Sourdough Starter 101
Blade marking is so much fun. Make sure you’re quick with it but be safe.
Making a sourdough starter can be quite an intimidating task. I also found it kind of difficult to find and settle on a recipe online but once I did I totally understood why…sourdough starter is pretty much an individual experience. You can follow a recipe but there are soooo many variables that result in sooooo many different outcomes, it’s near impossible to define an absolute set of rules.
I will list the steps that I took to create my two starters. 1 is made with plain flour and the other is rye which is really good for stodgy german and Scandinavian breads. I loosely followed Paul Hollywoods recipe which has since disappeared from the internet and the Rye starter recipe is based from the book Bread on the Table by Austin bakery Easy Tiger’s owner David Norman. This book is an absolute must have for bread making. Own it! Bread on the Table.
Once you’ve got your starter ready to use (fingers crossed it all goes well for you!), keep in mind that the loaves you make at first might be more dense and on the flatter side. This is because the starter only gets better and more developed with age. You’ll be seeing those spongey bubbles soon enough if you stick to it and feed the starter well. It can be tedious work but it is so worth it.
Sourdough Words of Wisdom
Have patience! It’s a slow process and can be messy.
If you can’t handle either, this is not for you.
Store your active starter in the fridge and feed every week or so.
Give your starter a name once it’s alive!
Mine are called Pippin and Cousin Greg.
You don’t have to use all organic ingredients but
I do think that helped with my success.
Don’t get discouraged if you flop with your first attempt.
I definitely did but learned and started over.
Make sure you have all the equipment for bread making once your starter is ready. (Proving baskets, linen cloths, blades for marking, baking stone…etc)
Pippin before she was active.
Basic Sourdough Starter:
259g organic plain flour
180g luke warm water (avoid softened water)
1/2 small organic apple, core discarded, grated w/ skin on (I used a local wild apple)
Day 1
Mix all ingredients well in a bowl and put into a clean large glass jar with a lid loosely covering. Draw a line to show what level the starter is at so you can see if it’s risen later. Leave on counter top.
Day 2
Give it a stir and check it smells ok, not stinky cheesy. Leave on counter.
Day 3
Check line to see if it’s risen. It may have risen and fallen back down which you can see residue above the line. Stir then discard half the starter. Mix 125g flour, 85g warm water and remaining starter in a bowl. Clean out jar then put new mixture back into the jar.
Day 4
Left alone
Day 5
My starter was active! It was bubbling and smelled sweet and sour. I wanted it to develop a little more so fed it again (same as day 3) and left it on the counter.
Day 6
Left alone.
Day 7
Used it to make a large boule. It was dense but very tasty! I’m no bread baker so I don’t have any recipes of my own but this guy’s video really helped.
Pippin active! See the rise and fall markings on the jar. There are also lots of little bubbles.
Two of Pippin’s earlier loaves. Not quite fluffy yet…
Rye Sourdough Starter
Cousin Greg’s first loaf.
100g Rye flour
100ml luke warm water
1/4 organic apple, core removed, grated w/ skin on
This starter is a little more simple. Mix all ingredients in a bowl then put into a clean glass jar with a lid loosely covering. Draw a line on the jar where the starter is levelled. Leave in a room that is not cold.
Check the starter after 24 hrs. If it’s bubbling a little bit, stir and put 100g of the starter in a bowl and mix in 100ml warm water and 100g rye flour (this is the usual feeding process). Discard the leftover starter and clean out the jar. Put the newly fed starter back into the clean jar and leave for another 24 hours.
Check the starter isn’t turning grey or smelling foul. It should smell sweet and acidic. Start feeding it (same as above) every morning and every night for about 3 days or till it doubles in size when it rises. Then it’s ready to use!
Happy starter making! Send me any questions or suggestions and I’ll get right back to you.
