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Have you ever wondered what gives sourdough bread its unique tangy flavor and delightful chewy texture? It’s all thanks to the magic of a sourdough starter!
Sourdough is a type of bread made from naturally occurring wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Unlike commercial yeast, the wild yeast in sourdough starter ferments slowly, which not only enhances the flavor but also improves the bread’s nutritional profile.
Sourdough is easier to digest and has a lower glycemic index compared to other types of bread.
Always speak with your doctor first if you have food allergies, but many people with gluten intolerances and issues are able to tolerate sourdough bread really well!
Creating your own sourdough starter at home is surprisingly simple. With just two ingredients—flour and water—and a bit of patience, you can cultivate a living, bubbling culture that can be used to make a variety of baked goods.
From delicious loaves of bread to pancakes, waffles, pizza crusts, and more, the versatility of sourdough starter makes it a must-have in your kitchen.
Making and maintaining a sourdough starter is not just about baking; it’s about creating a staple that connects you to a time-honored tradition of bread-making.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, having a sourdough starter in your pantry (or fridge) opens up a world of culinary possibilities, making it an essential and rewarding addition to your kitchen repertoire.
So, let’s dive into the art of sourdough and discover how easy and beneficial it is to make this ancient bread starter!
What You’ll Need
- Kitchen Scale
- Clear Glass Bowl
- Flour (bread flour is best, but regular All-Purpose flour is just fine!)
- Water
- Something to stir with
- A rubber band or dry-erase marker
The “Nice-to-Have-Items”
But definitely not critical!
How to Make Your Very Own Sourdough Starter, From Scratch, in Just Seven Days:
If you start today you can be baking your first sourdough loaves next week!
Day One
- Place a glass bowl or jar on a kitchen scale, set the unit to grams, and tare it so the scale reads 0 grams.
- Add 50 grams of flour, and tare the scale so it reads 0 again. It’s good to get in this habit now of resetting the scale back to 0 after you add each ingredient, so you can ensure utmost accuracy.
- Add 50 grams of filtered water and stir well until it’s entirely combined.
- Cover loosely, not airtight because you want to allow any carbon dioxide bubbles to escape. Set aside on a corner of the counter and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.
Day Two
- Approximately 24 hours later, or whenever you get around to it the next day (it’s not that serious), remove the cover.
- Place that bowl with the flour/water mixture from yesterday on kitchen scale and set to 0g.
- Add 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour.
- Stir well until entirely combined.
- Loosely cover and allow to sit out at room temp overnight.
Day Three
- Eyeball scoop out about half of your mixture and throw it away.
- To the remaining starter mixture, add 100 grams of water and 100 grams of flour.
- Stir well until entirely combined.
- Loosely cover and allow to sit out at room temp overnight.
Note: The discarded starter is not actual “discard” yet and has zero use. I know it’s hard to waste, but simply throw it away.
Day Four
- Scoop out and throw away half the starter. Same as yesterday, it has no use right now and needs to just be tossed. I know it feels awful to waste.
- To the remaining starter mixture, add 150 grams of water and 150 grams of flour.
- Stir well until entirely combined.
- Loosely cover and allow to sit out at room temp overnight.
Note: You’ll probably start to see something that slightly resembles actual sourdough starter today! It may be slightly bubbly and have a bit of a sour smell. If not yet, that’s okay. If you started to notice this yesterday, that’s also okay!
Day Five
- Scoop out and throw away half the starter. Same as the previous few days, it has no use right now and needs to just be tossed.
- To the remaining starter mixture, add 150 grams of water and 150 grams of flour.
- Stir well until entirely combined.
- Loosely cover and allow to sit out at room temp overnight.
Note: Today you should notice more tiny bubbles and a “sour” smell! This is exactly what you want!
Day Six
- Scoop out and throw away half the starter. Same as the previous few days, it has no use right now and needs to just be tossed. Don’t worry, this is the very last day that we have to just toss it. After today, any “discard” you have will be perfectly viable and able to use in a multitude of recipes!
- To the remaining starter mixture, add 200 grams of water and 200 grams of flour.
- Stir well until entirely combined.
- Loosely cover and allow to sit out at room temp overnight.
Note: feel free to transfer to a flip-top glass jar today after you add the new flour and water. If using the flip-top jars, close the jar lid but don’t secure the latch. You want to ensure it’s loosely covered and doesn’t have an airtight seal.
Day Seven
Today you should notice that your starter has many bubbles and a distinct smell! If the surface has more bubbles than not, and you notice air bubbles throughout the mixture as you look at it from the sides, it’s ready to use! If it’s not quite there yet, it’s still perfectly fine to bake with, it just may take a little bit longer for your bread (or whatever type of baked good you’re doing) to rise.
If there aren’t very many bubbles or the distinct sour (but not rancid) smell, then let it sit for one more day. Don’t stir or add anything to it. It should be ready to go tomorrow!
Here’s what an active and ready starter should look like:
Now what?
Now bake away! By now you likely have a whole Pinterest board full of sourdough ideas. Browse our other sourdough recipes for inspiration as well!
To store your starter:
You have two options, and which you choose will depend on how often you plan to bake with your starter! Also it’s important to be realistic about how much attention you can give to it.
Store on the counter: Choose this option if you plan to use it every 1-4 days. If you store your starter on the counter, you’ll need to regularly feed it every 1-2 days. If you have demanding weeks or won’t be able to tend to it this often, it’s best to store it in the fridge.
Store in the fridge: If you store in the fridge, you do want to make sure it has an airtight seal. If you’re using the flip-top jars, secure the lid with the latch fully closed. You don’t want any odors or anything from the fridge affecting your starter. It’ll be okay sealed. If you’re concerned about gasses needing to escape, just pop the lid open for a second every few days or whenever you see and remember.
If storing in the fridge, you’ll need to feed it about every 10 days, give or take, or whenever you know you’ll want to use it.
It’s completely okay to utilize a mix of both. My starter lives on the counter for a day or few at a time, and in the fridge for a day or few at a time. You’ll get into a rhythm!