Sourdough Starter

Simple Sourdough Starter

2009-10-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

If you are a fan of sourdough bread, you should consider developing your own homemade sourdough starter. Sourdough starters can be created in many ways - you can purchase a famous sourdough strain from an online retailer, or beg some sourdough starter from your artisan baking friend. But probably the easiest and most enjoyable way is to simply capture the wild yeast that you will find in your own home, and create your own sourdough starter from scratch.

It is not difficult at all to create your own sourdough starter. Here is the simplest recipe to create a homemade sourdough starter. All that you will need are the following:

Flour - I prefer to use unbleached bread flour, but whole wheat flour, rye flour and just regular white flour can all be used. If possible, use organic flour, although in my experience this is not absolutely necessary.
Water - Some people argue that you should not use chlorinated water for sourdough starters, but in my experience this has not been a problem. I use tap water if it is not too strong smelling, but if so, you might want to buy some bottled water or boil your water before using it in your sourdough starter.
A Container for the Sourdough Starter - A wide mouth quart sized glass canning jar will do the trick, or any other similar sized class container.

Instructions for Creating Your Homemade Starter:

Day One: Mix together in the glass container one cup of flour and one cup of lukewarm water. Place your soon-t0-be sourdough starter in a warm place in your house, preferably between 70-80 degrees (F). Lightly cover the jar with a damp towel.

Day Two: Do nothing

Day Three: Remove the towel and take a good look at the starter. With luck, you will notice it has some bubbles to it and a slightly sour scent that is not unpleasant. Stir your sourdough starter well using a wooden spoon. Then discard half of the sourdough starter, and then add half a cup of flour and half a cup of water to the glass jar and stir again. Cover your starter again with a damp towel.

Days Four through Seven: Repeat the process for day three. During this period of time you should notice that the sourdough starter is getting increasingly bubbly and starting to increase in volume. It may even start to bubble over your glass container - if so, discard up to half of the starter from the jar prior to adding a cup of flour and water.

You now have an active sourdough starter - congratulations!

Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter

After day seven your starter should be ready to use in making sourdough bread. If you are not going to use it immediately, you can now refrigerate your sourdough starter until you are ready to bake bread. Just place your starter in the fridge with a lid on the jar, and then feed it weekly. Each time you feed it, you should remove about half the starter from the jar and discard (or use in a sourdough recipe), add half a cup of flour and half a cup of water to the jar. Let the sourdough starter sit in a warm place for a couple of hours, and then return to the refrigerator again.

Photo by Belinda

Leftover Sourdough Starter Recipes

2009-09-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

If you have a crock of sourdough starter, you likely have leftover sourdough starter as well. When refreshing your sourdough starter, you will be pouring off half or more of the starter in the crock (otherwise you would soon be overwhelmed by the amount of sourdough starter you have on hand), but if you are like me, you hate to see it go to waste. But there is no need to waste it - there are dozens of wonderful recipes you can make with your excess sourdough starter. Here are just a couple of recipes to try:

Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough and pancakes make the perfect combination. In fact, it is almost worth having a sourdough starter just to make sourdough pancakes! Here is what you will need:

1 cup of sourdough starter
2 cups of water
3 1/2 cups of flour (white or wheat, which ever you prefer)
3 eggs
4 tablespoons of maple syrup
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda

Instructions: The night before combine the starter, water and flour and let sit overnight. In the morning add the remaining ingredients. Pour in half cup measures onto a hot, oiled griddle or fry pan. When little browned on top and bubbles are forming throughout the pancake, flip, and cook until lightly browned on the other side. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Sourdough Onion Rings

Whenever I have a craving for onion rings, this recipe hits the spot! You will need:

3 onions, peeled and cut into thick slices
2 cups of sourdough starter
1/2 cup cold sparkling (carbonated) water
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying (I use canola)

Put oil into deep pan or deep fryer and heat to 375 degrees. Combine sourdough starter, water and salt. Put flour in separate bowl. Toss the onion rings in flour, then put them one by one into sourdough starter bowl and then the hot oil. Deep fry until golden and enjoy!

For full instructions on how to build a sourdough starter from scratch, see the Sourdough Starter Basics article on this website. For more useful articles and recipes for sourdough, return to the Sourdough Starter homepage.

Making Your First Sourdough Loaf with Sourdough Starter

2009-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Once you have a healthy, thriving sourdough starter you are ready to bake bread. Before you start, however, you should make sure you have the right tools. There are many ways to bake your first loaf of sourdough bread. I have found that I get the most beautiful loaves when I allow the bread to rise slowly in a proofing basket (I purchased mine through King Arthur flour), and then cook it on a baking stone set low in my oven.

Here is the recipe I use to make my sourdough bread, adapted from the recipe for "Country White" sourdough bread in Nancy Silverton's book, Breads from the La Brea Bakery. I have a special fondness for this book because I feel it is the one that truly taught me how to make excellent sourdough bread. Although I have read tons of books on this topic, it was Silverton's attention to methodology and details that helped me produce truly excellent (not just "good") sourdough bread. Her method isn't for everyone, however, since she pays more attention to her sourdough than some parents do to their young children (well, not really, but it does seem so sometimes). I have simplified her recipe here a bit, however, to make it easier for beginners.

What You Will Need for Your First Loaf

It is best if you weigh your materials if at all possible, but I'm including cup measurements as well for those that do not have a scale. This recipe makes two round loaves of bread.

Ingredients:

12 ounces (or 1 1/3 cups) of Sourdough Starter made from white flour (does not matter whether it is all purpose or bread flour)
2 lbs 2 ounces (about 7 cups) of unbleached white bread flour (King Arthur or Gold Medal, preferably)
1 lb 2 ounces (about 2 1/4 cups) of water (either cool or at room temperature)
1/2 cup wheat germ
4 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

Equipment

Instant read cooking thermometer
Large mixing bowl (at least five quarts)
plastic wrap
two proofing baskets
spray bottle
large baking stone or baking tiles set on the floor or a low rack in your oven
baker's peel

Instructions for mixing by hand (can also be kneaded in a bread mixer):

Put the flour into the large mixing bowl, and form a well in the middle. Put the sourdough starter in the well, along with the water and the wheat germ (do not add the salt yet). Mix it either by hand or with a wooden spoon, adding flour or water as needed. You want a slightly sticky, pliable dough. If there is any doubt, try to err on the side of being too wet.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about ten minutes, and then let it rest covered with a cloth for about twenty minutes. (This is called the "autolyse" and this rest helps improve the texture of the final loaf). Then sprinkle the salt on top of the dough (do not forget the salt!) and knead the bread for another 10 minutes or so, or until the dough looks satiny, and has a smooth and elastic texture.
First Rise: Place the dough into a clean ceramic or glass bowl that has been lightly coated with vegetable oil (you can use the same bowl you used for mixing, if you like). Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature (70-75 degrees F) away from any drafts until it doubles in volume (about 3 1/2 to 4 hours).
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Cut into two pieces, and deflate each piece by pressing or slapping it against your work surface. Tuck the edges under each piece to form roughly into a ball shape. Let rest for about 15 minutes, and then wrap your hands around it and slowly shape into a nice ball shape using your hands. Do not overshape or worry about getting the ball super-compact. Once it is shaped in a ball, place each shaped "boule" smooth side down into a floured proofing basked. Pinch the seam closed with your fingers. Cover each basket with a piece of plastic wrap.
Second Rise. Let the dough rise for about an hour at room temperature. You should then "retard" the dough in the refrigerator overnight for the best taste (although if you are in a hurry, you can skip this step, although the bread is much better if you retard it overnight). Place the baskets into the refrigerator for anywhere from eight to 24 hours. Then remove them from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap and cover with a cloth instead and let proof again at room temperature until the dough is double the size it was when you first put it in the basket. It should probably take about 3 more hours (this is true if you skip the retardation step as well - although it should take less than three hours for it to rise to double the size). Preheat your oven towards the end of the rising period to 500 degrees.
Slash and Bake. When the boules are ready, lightly dust them with flour, carefully place your hand around the loaf and invert it onto a flour dusted baker's peel. With a knife or a single-edged razor blade, slash the top of the dough. You want to create a thin flap about 1/2 inch deep. Do this with the other loaf as well. Immediately before placing in oven, spray the inside of the oven with water using the spray bottle. This is to generate steam in the oven, which helps make the best loaf possible. Then quickly slide the loaves onto your baking stone or tiles and shut the door. Immediately turn the oven down to 450 degrees, and during the next five minutes, spritz the inside of the oven again with water two more times.
After the bread has baked for about 25 minutes, check and see if the loaves need to be rotated at all. Continue baking for another twenty minutes (45 minutes total). When the breads have finished baking, then should have a golden brown crust, and have an internal temperature of about 210 degrees (you can use the instant read thermometer to check this).
Remove, let cool, and then eat the most wonderful loaf of sourdough bread ever!

For more information about using sourdough starter to bake bread and instructions on how to make your own homemade sourdough starter, please return to the Sourdough Starter home page.

Troubleshooting Sourdough Starter: Is it Dead? Can it be Saved?

2009-06-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sourdough starters are remarkably tough and hard to kill, but it is not impossible. If you are wondering whether your sourdough starter is still alive, and suitable for bread making, read the descriptions below of how your starter will look at different stages of health:

Healthy Starter: This starter will have a smooth consistency, be full of bubbles and make a great loaf of bread. Once proofed (fed) you will see a frothy layer of bubbles on top of the starter, and when you stir the starter you will see that it is full of gas bubbles and very active.
Barely Living Starter: You will see some bubbles in the starter, but it will not have the frothy layer of bubbles that you see with healthy starters, nor will you see lots of bubbles within the bulk of the starter. You will also see hooch on the surface (usually mostly clear, possibly with a slightly gray or yellow tinge). If you try to use it to make bread, it will have a very slow first rise (up to six hours or more), and will likely not rise a second time. You should not use this starter to make bread, although it is suitable for sourdough pancakes and other similar recipes. This sourdough starter just needs a little T.L.C. to get it back into shape, and then you will be able to make bread with it again.
Flat Starter: With a flat starter, there will be little or no bubbles at all in the starter, but you have reason to suspect that it is still alive. It may be that you know that you have neglected this starter and not feed it for quite a while, and as a result it appears nearly dead. Often the starter will be quite sour. You may be able to revive this starter.
Dead Starter: You will see no bubbles in the starter at all. If the starter has been subjected to temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Farenheit, then it is likely dead, and you will need to grow a new starter. You may, however, want to use a bit of this starter in your new starter (especially if you had a fondness for the strain), as their may be some remnants of the original yeast that can be revived.

How to Revive a Flat or Barely Living Starter:

Take 1 cup of starter and mix with 1 cup of warm water and 1 1/2 cups of white all-purpose or bread flour. Stir and then let proof for 12 hours at approximately 85 degrees (it is important to do this at approximately this temperature to have the best results).
After 12 hours, examine the starter to see how it looks. If it still has few bubbles, or has hooch, no frothy layer, or a gelatinous consistency, stir it well and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, remove it from the refrigerator and repeat step one again.

You may need to repeat this cycle three or four times before your starter is healthy again. However, if after several attempts you see no change, discard the starter and build a sourdough starter again from scratch.

For more information on how to create, maintain and bake beautiful bread, return to the Sourdough Starter website.

Storing Your Sourdough Starter

2009-06-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

There are three main ways you can store your sourdough starter once it is fully developed for future use: refrigerating, freezing and drying.

Refrigerating is probably the most popular sourdough starter storing method. Once it is placed in the refrigerator, it will become relatively dormant and will only need occasional feedings (weekly is best). It will also be ready to use quite quickly once removed from the refrigerator and fed - usually within a day you can use the sourdough starter to make bread again.

Freezing is a good option if you want to not have to do weekly feedings and do not plan to make bread for a month or longer. When sourdough starter is frozen, it will expand slightly, so find a container a bit larger than the volume of the amount of the starter you are freezing (a plastic container will do the job nicely). When you are ready to use the starter again, you will have to allow a little more time for it to revive itself than if it were in a refrigerator, but the method is much the same. Wait for it to thaw, feed it, and then wait a day or two until it looks fully revived before attempting to bake bread with it.

Drying your sourdough starter is another option for long term storage. It is also an ideal means to create a "mailable" sourdough starter if you have friends and family interested in using your strain. To dry your sourdough starter, spread the starter out on a large piece of waxed paper or heavy plastic and allow it to dry thoroughly. Once it has dried, you can crumble it up and place it in an airtight container for storage. It should be stored in a cool location, if possible (in the freezer if there is space available). To reactivate it, you will need to place it into a jar of warm water and flower and mix well, and then allow a couple of days for it to revive itself.

Drying - An alternative storage method is to dry your starter by spreading it out on a piece of heavy plastic wrap or waxed paper. Once it’s dry, crumble it up and put it in an airtight container. Store it someplace cool or, to be safe, in the freezer.

By taking the time to store your sourdough starter appropriately, you will ensure that you always have some sourdough starter at hand to make a great loaf of bread!

For more information about how to create, maintain and use sourdough starter, please return to the Sourdough Starter home page.

Welcome to the Sourdough Bread Starter Blog

2009-06-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

This website is dedicated to providing information about how to create and maintain sourdough starter at home. You will find easy instructions here on how to make sourdough starter at home, some wonderful recipes using sourdough starter in bread, muffins and other baked goods, plus some excellent suggestions and recipes about what to do with your "extra" sourdough starter. You will also learn about the differences between different sourdough starters, and suggestions about how to obtain some of the more exotic strains of sourdough starter.

I have been a sourdough enthusiast for several years now, and sourdough bread baking is a true passion of mine. I hope that by providing this information about how to create and use your own sourdough starter, you too will become as enamored with sourdough as I am! Thank you for visiting my website, and feel free to send any comments you have my way using the comment form at the bottom of the page.

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2009-06-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

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Sourdough Recipes

2009-06-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some of the best sourdough bread recipes I have found online or published myself on this website:

Your First (and Best) Loaf of Sourdough Bread - This is my favorite sourdough bread recipe.

Sourdough Home - Has a great collection of sourdough recipes

Organic Sourdough Bread - Includes a recipe for organic sourdough starter

Rustic Sourdough Bread - From the people at King Arthur Flour, suppliers of one of the best bread flours on the market. (This is a really easy recipe and great for beginners).

Basic Sourdough Bread Recipe - Another easy recipe, good for beginners

All About Recipes for Sourdough Bread and Starters