A Sourdough Super Star(ter) is Born
How to Get Your Starter Right the First Time
What the Heck is Sourdough and Sourdough Starter Anyways?
If you don’t know sourdough, it’s a naturally leavened bread using a starter.
Sourdough starter (the original baking yeast) replaces the use of commercially produced yeast to get bread rising. Starter is made by mixing unbleached wheat flour with filtered or spring water to start, then gradually adding more unbleached all-purpose flour and water daily, while discarding a portion of the fermented starter from the day prior. Before you know it (in 7–10 days), the starter is brewing with wild yeast, good bacteria and ready to make your bread rise!
Now, Let’s Make Sourdough Starter!
Here’s a quickie on how to make your very own starter. I suggest giving your starter a cool name, makes for better tasting bread — just sayin’.
Day One
Start with 1 c UNBLEACHED WHEAT flour
½ c spring or filtered water
Stir until mixed well and cover lightly (letting air in while keeping debris out)
Let it sit on at room temperature for 48 hours (Day One and Day Two)
Day Three (72 hours on out) to Day Seven-to-Ten
Stir to deflate and get accurate measure of starter
Discard approximately half of the batch from the day before
Feed it — 1 c UNBLEACHED ALL-PURPOSE flour
½ c spring or filtered water
Repeat this process for 7–10 days
Your starter should be big and bubbly (bloomed) within a few hours after feeding on Day 7+ and ready to use.
When using, lightly stir for the most accurate measure of sourdough starter in your favorite recipes!
Do You Plan to Use Your Sourdough Starter (Almost) Daily?
If you plan to bake almost daily, leaving your starter on the counter at room temperature with a daily feed and use schedule works well. Simply continue with the stir, discard, feed and let it sit at room temperature until it doubles in size, lightly stir for a more accurate measurement and use.
Or Are You an Occasional User?
If you plan to use your starter only on Sundays as an example (or once per week), plant to keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. When you are ready to use it, take it out of the refrigerator the day before, allow it to sit at room temperature for approximately for at least 1–2 hours. Feed it and let it sit for approximately 4–6 hours or until it has bloomed. The next day, stir, discard half and feed it. Let it sit until bloomed. Lightly stir and measure out what’s needed for your banging sourdough recipe. Feed the starter again and let it sit for approximately 4–6 hours or until it doubles in size “it’s eating” and then falls or deflates “it’s hungry”.
Once your starter deflates and is stored in an airtight container, place it back in the refrigerator.
Refrigerated starters should be fed weekly at a minimum. Though I’ve gone as far as two weeks out and my starter was still perfect :-).
Homeschooling and Need a STEM lesson?
Creating sourdough starter and making bread is a great idea for homeschool families!
Takeaways To Making Your Starter Great
~Use spring, filtered or well water for best results
~Cover loosely to let air in, but keep debris out while on the countertop
~Stir before removing discard to get an accurate measurement of half the total amount.
~Before us, stir lightly to get an accurate measurement for recipe success.
~Avoid adding too much water. Your starter dough consistency should be slightly thicker than thick pancake mix.
~A few missed “feedings” won’t ruin your starter. I know from experience.
~Always have two sourdough starters brewing in the kitchen in case one jar breaks. Trust me on this one! I know this too, from experience.
My hope is that you uncover and discover a love for sourdough starter and its bubbly beginnings — no matter how you bake it.
Happy Homesteading!
