourdough starter, keeping only 125g. Mix 125g of flour with 125g of filtered water and 125g sourdough starter. This will need to stand for 24 hours.
Day 3 – Second Feeding – Remove the sourdough starter, keeping only 125g. Mix 125g of flour with 125g of filtered water and 125g sourdough starter. This will need to stand for 24 hours.
Day 4 – Third Feeding – Remove the sourdough starter, keeping only 125g. Mix 125g of flour with 125g of filtered water and 125g sourdough starter. This should double in size in anywhere from 8 to 24 hours.
Day 5 – If it hasn’t doubled in size, feed (the same as day 2) every 12 hours or until double in size in 8 hours of less. When this has happened, you will have an ‘active’ starter. This starter can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge, depending on how often you will be using it.
Building your Sourdough Starter
When starting to establish your sourdough starter, it is important to follow the process diligently. Once your starter is mature, you will have more flexibility as it will be more resilient to changes, like missing a feeding or the quantities being slightly out.
Day 0
To make your sourdough starter, I use a large 1000ml glass jar with straight sides and its lid. This way it is easier to keep an eye on the starter to make sure that it is doing all that it needs to do and is being fed when needed.
You will also need:
- 125g organic flour
- 125g of bottled or filtered water at room temperature
- scales
- spoon to mix
- bowl to mix flour and water in
- pen and paper
- rubber band
First, clean and dry the glass jar that you will be storing your sourdough starter in. Weigh the empty jar and write this weight down on your paper along with the date and time that you are starting your starter.
Mix the flour and water in the bowl, then transfer to your glass jar. Add the lid and place the rubber band around the outside of the jar at the level where the sourdough starter is.
Set aside in a warm draught-free place for 48 hours.
After 12 hours, there will not be much change in your mixture, except for possibly a few bubbles that may be starting to form. By the end of the 48 hours, the starter may have risen slightly. There may also be a dark skin and more bubbles on the surface, and even a few that can be seen through the side of the jar. If you see these signs proceed to the first feeding.
If you don’t see these signs, set aside for another 24 hours. If it is still showing none of these signs after this, proceed to first feeding.
Day 2 – First Feeding after 48 hours
To complete the first feeding, you will need:
- 125g unbleached plain flour
- 125g bottled or filtered water
- scales
- spoon to mix
- bowl to mix flour and water in
- spatula
To complete the first feeding, you will need to:
- Remove and discard all but 125g of the sourdough starter from the jar. (Add 125g to the weight of the empty jar and use this)
- Mix 125g unbleached plain flour and 125g bottled or filtered water together in the bowl. Transfer to the jar and mix into the 125g of sourdough starter.
- Use the clean spatula to scrape down the sides of the jar. I recommend to do this after every feed as it will make it easier to see how much the dough is rising.
- Seal the jar and set aside into a warm, draught-free place for 24 hours.
After this feed and rise, the starter should have risen slightly and contain random bubbles on the surface as well as ones that can be seen through the sides of the jar. This is what you want to see as it indicates that the wild yeast is active and starting to multiply.
Day 3 – Second Feeding after 24 hours
To complete the second feeding, you will need:
- 125g unbleached plain flour
- 125g bottled or filtered water
- scales
- spoon to mix
- bowl to mix flour and water in
- spatula
To complete the second feeding, you will need to:
- Remove and discard all but 125g of the sourdough starter from the jar. (Add 125g to the weight of the empty jar and use this)
- Mix 125g unbleached plain flour and 125g bottled or filtered water together in the bowl. Transfer to the jar and mix into the 125g of sourdough starter.
- Use the clean spatula to scrape down the sides of the jar. I recommend to do this after every feed as it will make it easier to see how much the dough is rising.
- Seal the jar and set aside into a warm, draught-free place for 24 hours.
After this feed and rise there will be more bubbles visible, though they will be smaller and more uniform. The aroma will be less pungent, and a little sweeter.
Day 4 – Third Feeding after 24 hours
To complete the third feeding, you will need:
- 125g unbleached plain flour
- 125g bottled or filtered water
- scales
- spoon to mix
- bowl to mix flour and water in
- spatula
To complete the third feeding, you will need to:
- Remove and discard all but 125g of the sourdough starter from the jar. (Add 125g to the weight of the empty jar and use this)
- Mix 125g unbleached plain flour and 125g bottled or filtered water together in the bowl. Transfer to the jar and mix into the 125g of sourdough starter.
- Use the clean spatula to scrape down the sides of the jar. I recommend to do this after every feed as it will make it easier to see how much the dough is rising.
- Seal the jar and set aside into a warm, draught-free place until doubled in size. This will take anywhere from 8 to 24 hours.
After this feed and rise, the starter may rise up to 100% in less than the 24 hours. Bubbles will be evident on the surface as well as through the sides of the jar. The aroma will be tangy, though sweet.
Day 5
If your starter has not doubled in the 24 hours (or less) than continue with the discarding and feeding process – discard, then mix 125g sourdough starter, 125g unbleached plain flour and 125g filtered or bottled water – every 12 hours until your starter is strong, doubling in size in 8 hours or less.
When it does double in size, then it is ‘active’ and ready to use or store in the fridge to be used at a later date.
If your starter dough doubles in size in less than 24 hours, you may notice that is starts to lose volume, falling back on itself. This indicates that it needs a feed.
To make sure your starter is strong enough to use in baking, you will need to feed it regularly.
Important Notes
- It is best to start your sourdough starter with organic wholemeal flour and then switch to unbleached organic plain flour for reeding until your starter is established. Then you can switch to plain or bread flour for your feedings, occasionally adding a feed in with wholemeal flour.
- It is also better to use bottled or filtered water as this gives your starter the best possible chance for success.
- Keeping your starter in a one litre glass jar with straight sides and a bigger mouth makes things a lot easier. Weigh the glass jar before you start and keep that written down somewhere so that you can refer to it when needed. This comes in handy when removing your discard at feeding time.
- The ideal temperature for proving is between 21˚C and 23.5˚C (or 70˚F and 74˚F). Putting the starter in a warmer temperature will increase your chance of things going wrong, as the heat can encourage more ‘bad’ bacteria to grow.
- I use a rubber band around my jar to mark the side of the jar after each feeding so that I can keep an eye on how much the starter grows.
- To increase the amount of starter you have, at the next feed, don’t discard any, just add your feed.
- If your starter has been left without a feed for some time, a liquid can form on top of it. This often appears when you starter is hungry and needs to be fed. If there is only a small amount of liquid, you can stir it back in and feed your starter. You may prefer to discard this, as it will give a more intense flavour to your sourdough. If there is a thick layer of liquid, then it is best to discard before feeding.
- To make a rye sourdough starter, use 100g rye flour with the 125g water and feed with unbleached organic plain flour.
- To make a white sourdough starter, use 125g unbleached plain flour and feed with unbleached organic plain flour.
Feeding Your Established Sourdough Starter
Once you have a strong and healthy sourdough starter that doubles within a least 8 hours when at room temperature, you will need to regularly feed it to keep it active and maintain its strength. If you don’t, the natural yeast will run out of food and eventually die.
To feed your starter, you will need to discard all but 125g of the sourdough starter from the jar. Mix 125g flour and 125g water together and then add to your jar. Seal the lid and store at room temperature or in the fridge.
Storing Your Starter
If you are not intending to use your starter every day, then it is best to keep it in the fridge. When doing this, feed your starter, let it stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours for the yeast to do its thing, then place in the fridge. Once in the fridge, it will only need to be fed every once a week to maintain it.
If leaving out at room temperature, it will need to be fed daily, at the same time if at all possible.
You can also freeze your starter. This is great for those times that you need to store it for a long period without feeding. Just double the amount of flour added at feeding time, which makes it into a very thick paste, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to one year. To use again, just thaw at room temperature and feed as above to help it regain its strength.
Using your Sourdough Starter
When you want to use your sourdough starter in a recipe such as sourdough bread, then feed it about 4 – 8 hours before intending to use it, letting it stand at room temperature, allowing it to double in volume, with bubbles appearing, breaking the surface. This indicates that the starter is strong and active and ready for use. Remove what you need, feed and then store until next time.
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