How to Create a Sourdough Starter from Scratch

If you've ever wondered how to craft a sourdough starter without relying on store-bought versions or additional ingredients like fruits or vegetables, you've come to the right place. Sourdough bread is a culinary art, and one of its most essential components is the starter. Here, we'll guide you through the process, step by step.

The Initial Steps

Creating a sourdough starter isn't always the easiest task, but with a bit of patience and consistency, anyone can do it. First, gather the following materials:

A glass sealable jar A kitchen scale to weigh ingredients accurately All-purpose flour Room-temperature water Felt pen

Step 1: Weigh the empty jar and note this weight. Then, take equal parts flour and water and mix them in the jar. For instance, if the empty jar weighs 100 grams, add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of water. Ensure the mixture is well combined.

Step 2: Cover the jar, and let it sit at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days. You'll need to discard half of the mixture and refresh it each day with fresh flour and water. This process helps to balance the culture and develop a healthy, stable starter.

Understanding the Yeast

During these initial days, natural yeast from the environment will begin to interact with the flour and water, producing gases and fermentation. The starter will gradually rise and fall as it through these processes. You'll notice that as the sugars in the flour decrease, the starter's volume will decrease as well. This is a sign that the starter is ready to be rehydrated with fresh ingredients.

To gauge when to rehydrate, make marks on the jar's rim with a felt pen at the initial level of the mixture. Every couple of hours or so, check the level. When the starter's volume falls below the last mark you made, it's time to feed it again. This might happen multiple times a day, depending on the room temperature.

Long-Term Maintenance

Once your starter is well-established, maintaining it becomes easier. Here's a guide for long-term use:

Keep a portion of the starter in the jar and store it in the refrigerator. When you want to make bread, remove the jar from the fridge in the morning. Discard any liquid on top and top up the mix with double the amount of flour and water. This mixture should then be left at room temperature for a day. In the evening, mix two-thirds of the starter with fresh flour and water, and then return the remaining starter to the fridge. The next morning, add additional flour, knead the dough, and shape it into loaves. Allow the dough to rise until the evening, and then bake it for approximately 40 minutes at 240°C.

Note that a starter stored in the fridge can last for several weeks without much attention.

Filling in the Details

Here are detailed measurements for a 150g starter in the fridge:

Morning: Add 300 grams of flour and water. Evening: Add 720 grams of flour and 775 grams of water to 300 grams of starter. Morning: Add 720 grams of flour to the freshly mixed starter.

This recipe yields two large loaves of bread. Take care not to let the dough rise too much before baking, as this may result in a hole forming in the loaf.

I've personally used an electric hand mixer with dough hooks, which, while convenient, can wear out over time. Recently, I've switched to a stand mixer, which has significantly reduced the mixing time from 20 minutes to just 3 minutes. This is a game-changer for anyone making sourdough bread regularly.

In conclusion, making a sourdough starter is a rewarding process that requires a little patience but can lead to some of the most flavorful bread you've ever tasted.