Health By Al

I feel like there are so many blog posts on how to make starter, yet none have a clear explanation of the do’s and don’ts without a thousand pictures you have to scroll through! So here is just that. (Also thanks to my sister Ash for being my sourdough guru and teaching me what I know). 🙂

Rules:

1. Use a wooden, plastic, or silicone spoon to mix, NOT METAL OR SILVER
2. When you add water, it must be water that has been sitting out for at least 1 hour. Otherwise (even if filtered), it could have traces of chemicals that will kill the yeast.

Making your starter: (photos below)

1. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of water to a glass jar. Mix. Do not seal the jar, instead just place the inner metal circle of the lid, or plastic wrap, on top. Place a hairtie or rubber band around the jar where the dough is so you can see if it has grown.
2. Wait 24 hrs.
3. Throw away half of the mixture in the jar. Again, add a one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of water. Mix. Adjust the rubber band if needed.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 until your starter is very bubbly AND has grown to double in size. Mine took 6 days for this to happen, but it can take up to two weeks.
5. Once it is bubbly and has grown, use it for a recipe! Make sure to use it while it is doubled in size because that is when it is most active. It has a peak time and will start to deflate (meaning it’s hungry and needs to be fed flour/water again). Use during it’s peak. Once it is growing and bubbling, you can feed it any amount (keeping the water/flour ratio the same) and multiple times a day. It will be ready to use typically 3-12 hours after you feed it. This is why I like to feed it in the morning, so I can check on it and use it during the day. If you always feed it at night it may peak when you sleep and be deflated by morning.

Notes:

• Make sure you discard half before a feeding. There are plenty of recipes that use the discard (pancakes, waffles, etc.) , although these are only for the discard from the active, bubbly starter, NOT for the discard from the beginning stage.
• If your starter is ready for a recipe, and the recipe requires 1 cup of starter, feed it 1 heaping cup of flour and one cup of water the morning of. That way you can make the recipe and still have starter to keep alive for your next recipe.
• Most recipes require a dutch oven, but if you don’t have one like me, you can just place your dough on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and then on the bottom rack, place a second baking sheet filled halfway with water. This generates steam like a dutch oven would, and is a great alternative!
• A sour smell is normal! It is sourdough, after all.
• If you see signs of mold, or a pink/orange streak, throw it out.

Recipes I love: