How to Make a Sourdough Starter
Discover how to make a sourdough starter from scratch.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to get more toxic, processed ingredients out and more wholesome ingredients into my kitchen. It’s a weekly struggle when heading to the grocery store because sometimes my old habits kick in, and convenience wins. But, I know this journey to a more natural, whole foods diet is not a quick and easy one.
The constant barrage directing us to purchase instant, nutrition-less food is one we are all faced with every day. However, I’m in this fight to take back my kitchen for the long haul because I take my responsibility of feeding my family wholesome, nutritious meals seriously. As you know, proper nutrition is essential for a healthy life.
And yes, proper nutrition looks different for each and every one of us because we all have unique bodies with equally unique needs. However, there are some staples that most of us reach for during our weekly food shopping trips. One of the most popular foods? Bread.
The Sourdough Craze
Did you notice that everyone seemed to be wrapped up in learning how to make sourdough bread mid 2020? It seemed to be a very popular hobby since we were all spending more time indoors, and there was constant concern over which grocery items would be absent from the shelves on a weekly basis. I didn’t jump on this bandwagon until recently though. A couple of weeks ago to be exact…
It was during our trip to Colorado over the holidays that I had the opportunity to stop by a local bakery. This bakery milled its own flour. Everything is super fresh, delicious, and made by hand. I picked up cherry hand pies, cranberry orange muffins, and bagels. As a New Yorker, I was convinced that no one did bagels better (than here at home). Until now…
The handmade bagels I picked up at this little bakery in Colorado were the inspiration I needed to try to create my own bread at home. So, fresh, fluffy and you could tell that a lot of love was poured into this one breakfast delight. Consequently, the journey into making my sourdough starter began.
The Benefits of Homemade Sourdough Bread
Homemade sourdough bread is healthier than most of the bread you can find stocked on store shelves. According to Eating Well, sourdough bread is good for your gut – “the fermentation process can lead to an increased number of prebiotic and probiotic-like properties. Sourdough can lead to better digestion, promote healthy aging and can help keep blood sugars in a healthy range.”
According to Healthline, “Sourdough bread contains higher levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than other breads. It also contains lower levels of phytate and therefore allows your body to absorb the nutrients it contains more easily than regular bread.”
With all this in mind, and the motivation from experiencing super fresh, delicious and handmade bagels, I was inspired to make my own sourdough starter, learn new recipes for family favorites like pancakes, waffles, biscuits, and eventually take over the world! Just kidding, I’m not sure why but, I immediately thought of Pinky and the Brain when I started out this sentiment.
QUICK SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE AND FEEDING SCHEDULE
Day 1
Day 1 was filled with all the excitement the start of a new project brings. After following the recipe below, I had visions of all of the fresh bread I would be making for my family each week dancing in my head. What’s something you’re excited to make with your sourdough starter?
Okay, here’s how you get started:
Add ½ cup whole wheat flour, and ½ cup warm water to an airtight jar. This is the jar I use for my sourdough starter. Mix the ingredients into a paste, and cover with airtight lid for the next 24 hours.
At this point, I marked my jar with a dry erase marker to measure the level of my starter. It’s fun to see how your starter progresses over the next few days so, I suggest finding a way to measure your starter too. Your starter must stay in a warm place where it’s in between 70-80 degrees. In my case, that means no starter in the kitchen (this old house is not properly insulated). So, my sourdough starter was placed on the hutch in our dining room.
Day 2
Do nothing, let your starter have time to work it’s magic. Check in here and there throughout the day if you feel the urge to.
Day 3
Time to add more flour to your starter. Add another ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, and ¾ cup warm water.
Tips for Your Sourdough Starter
I chose not to discard throughout this process.
In days 1-3, I made the mistake of keeping my airtight jar closed. Make sure your jar is not closed. I leave enough room for air to come into the jar by latching the metal clamp in place. This way the starter is covered and air can still circulate within the jar.
Slowly add water to your starter, I suggest ¼ cup at a time. Stir with each quarter cup to determine if you have reached the right consistency. The consistency you are looking for is that of thick pancake batter.
Find a way to mark your jar, to measure its progress after feedings. I used a dry erase marker but, masking tape works well too.
When testing to see if your starter is at its baking peak with the float test, make sure to use warm water.
Day 4
At this point, my starter looked too thin and watery so, I only added ½ of unbleached all -purpose flour. But remember, my airtight jar was still kept closed until this day. After this feeding, I opened the metal clamp to keep it loosely covered.
Day 5
When I woke up in the morning, I noticed that my starter rose significantly. However, I was distracted by our normal day to day routine that I was not able to do the sourdough starter float test. The float test helps you determine when your starter is at its baking peak. So, my starter fell!
Time for another feeding: ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, and ½ cup warm water. Mix into a thick pancake batter. There were bubbles present today.
Day 6
Almost back to Day 5 levels. Did our first float test, and it failed. However, I believe my first float test failed because I used cold water instead of warm water. Fed the starter ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour and ½ cup water at 8:20 am.
Checked back in around 10:30 a.m.: the starter bubbled over, eeek!! Could it be? Is it really ready?! Time for the float test…
Second attempt at float test: I added 1 teaspoon of starter to a cup of warm water. The starter sunk to the bottom of the glass. Argh! But, I decided to give it a little bit of time (less than a minute), and it floated to the top of the glass! It’s aliveeeeeee….success!
I promptly used 1 cup of discard to make sourdough pancakes, and they were delicious. They definitely fill you up faster than regular pancakes. And, the pancakes reminded me of a warm pretzel. They were so good!
Sourdough Starter Maintenance
If you are an avid baker, and plan to use your starter often, it is okay to leave your starter on the counter. Just know you will have to keep up with daily feedings to keep it active. However, if you plan to use your starter less frequently, you should store it in the fridge. Just make sure to take your starter out at least 24 hours before you intend to use it, add flour and water, and let it rest on your counter (for me in the dining room because our kitchen gets too cold this time of year). Your starter should be ready to go the next day.
