Sourdough starter has been used to leaven bread for thousands of years. It is the oldest form of leavened bread, in fact, dating back as early as Ancient Egypt. It was probably discovered by accident when bread dough was left out and good microorganisms (wild yeast) drifted into the mix. This is a step-by-step guide on how to make a sourdough starter.
What you will need:
- Whole wheat or rye flour
- Jar
- Water
Can you use all-purpose flour?
The short answer is no. Whole wheat flour and rye flour contain natural yeast that you need to capture in your starter.
All-purpose flour is usually bleached and processed so most of the wild yeast in it has been killed. But, this doesn’t mean that you have to use whole wheat or rye flour to make your bread.
You can use all-purpose flour to make sour dough bread. You just can’t use it to make your starter.
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Instructions
- Mix equal parts of flour and water. I usually start with two tablespoons of each.
- Put the flour and water into a glass jar and mix until everything is combined.
- Place the lid on the jar very loosely. Oxygen is required in order for your starter to capture yeast and ferment.
- Leave the jar at room temperature (around 70–75 degrees) for three or four days, until you start to see bubbles and your starter has a slight sour smell. Depending on what temperature your kitchen is, this process could take up to a week.
- Once your stater is bubbly, discard half and feed the remainder one tablespoon flour and one tablespoon water. Then mix until combined.
- Repeat the previous step twice a day (morning and night) for two or three days. This process builds up yeast, which makes your stater super active. The more active your starter, the better your bread will rise.
- When your starter is super bubbly, has risen, and doubled its size, you are ready to make bread!
- To maintain your starter, feed it once a day with equal parts flour and water and remove half of it.
Don’t discard (i.e. throw away) your starter on the last step! There are many recipes which use removed sour dough starter, so don’t throw it away! If you can’t feed your starter every day, put it into the refrigerator (and store for about 2-3 weeks). Then take it out the night before you want to make bread and feed it.