Apr 12, 20213 min read

Let's Starter

Today, we'll be talking about SOURDOUGH STARTER!!!

What is it?
How do you make it?
How do you keep it alive?
How do you use it?

What is Sourdough Starter: Flour & Water

It's that simple. After that, it's all about adding a little bit of time and a little bit of love!

People use many other names for a sourdough starter such as "wild yeast", "leaven", "mother" that basically mean the same thing. The only difference is that term leaven is used to describe the intermediate step between your starter and your bread dough.

Speaking of names, people also like to give their starters a name like "Dr. Dough-little","Shannon Dougherty" or "Bread Pitt" just to name a few. I highly recommend this strategy as it makes it easy to form a bond between you and your starter. Once that bond is formed, it's up to you to maintain and strengthen that bond in order for you two to have a long lasting relationship. This is where the love comes in. It's a widely known fact that if you take care of your starter, your starter is surely to take care of you!

There's even a website that you can visit that will automatically generate a sourdough starter name for you. But I highly recommend that you let this happen on it's own. Naming your starter is not something that should be rushed. You "knead" to get to know your starter. It "kneads" ;) to happen naturally.

How do you make it: "Start";) by mixing together equal parts of flour and water

Step 1: Once you've mixed your flour and water together, you wait 24-48hrs to start the fermentation process. Place the lid over your vessel and wait.

Step 2: The next time you visit your starter, discard half of your starter.

Step 3: Once again, add equal parts of water and flour until your vessel is half full.

Step 4: Place the lid back over the vessel and this time you only have to wait 8-12 hrs.

Step 5: Repeat these steps every 8-12 hrs. or until your vessel starts to acquire a layer of water. When this occurs, add a thin layer of flour to help absorb the moisture.

Float Test: Continue these steps for a two week period. After 14 days, carefully drop a dollop of starter into another vessel filled with water. If it floats, your starter is ready. If it doesn't, keep repeating this process.

How to keep your starter alive:

When it comes to keeping your beloved alive there is no replacement for love & attention. This means you must care for it like one of your own children.

Best way to do this is by leaving it out on your counter and let it do it's fermenting thing at 23 degrees or at room temperature. That will buy you 8-12 hrs before you have to feed it again. If you don't plan on using your starter for a few days, you can buy yourself a full week by placing your starter in the fridge. When attempting to store your starter in the fridge, your first few times will tell you all you need to know about the behavior of your starter. By placing the starter in the fridge there will be a significant amount of moisture build up. This is where adding in that layer of flour on top of your starter will make for a handy tip. It will absorb the water/moisture and give you that full week of serenity!

But when you take your starter out of your fridge you will need to recharge your starter. Make sure to give yourself a full two servings (two 8-12 hour feeding sessions) before using your starter. This step will ensure you always get a great rise from your bread loafs.

As for the type of flour to use... this is a personal choice. I like to use the same flour. Then, when I'm ready to experiment, I'll start a new starter using a dollop or two of the old starter and add a new type of flour.

Warning: If you're starting a brand new relationship with another starter, you must be careful not to neglect your first, original starter. Make sure to keep feeding both with the same love and attention! This is critical!

How do you use your starter:

Follow my recipe for Sourdough Bread.