Starting a Starter : All About Sourdough

Using a sourdough starter is another way to make a risen bread loaf without yeast. It just takes a little bit longer. It requires leaving your choice of a flour mixture out in your kitchen to capture yeast spores in the air. It takes a couple of days to ferment and get going but once you've had fresh sourdough bread you usually want more.

For most people the most difficult part of sourdough bread is making the starter or sponge. Getting a starter started and keeping it going can frustrate some but if you've failed to make a starter in the past don't give up. Either try again or go out and get some (I did). Although I've made starter successfully in the past I had no idea that you were supposed to keep it going so I used it all up and thought I would wait awhile before making it again. My friend and several cookbooks taught me otherwise.

You can purchase descendants of some long ago started starters from several sources on the internet. I chose King Arthur.

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Here is a basic recipe for sourdough starter. Some recipes also include a bit of sugar to this mixand still others leave out the yeast (if you are already an avid baker and have yeast spores milling around) altogether and just add a bit of sugar (about 1/2 cup). Some starters use milk, some use rye flour. I believe the blend my friend brought me was of the water, flour, bit of sugar, and yeast variety.

This recipe below is from the Foods of the World recipe series books (I love these out of print books.

Sourdough Starter

3 Cups Flour

1 package (2.25 teaspoons) yeast 

2 1/2 cups warmish water

Put flour first in large glass mixing bowl. Make a well in the enter and pour in yeast and water. Mix until well combined and then use a whisk to beat until smooth.Cover with a kitchen towel and place  in a warm draft free place 2 to 3 day.  The original recipe says 24 hours but every time I've made starter I've used the 2 to 3 day method. Each day take the towel off and stir down your starter mixing in the liquid. At day 2 or 3 you should note a 'sour' smell. If there are no bubbles it will need to be thrown out. The top of the fridge is usually a good place. Your start should have bubbled and is ready to go. Take out what you need and place the rest in the fridge.

There are so many different ways to use your starter so you just have to pick one that works and stick with it. This is my method as I follow the directions I got from King Arthur.

To use my King Arthur starter I take it out the night before and add usually 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour. I mix well and leave out all night. The next morning I put about a cup back in the fridge and use the rest.

To use my friend's starter I also take it out the night before but I add equal parts water and flour and leave to rise overnight. In the morning a cup goes back in the fridge.

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Sourdough Article
Starting a Starter

More about My Journey with Sourdough

Keeper of the Home starter and bread recipe