Are you excited about those beautiful breads all over social media? Those giant air bubbles and crispy looks? Sour dough bread looks amazing and I’ve wanted to do it for so long. However – for the past couple of years it seems that I’ve been almost there. Then something happened and I just couldn’t keep it going and my starter ended up dying on me. But now Ive done it, Ive finally done it; cracked the code of sour dough. I have a thriving sour dough that lives and thrives.
Maybe you have guessed that I love baking? I make pizza most weeks. We eat bread rolls several times a week. I love a good loaf of the best bread in the world (that has many of the same qualities of sourdough without the actual sourdough). But I’ve looked on a those baking with sourdough breads with envy in my eyes, and wanting to crack that code for myself.
I know that sourdough is baking with the natural yeast that is in the air, and that it only gets better with age. I have succeeded in making a sourdough several times, only to have it be TO sour on day 10-14 and then I would have to start from scratch again.
And I know that starting from scratch is not ideal because the older your sourdough is the better the yeast is in the starter.
Not to mention all of the benefits of grains being broken down this way compared to faster baking with traditional yeast.
One of the things that really tripped me up was all of the different measures and the times and the doing this at that time to ensure perfect bread. I mean – that’s all well and good but I’m more of a wing it kind of baker. I didn’t really love the idea of being locked into measurements and I could never get it to work the busy day to day of our lives.
If you would like to do that whole measure and precise how to – please go looking for one of those tutorials – because this won’t be that.
How to succeed with making a sour dough starter
With all of this talk of how I couldnt get a sourdough to actually work, how did I finally manage it then?
This time I did it differently. There are a few key understandings that helped me create my own rhythm and finally get a good sourdough starter together.
- When starting a sour dough from scratch you need to discard some of the starter. Everyday you only use a little of the starter from yesterday and you add more flour and water to that small batch. I didn’t feel right to just throw away all of that flour and water – what I did was that I added the discard to any of my other recipes that uses traditional yeast – and just thought of the discard as “flour and water” and didn’t put as much of that into the recipe. I’ve added it to my bread rolls and to regular pancakes and they tasted great.
- Understand that sourdough in the beginning is actually JUST flour and water. That’s it. It can be used in anything as such.
- DONT WORRY – Its going to be fine. (REALLY!)
How long does it take to start a sourdough from scratch?
Most recipes for sourdough starter will tell you that it takes between 5-7 days. And thats true – from beginning to baking for the first time with a sourdough is roughly 7 days. Though from my experience it only get better as time moves on, and baking with a sourdough thats 3 months old, is a lot more fun than one that is 7 days old.
How to Start a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Alright, we’re about to create life – microbial life, that is. Buckle up, because we’re going on a wild ride through the world of yeast and bacteria. Don’t worry, it’s more delicious than it sounds! If you get overwhelmed, STOP! Its not meant to be. But sometimes knowing all the facts helps you knowing where to cut corners. Here we go.
What you’ll need:
- Whole wheat flour (preferably organic, because thats where the good microbe friends live to make the starter really active)
- Filtered water (chlorine is a no-no for our microbe friends)
- A clean glass jar
- A kitchen scale (I’ll give you measurements here and some people LIVE by the exact numbers, but I have to say that this is what killed my joy of sourdough the first many times, if you want to leave it out you absolutely can!)
- Patience (I know, I know, but trust me on this one)
The process:
Day 1: The Birth of Your Starter
- Mix 50g whole wheat flour with 50g filtered water in your jar.
- Stir vigorously to incorporate air. Those wild yeasties love oxygen!
- Cover loosely with a lid or cloth and let it sit at room temperature (around 70°F/21°C is ideal).
Day 2-7: The Feeding Frenzy
- At the same time each day, discard all but 50g of your starter.
- Feed it 50g of flour and 50g filtered water.
- Stir vigorously and let it rest.
Pro tip: Use the discard for pancakes or waffles. No waste in this kitchen!
Signs of life:
- Days 2-3: You might see some bubbles. Do a happy dance!
- Days 3-4: It might smell a bit funky. Don’t panic, it’s just the bad bacteria being kicked out.
- Days 5-7: You should see consistent bubbling and a pleasant, yeasty smell.
Troubleshooting:
- No bubbles? Try moving it to a warmer spot.
- Weird colors or mold? Toss it and start over. Safety first!
Once your starter is doubling in size within 4-8 hours of feeding, congratulations! You’re the proud parent of a active sourdough starter!
Maintaining your starter:
- If you bake often: Keep it on the counter and feed daily.
- If you’re an occasional baker: Store in the fridge and feed weekly.
Remember, creating a starter is part science, part art, and part sheer luck. If at first you don’t succeed, flour, water, and try again!
What killed my joy of sourdough
Now you have the recipe of what to do, I have to tell you that this is where I waver and this is where my joy was lost. Only when I stopped looking at the numbers and actually started looking at my sourdough did I succeed.
How to succeed with your sourdough
Breathe deep.
Once you have created something that looks like a sourdough you never have to worry about it again.
Leaving for a holiday?
Put your starter in the fridge. Once you are back discard everything but a small spoonful on the bottom of the jar and re-feed it like you would in the beginning. Within hours you are back on track with your starter.
Forgot your starter out for a few days?
Feed it. Decard half and feed it again. Untill it smells like you want it to.
Tired of measuring everything with a scale?
When it comes down to it a starter needs two things. Flour and water. What ratio and how often. That is between human and their starter. You feed yours like you want to. Make it bigger (with more flour and water) if you need many loaves, and smaller if you need it to sit in the fridge for a week. Your starter will fit into your life, not the other way around.
At least that is the only way i finally made it work with a sourdough starter in my home (and its still thriving now 3 years on!)