Sourdough starter
Learn how to make a beginner sourdough starter at home. All you need is flour, water, and a little bit of patience. Before you know it, you’ll have your very own bubbly, active starter ready to make incredible sourdough bread.
Creating sourdough from scratch is not hard to do. However, the process seems incredibly nerve-wracking, especially for beginners. However, once your starter is established, it can be used to make all kinds of sourdough bread and sourdough starter can be kept and used for years.
Steps for the initial preparation phase for sourdough starter are very simple and takes 1 week. However, don't worry it will take maximum of 2 minutes of your time per day.
Ingredients
Instructions
- To prepare the starter, 200g flour and 200g water are mixed by hand in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a glass, cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 3 days.
A sourdough starter must be prepared 1 week before baking. Ideally, the starter is only made once and can then be reused for years.
To prepare the starter, 200g flour and 200g water are mixed by hand in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a glass, cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 3 days. After approx. 2 to 3 days, bubbles form and there are sometimes intense smells from fruity to sour.
Before a sourdough starter can be used for the first time, it must be fed at least 3 times.
Day 4
Today, in order to strengthen the yeasts and bacteria that were activated during fermentation, the starter needs to be fed.
Remove the cloth from the glass, throw away half of the starter. Mix 50g of water into the starter, then stir in 50g of the flour mixture. The jar with a lid that is not so tightly closed cover and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 5
Mix 50g of water into the starter, then stir in 50g of the flour mixture. Cover the jar with an unsealed lid and leave it to stand at room temperature for another 24 hours.
Day 6
Mix 50g of water into the starter, then stir in 50g of the flour mixture. Cover the jar with an unsealed lid and leave to stand at room temperature for yet another 24 hours.
Day 7
Mix 50g of water into the starter, then stir in 50g of the flour mixture. Cover the jar with an unsealed lid and leave to stand at room temperature for yet another 24 hours.
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After the intensive feeding phase, the sourdough starter is stored in the refrigerator. The cold significantly slows down the fermentation process - but does not stop it. Therefore, the starter has to be fed only once a week. Take the jar with the starter out of the refrigerator, feed with 50g water and 50g flour, then put it back in the refrigerator. If the starter is not fed for a long time, he will eventually die and a new starter must be prepared.
For best results, before putting the sourdough starter back into the refrigerator, let it stand for 12 hours at room temperature.
Pro tip! If you ever wonder if your sourdough starter is still alive, throw a spoonful of the sourdough starter into a bowl of water. A healthy sourdough starter will first sink to bottom and after a few minute (or less) rise to the top of the water.
Congratulations, you now own your very own sourdough starter!
