Foolproof Sourdough Starter Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What makes the best sourdough starter? ›

There is no single best ratio, but I've found a ratio of 1:5:5 fed twice daily at 12-hour intervals to produce a sourdough starter that's strong and healthy. This ratio corresponds to 20% ripe starter carryover, 100% water, and 100% flour (a mix of whole grain rye and white flour) at each feeding.

Maintaining A Sourdough Starter:

Leaving it out on the counter, it will need to be fed equal parts water and flour every 12-24 hours. Warmer homes or frequent baking will require more frequent feeding (around every 12 hours), while colder homes every 24 hours. What is this?

The most common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (sourdough starter: flour: water). This is also known as a 100% hydration starter. For example, let's say you have 40 g of sourdough starter in a jar. To feed it, you'll add 40 g of flour + 40 g of water.

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour. Why do you need to use these two types of flour?

With each sourdough starter feeding, you'll be discarding some to avoid it from becoming overly acidic. Most will compost or trash this discard, but you can save it and use it in other recipes!

It is important that you stir the sourdough starter every day in the morning and in the evening. Feed the starter. Add 60 g flour and 60 g lukewarm water, stir well to combine, and let sit out for 24 hours.

Whole Wheat Flour: Some bakers swear by using whole wheat flour in their starters. This flour includes the whole grain of wheat, including the bran, endosperm, and germ.

*Do not try baking with your starter right after feeding it. Allow time for it to grow and feast on the flour before using it. Starters are usually ready to bake with around 4-12 hours after a feeding depending on the amount you feed your starter. The larger the feeding, the more time it needs to ferment.

But, given enough time, the starter should rise and double in size. Once the starter does eventually double in size, discard everything in the jar except 25 grams of sourdough starter (~ 1 Tbsp). Once again, feed it 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour; stir everything together until well combined.

How many cups of flour to feed sourdough starter? ›

Feed the Starter– Stir room temperature starter, then discard all but 100g (1/2 cup) of starter. Use a kitchen scale to measure 100g (1/2 cup) of water and 100g (1 scant cup) of flour. Stir into the starter until completely mixed.

Before using your starter, you may want to feed it every 6 to 12 hours for 24 to 48 hours to get it nice and active. From the counter I like to feed it every 12 hours for 24 hours and then 4 to 6 hours before use. This ensures the best rise and taste in my breads.

Honey: Honey adds a sweetness to this dough and helps balance any sour flavor that comes through from the fermentation process. If you are looking for whole wheat bread without the honey, try this recipe. Salt: Salt enhances the flavor and helps tempers the fermentation.

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.

And it can dissolve some metals. However, what happens when sourdough and metals contact each other depend on the metal and the length of exposure. If the metal is a stainless steel, there will be no problems. I routinely start, maintain and feed my starters in stainless steel bowls.

Glass is the best material for sourdough starter jars because it's non-reactive, easy to clean, and allows you to easily monitor your starter's activity. Size: Your starter jar should be large enough to allow your starter to double or even triple in size during feedings without overflowing.

The most commonly occurring yeasts include S. exiguus, S. cerevisiae, and Candida milleri (or humilis). The differing ratios of these yeast populations alone is enough to explain the degree of variability between sourdough starters.

Use Your Senses

It should also look very bubbly and slightly foamy at the surface. The scent is as important as the look. Your starter should have a strong, but pleasant acidic aroma — this will yield that tangy flavor. One popular way to know that your sourdough starer is ready is to try floating a bit of it in water.