What is Sourdough
It’s not a flavor but a process
Let’s start with yeast. There are 2 types. Commercial that is grown in a lab and Sourdough which is a fermentation process of flour and water. Commercial yeast has 1 strain of microbes. Wild yeast is in your environment, your home, garden, the ocean nearby. It grows on your flour. There are many strains that a actually gives you bread depth, flavor and strength. It is what leavens bread. The term sour comes from how long you let you dough ferment. The longer you leave you bread dough in Cold fermentation, the tangier it gets. The less time, the more mild it is. There will be more about the process and terms used later. Stay tuned…..
Sourdough Starter
Starter is nothing more than flour and water that you mix and let sit out on your counter to ferment. It is the leavening agent to your bread and doughs. It takes the air in your environment the bacteria and yeast that is naturally occurring on your grains to produce the wonderful rise you get to your dough in baking bread.
Once you establish your starter you are on your journey to making wonderful breads and doughs. With a little bit of maintenance you can refresh the starter forever. You can share your starter with others, send it across country to someone that may want it, freeze some, dehydrate it. Endless abilities to keep it alive. It is a living culture that will give years of pleasure in baking fragrant loaves, boules and batards of bread as well as Pancakes, pasta, cinnamon rolls, twists, braids even English Muffins.
A happy vigorous starter will produce happy breads.
A basic Sourdough starter can be made with a combo of AP(All Purpose) flour and Rye flour. Other grains can be used but my preference is Rye because it carries more yeast and natural bacteria and fermentation seems to be boosted with this combination. Also use filtered water or spring water, not tap water because it has been chlorinated and that kills bacteria and yeast.
Starter will take at least 8-21 days to become fully active to start baking with.
Leave the starter in a warm place like on top of the refrigerator or next to the stove. Some toaster ovens have a proofing function with it around 80 Degrees.
Use a clean jar to transfer the starter everyday while establishing.
Have a rubber band available to mark where the starter is after feeding and you can monitor the progress of the rise.
Fully mix the flour and water till fully hydrated. Use clean hands and utensil. A chopstick is perfect for mixing.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Makes 100g(3 1/2 oz)
Ready in 8-21 days
700g AP flour (47oz)
300g Rye flour (10oz). Mix the 2 flours. This is your feeder mix.
Day 1 Ingredients to Add
Place ingredients in a jar stir, 120g flour(4oz)
Loosely cover. Leave in warm place. 120g H2O (4oz)
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2 After 24 hours:
STIR
leave in a warm place.
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3 After 24 hours, to a clean jar add 60g flour(2oz)
30g of starter and stir in 60g H2O(2oz)
Day 3 Ingredients. Cover. There
may be some bubbly activity as
the yeast and bacteria multiply. If
not, find a warmer spot and repeat
Day 3 process the same for next 4 days.
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Day 4 Ingredients to Add
After 24 hours continue with 30gm 60g flour
of starter from Day 3 and place in clean 60g H2O
jar. Discard the remaining Day 3 starter.
Add they Day 4 ingredients to the jar.
Mix until well combined with no dry
bits of flour. It will be stiff. Cover. Warm place.
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Day 5 Same as above.
After 24 hours add 30g 60g flour
of starter from Day 4 and place in clean 60g H2O
jar. Discard the remaining Day 4starter.
Add they Day 5 ingredients to the jar.
Mix until well combined with no dry
bits of flour. Cover. Warm place.
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Day 6 and 7
After 24 hours add 30g of 60g flour
Day 5 starter and place in clean 60g H2O
jar. Discard the remaining Day 5 starter.
REPEAT SAME FOR DAY 7
Mix until well combined with no dry
bits of flour. It will be stiff. Cover. Warm place.
Day 7 Ingredients to be added
Same as above 60g flour
Starter from Day 6 and place in 60g H2O
a clean jar. Discard the remaining
Day 6 starter. Add the Day 7
ingredients into the jar and mix
well. Cover and leave in a warm
place.
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8-14
If the starter has at least doubled 60g flour
In volume and has visible bubbles 60g H2O
After the last mix, It may be ready for baking.
If it is sluggish, continue the pattern of
discarding and feeding until it has
doubled in volume 12 hrs after its last
feeding.
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Day 15-21 Ingredients to Add
If Your starter does not seem 60g Flour
strong and vigorous , then repeat. 60g H2O
Day 8-14. When your starter becomes
strong then you can start baking and
storage and maintenance will be
easier.
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DONE
Maintenance
If you plan to be a frequent baker, then Storing on counter and feeding daily is fine. If you’re an occasional baker or a weekend Baker, storing in refrigerator and feeding every 1-2 weeks is fine.
No Matter how often you bake you should feed your starter whenever you bake to keep your SD in good supply and maintain its activity.
This is only one method of starting a starter. There are plenty of YouTube videos and websites that have different methods. It can get daunting and overwhelming with the amount of information on how to make Sourdough Starters and breads. Once you become a little more experienced, you will find the right formula and rhythm.