The Ultimate Guide to Making a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Sourdough bread has become an incredibly popular trend in recent years with many home bakers wanting to try their hat making their own delicious loaves. One of the most important ingredients in making sourdough bread is the sourdough starter which is essentially a mixture of flour water that has been fermented over several days. Making a sourdough starter from scratch can be a daunting task for beginners but with this ultimate guide you’ll be well on your way to creating your own delicious sourdough bread at home.
Step 1: Gather Supplies
Before you start making your sourdough starter you’ll need to gather a few supplies. You’ll need:
– Unbleached Flour: You can use either all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour or a combination of both. Just make sure it is unbleached.
– Water: You’ll need non-chlorinated water either bottled or filtered tap water.
– A large non-reactive container: You’ll need a large glass or plastic container to mix your starter. Do not use metal as it can react with the acidic starter ruin it.
– A kitchen scale: Accurate measurements are crucial in making sourdough starter so a kitchen scale is highly recommended.
Step 2: Mix the Flour Water
In your large container mix together 100 grams of flour (either all-purpose or whole wheat) with 100 grams of non-chlorinated water. Stir together until there are no dry patches of flour. Cover the container with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Step 3: Discard Feed
After 24 hours you may see some bubbles on the surface of your mixture. This is a good sign that fermentation is beginning. However you’ll need to discard about half of your mixture add in another 100 grams of flour 100 grams of water. Mix together well cover let sit for another 24 hours.
Step 4: Repeat Watch for Signs of Life
Repeat step 3 every 24 hours discarding about half of the mixture adding in another 100 grams of each flour water. After a few days you should start to notice an increase in the number of bubbles on the surface of your mixture. This is a good sign that your sourdough starter is coming to life.
Step 5: Maintain Your Sourdough Starter
Once your sourdough starter is active bubbling it’s important to maintain it properly. You can keep it on your kitchen counter at room temperature feed it every day or two depending on how often you plan on using it. When you feed your starter make sure to discard about half of it replace it with equal amounts of flour water. As your starter grows you may need to increase the amount of flour water you use to feed it.
Final Thoughts
Making a sourdough starter from scratch can seem intimidating at first but with a little patience practice anyone can do it. Once you have a healthy active sourdough starter the possibilities are endless. You can use it to make delicious sourdough bread pizza crusts pancakes more. Experiment with different variations of flour water to create your own unique sourdough starter enjoy the delicious results.
