Sourdough Starter
If you've ever been afraid of making your own sourdough starter, fear no more – we've got your back. It really is not rocket science. All it takes is attention to detail and patience.
Prep Time
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Bake Time
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Total Time
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Yield
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To Start:
1 scant cup (100g) organic whole grain Expresso bread flour
1/2 cup (100g) lukewarm water
To Feed Daily:
1 scant cup (100g) Sequoia all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) water, at room temperature
Baker's Note:
* If you don't see these changes, continue feeding as in Step 4 for a couple more days.
Depending on several variables, your starter may be more or less robust and may need to be fed more or less often (more often for less active and less often for truly rambunctious. The starter is the "hungriest" when it has just peaked in the jar and is on its way down.
- Day 1: Combine Expresso flour with water in a 1-quart glass bowl or jar.
- Stir well to make sure all flour is hydrated.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. If your house is on the cooler side, each step may take a bit longer; if it's warmer (over 70°F), it will go faster. The times here are approximate.
- Day 2: Bubbles may or may not start popping up on the surface of your starter. In any case, you will need to discard half of the starter (100 grams, about 1/2 cup) and feed the remainder with Sequoia flour and water.
- Stir well, re-cover and leave on the countertop for 24 hours.
- Day 3: By now, you may start noticing changes: bubbles, a fresh, fruity aroma, some rising. Begin daily feedings, at about 24-hour intervals, discarding half of the starter and replenishing with fresh Sequoia-water mixture as you've done on Day 2.
- Days 4-7: Repeat Step 4. By the end of days 6-7, the starter will likely have doubled in volume, with lots of bubbles both on and below the surface and pleasantly tangy, slightly acidic aroma* (see Baker’s Notes).
- Once the starter is good and active, feed it one last time. Let sit on the countertop for 6-8 hours.
- Use the amount of starter as per your recipe. If the recipe calls for more starter than you've got, feed it once or twice without throwing away half, until you have enough starter + at least 100 grams to keep back and continue feeding.
- After using the starter for your recipe, feed the remainder again, as usual. Leave on the countertop for a few hours, uncovered, to let it "wake up" again, before re-covering and putting it away in the refrigerator, which is where you will store it.
- If you do not bake often, feed in the usual way once a week, as you did in Step 9.
Baker's Note:
* If you don't see these changes, continue feeding as in Step 4 for a couple more days.
Depending on several variables, your starter may be more or less robust and may need to be fed more or less often (more often for less active and less often for truly rambunctious. The starter is the "hungriest" when it has just peaked in the jar and is on its way down.