Sourdough Beginnings
It wasn't until 2020 that I took the plunge into baking bread. Yeast had always appeared intimidating so I pushed it aside. For years I followed the popular baking blog; Sally's Baking Addiction . Every month she holds a baking challenge and I decided to join in on the fun with the start of the new year. The first challenge was baking bread, a simple no knead recipe which gave me confidence. Fast forward a few months and everything had changed; knee deep in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic we were taking refuge at home. Essential pantry goods were flying off the shelf and I was running low on flour. What’s a home baker to do? Adapt and learn!
I decided it was the perfect time to begin a sourdough starter.
I am very much a beginner when it comes to sourdough baking, but I’m having a blast and want to share what I’ve figured out so far in my journey. This post will share the process of beginning and nurturing a sourdough starter. We will discuss baking a rustic boule in a future post.
Sourdough baked goods don't rely on commercial yeast, instead they are made with a live fermented culture of just water and flour. Those two ingredients make up your starter and act as a natural leaven. (this is what allows the bread to rise). The fermentation process provides sourdough goods with its classic sharp flavor. The bread itself is chewy with a crispy crust. Another neat fact is the longer fermentation time assists in breaking down gluten so it’s digested easier. A definite win for those with wheat intolerances.
Starter is a living culture of naturally occurring wild yeasts and bacteria. Your starter must be fed on a regular basis in order to keep it active and rising. If you only bake a few times a month, keep your starter in the fridge and feed it once a week. If you plan to bake daily, store your starter at room temperature and feed it at least once a day.
At this point I’m going to break down how you begin a starter. The overall process takes about one week, but sometimes longer (like two weeks). Creating a starter isn’t difficult but it requires a little time and patience. There is a lot of info floating around on the world wide web, but I’m sharing what worked for me. I started with a few resources; The Clever Carrot and Baker Bettie blogs. I totally recommend their sites for great in depth information regarding sourdough.
Sourdough Starter Supplies:
Gather a large glass jar (I like Mason jars), bag of all purpose flour and tap water (if your water is pretty much free of chemicals) otherwise use filtered.
Most people begin their starter with whole grain flour, but in my research I read many success stories using regular all purpose flour. I happened to have a bag of Freekeh flour, which is an ancient wheat grain. I have never used it before and thought since it was made from whole grain it would be an interesting experiment.
DAY 1: MAKE STARTER
Combine 1⁄2 cup of whole wheat flour (or flour of your choice. Please note all purpose may take longer to reach an active state.) and 1⁄4 cup of warm water in a large jar. (Never use scalding hot or super cold)
Mix with a fork until smooth; the consistency will be thick and pasty. You may add a tablespoon or so more of water to thin the mixture a bit. Cover the jar with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm spot for a 24 hour period.
Day 2: Observe
Today, just observe to see if any bubbles have formed on the surface of the mixture. Bubbles indicate fermentation, which is what we are after!
If you don’t notice anything, no worries this is nothing unusual. Remember I said pack your patience with this process. You do not need to do anything else today except rest the starter in a warm spot for another 24 hours.
Day 3: Feed
To start, remove half of your starter from the jar. Use a spoon or spatula as this mixture is quite thick and sticky. (You may discard into your compost or just throw away. Once your starter is “active” I suggest saving the starter in another jar that you keep in the fridge. Discarded starter makes excellent pancakes and crackers)
Add 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of water. Mix with a fork until smooth and combined.
The texture should resemble thick pancake batter.
Day 4-6: Feed Daily
Repeat the feeding process as described above.
Remove half of the starter and discard. Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water. As the yeast begins to progress, your starter will rise, and lots of bubbles will form on the surface and throughout the mixture. It can take a few hours for the starter to rise (2-12 hours depending on various conditions like room temperature). Mine usually rises in about two.
Day 7: Active starter
At this point you should have an active starter that has doubled in size, has plenty of bubbles and smells freshly of yeast. (like the smell of bread rising and a few sour almost fruity notes.) On occasion your starter may smell like acetone; don’t worry your starter is hungry and needs a feeding.
If your starter has not done the above things don’t fret! Every starter is unique and it reacts differently, just keep repeating the feeding process. Remember I mentioned this may take up to two weeks. Have a little faith!
Tips:
Make sure you keep your starter in a clean jar, you don’t want it becoming contaminated. Also, if you notice any kind of mold immediately throw your starter away. (From what I understand this is rare, but I want you to be aware.)
Name your starter (sourdough starter is like a beloved pet since you constantly feed and tend to it). I named my starter “Jean” after my grandma.
Two storage options; if you will bake multiple times a week store your starter in a warm place and feed daily. If you only plan to bake a few times a month then store your starter in a covered container in the fridge. Feed it once a week straight from the fridge. When you are ready to bake let it come to room temperature and feed per usual.
Float test; to determine if the yeast is strong enough to rise a loaf I perform this test. Take a teaspoon of starter and add to a cup of water, if it floats you are ready to bake. If not wait a bit longer. (As previously noted, the starter should have risen double in size and be very bubbly when active.)
Why discard? To control growth (Once active you may share discard with a friend so they too can make their own bread. I recall my mom getting Friendship bread from neighbors when I was a kid.)
Hooch? The brown liquid layer that may form on your starter, just pour off or stir in. It won’t cause harm.
Can you switch flours? Yes, but it can take time for the starter mixture to adjust. I like using AP flour because it is affordable and it's the only type available locally right now.
Miss a feeding? Don’t stress, starters are resilient creatures. It may smell terrible, but with a few feedings it will be back to normal in a couple days.
Sourdough baking has been very therapeutic during this slower pace at home. My family has loved having fresh loaves for mealtimes. It’s almost magical that you can make something from nothing. I hope this guide makes the process simple if you choose to begin a starter.
