Sourdough Starter
Can I just say there are a gazillion recipes out there. Several I have tried and even in a bind have ordered a sourdough starter from King Arthur ( not affiliated with KA but wish I was :) ) But I’m so honored you would try mine.
I will also say that weighing all the ingredients and room temperature filtered water is a must. Once you get the hang of it you can swag it but that is after the first 7 days.
Yes I said 7-10 days. It takes these days to add, stir, dump and continue to get the best starter. But with a little patience and a few essentials you will have it mastered. Before you know it you will be making all things Sourdough, I promise.
Equipment:
Large glass jar with lid
Kitchen scale
Rubber spatula
Rubber band or dry erase marker
Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour of your choice
Filtered water ( room temp)
How To:
Day 1- ‘combine 113 g or 1 c of APF ( All Purpose Flour) and 113 g or 1/2 c of FW (Filtered Water) to your glass container stir and cover. Let it rest for 24 hours.
Day 2- You may see a few bubbles, ( don’t panic if you don’t its still early) today is the day you do your first “Disgard” which means you “dumb” 1/2 of the starter (113g or 1/2c) Stir first, dumb and then add 113 g of APF and 113g FW. Stir again and cover and let rest for another 24 hours.
Day 3- Bubbles are forming, Yahoo! Today is the day you start feeding twice a day. Every 12 hours is ideal where you stir, dump and add ( same as Day 2 ).
Day 4- I repeat Day 3 but I add that rubber band around my jar so I can see how much growth we have. Line it up so that is level with your starter.
Day 5- Repeat Day 3. The dough should rise throughout the day, past your rubber band and deflate once it is ready for another feeding.
Day 6- Repeat Day 3. You should be seeing active bubbles and a good sour yeasty kinda smell. Similar to a ripe banana or apple.
Day 7-10- This is the day where it should be active and you change to feeding once a day. You still stir, dumb and add daily but you also can start using the “discard” ( the stuff you were dumping) in recipes.
*Side Notes: You can pop this in the fridge if you head out of town or don’t want to play the sourdough game for a bit. I have left it for a couple weeks with an occasional feeding. When ready to use bring it to room temperature again and feed for a few days before adding it to a recipe.
Few Extra Tips:
If you are not seeing any activity, don’t get frustrated, keep feeding and discarding. You should see your starter level passing that rubber band or double in size 6-8 hours after feeding.
Clear liquid on top is good just means it is hungry. If your starter looks grayish or has a pink tinge, I would recommend throwing it away and starting again. Sorry I don’t want you to take the chance of having a contaminated mess.
Give your starter a little boost with trying wheat or rye flour instead of APF. This is how I made my rye rustic loaf above with the discard.
Lastly, I know it is a process but once you get the hang of it, it will become natural and you will automatically stir, dumb and add without even measuring.
I have made rustic loaves, baguettes, focaccia, english muffins and more with the discard. But I still learning how to cook more with the discard, I like to say it is all an experiment.
Happy Cooking~
Jenn
