Well, OK, maybe not everything. But a little bit about sourdough and then how to start a starter.
If you’re not interested in the sciencey/history stuff, go ahead and just scroll on down to how to start the starter.
What is “sourdough” anyway?
The term “sourdough” is not just about what the bread tastes like, it also refers to the type of leaven used in the bread.
Ever wonder how people made bread before the cute little yeast packets showed up at the grocery store? They used the natural, wild yeasts that are available in the air around us.
There are approximately 1,500 strains of wild yeast that have been named and classified by scientists, and they estimate that is only about 1% of the total number of yeasts.
The cute little yeast packets in the grocery store use only one of those.
Just a thought, but if God created all those different yeasts that can be used for leavening bread, wouldn’t it be better to use more than one?
Now I am not a scientist or a doctor or a microbiologist, and I don’t even play one on TV 🙂 , so I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know that people made bread for thousands of years before the cute little packets made it on the scene.
In fact, in some European family owned bakeries, they still use the same sourdough starter that their great, great, great-grands used.
How does “wild yeast” work?
Basically, yeasts work by feeding off the sugars in the flour. The sugars go through a fermentation process which produces alcohol and gas.
The gas is what makes the bread rise. The alcohol is what causes the “souring”, and prevents the growth of mold and bacteria.
The sourness of the final product is determined by how “liquidy” (is that a word?) your starter is, and how long the bread is allowed to rise.
It is also determined by which of the yeasts are more abundant where you are using your starter. That’s why traditional sourdough breads taste different in different places.
As the yeasts feed, they grow exponentially. That’s why it takes about a week before your starter is ready to use. The older your starter, the better it works!
OK, on to starting the starter.
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To start a sourdough starter:
You need:
- a glass bowl or jar (I use a widemouth quart canning jar)
- 1 cup flour (you can use any kind of flour-white flour, whole wheat flour, spelt flour, teff flour, etc.)
- 1 cup filtered water
All you do is mix the flour into the water in the jar and scrape down the sides. It doesn’t have to be smooth, it’s OK to have lumps.
Now you need to cover it to keep out dust and stuff. It also tends to attract fruit flies in the summer.
I use a paper coffee filter secured with a pony tail holder. You can also use a clean dishcloth. Or a napkin.
Just make sure that whatever you use allows the gases to escape, but doesn’t allow dust, fruit flies, or curious kitties in.
I also like the coffee filter option because I use a sharpie to write the date that I start it, and make a mark for every time I feed it.
Cuz sometimes I lose track of days. But that’s probably just me. 🙂
After you mix it up and loosely cover it, put it in a warmish, out-of-the-way place so it’s not in your way all the time. I understand the top of the fridge is a good place for some people.
I like to have mine a little closer to eye level so I don’t forget to feed it. Ask me how I know that.
The Care and Feeding of Your Sourdough Starter
About 12 hours after you start it, you are going to need to feed the starter. It may or may not have started doing anything by then. Just feed it anyway.
To feed it, stir it down and add 1/4 cup water and 3/8 cup flour.
I like to mix in the water first and then the flour. It mixes easier that way. Again, it’s OK if it has lumps, they will go away.
Don’t forget to scrape down the sides so none of it dries out.
In another 12(ish) hours you are going to feed it again. This time, though, after you stir it down, take out about half of what’s in the jar and throw it out. Add back in 1/4 cup of water and 3/8 cup flour.
Now, I know, I know, you’re thinking that throwing it out seems to be wasteful. But it’s really important that you don’t starve your starter. You have to give it enough flour to keep it feeding for several hours.
If you don’t throw half of it out, you would need a ginormous container at the end of 14 feedings!
What to do with the sourdough “discard”
Luckily, there are several recipes that have been developed to use that discarded starter. And yes, you can use the beginning-the-starter-but-not-quite-there-yet starter that you are taking out of the jar every time you feed it.
This recipe for Sourdough Waffles is one of my favorites.
So, about every 12 hours, you need to get rid of about half of what’s in the jar, and feed it again.
I do it in the morning when I get up and at night before I go to bed. Is that exactly 12 hours? No. But that’s OK, sourdough is really quite forgiving.
Even if you don’t think it’s doing much, just keep feeding it.
It may or may not at some time form a layer of clearish-yellowish-brownish liquid either on the top or bottom. And even sometimes in the middle.
Hooch
That liquid is called “hooch” and is the alcohol forming. That can indicate that it’s not getting enough flour at feeding time.
Just stir it back into the rest when you feed it, and give it more flour every time you feed.
It might be kinda smelly, but that is OK too. The smell and the color will depend on what kind of flour you are using.
My whole wheat starter smells different than my white flour starter.
If you miss a feeding, all is not lost! Just pick up where you left off.
I like to mark the lid every time I feed it because you need to feed it at least 14 times before it’s ready to use. By then, the yeasts will have multiplied to the point where there is enough to make the bread rise.
After about the third or fourth day, you should be able to see bubbles forming in the starter. This may start happening before that, but should definitely be happening by the fourth day. If not, you probably need to start over.
After about the fifth day it should be filling the jar 1/2 to 3/4 full between feedings. The process can sometimes be slower if your kitchen is cold, so keep that in mind.
I started a new starter this morning so I could take pictures to show you what it may look like at each stage. I’ll post them every day until we get to the point when we can actually start using it.
Then I’ll post some recipes and suggestions on what to do with it. You’d be surprised at what all you can do with a sourdough starter!
Just know that after it is strong enough to use, you can keep about a cup of it in the fridge and only feed it once a week.
I don’t want you to think you’re going to be feeding it twice a day for the rest of your life!
So, ready for some pictures?
1 cup water and 1 cup flour mixed up with the sides of the jar scraped down
Same jar from the top. Kinda lumpy.
Now with a frilly little bonnet on, ready to go to work.
12ish hours later:
Right before 1st feeding. See the layer of hooch on top? And there are already some bubbles forming.
After 1st feeding. The starter fills up about half the jar.
It happened to be warm in the kitchen today, so things got going pretty quickly. I don’t remember hooch and bubbles before the 1st feeding before. So if you don’t get any, don’t worry.
Tomorrow I’ll give you an update on the starter, and some ideas on what you can do with it besides bread.
Blessings!
Here’s some sourdough recipes to whet your appetite:
Linda says
I am having a terrible time getting my bread to rise on the second rise. First rise works great but my bread is always flat. What am I doing wrong?
Cery says
Hi Linda. That is a great question! Bread can be tricky sometimes. There are 2 things that I can think of right off the bat that might be occurring. The first is that the starter is not active and bubbly when you begin your bread. The other, and probably more likely, is that the bread is rising too long on the first rise. It needs to just barely double in size before you shape it for the second rise. If the first rise is too long the yeast will already have converted everything it can to gas, which means it has nothing left for the 2nd rise. Next time you make bread, see if either of those is the culprit. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Suzanne says
I make bread’s for a living, and people of been asking for sourdough bread! I also love sourdough bread but I’ve never tried a starter. If this works well I will need to make 12 to 15 loads a week. So will I throw out half each time or can I start another jar and have several jars going at once? Thanks for your help
Cery says
Hello Suzanne! Sounds like a wonderful way to make a living! You can have several jars going at once. I use a gallon jar to build the starter up in when I’m going to have a large bake.
Blessings!
Linda says
THanks Cery, I had my suspicions but you have confirmed it! Thanks for your help. I’m going to go try a little baking!
Linda
Cery says
Awesome! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Rosa Maria Alao. (porto Portugal) says
Fantastic!!
I just saw your recipt oday!
My english has a low level but I think I understood the important parts and Im going to try soon this surdough. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
When I wS a child I remember womans in the family and neibgours doing bread iat house. Eveyone do it!
Cery says
Hello Rosa! What a great memory to have. I’m glad you found it helpful If you have any questions, please ask! Blessings!
Gladys Sullivan says
Thanks for this recipe and detailed info cant wait to try it.l am also a follower of Jesus. Good to know your doing this.
Cery says
Hi Gladys! So glad you found me. Come back and let me know how it goes for you. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Blessings!
Jeanette says
I would like to know if you can use self rising flour?
Cery says
Hi Jeanette! Unfortunately, self rising flour will probably not work to start a starter. Since it has baking powder and salt in it, that may interfere with the growth of the wild yeasts. I know for sure that salt will inhibit the growth of yeast, but I’m not sure what percentage of the self rising flour is salt.
Everything I’ve seen in the past has said to not use it with sourdough. Sorry.
Thanks for stopping by!
Ione says
My son and I are gluten free. Can I use gluten free flour to make this recipe?
Cery says
Hi Ione!
Yes! You can absolutely use gluten free flour. I have never used one personally, but my friend Wardee from Traditional Cooking School dot com has some great articles about gluten free sourdough. Here’s a link to starting a gluten free starter.
Heather says
Hi, so I’m gluten intolerant. Do you think coconut flour would work??
Cery says
Hi Heather!
Yes you can make gluten-free sourdough starters. I have never used one before, but my friend Wardee Harmon over at Traditional Cooking School has some great articles about gluten free sourdough. Here’s a link to starting a gluten free starter.
Carol says
Hi, first thank you for taking the time to give us so much informational. My question is: when I’m at the stage of throwing out half of starter mix, can I keep it to start another batch? Doing several of these for friends, would be much more frugal if I could use it to start another. Thank you
Cery says
Hi Carol! I’m glad you have one started! You’re gonna love it. 🙂
You can absolutely start another batch with the discard! What a great thing to do for your friends!
Suzy Harrison says
I’ve struggled with availability of gluten free bread . Think it’s time To give sourdough a go . You have been very informative. Thank you. Looking forward to my new adventure.
Cery says
Welcome Suzy! Let me know how your adventure goes. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Blessings!
Mick Emery says
I threw out half the starter at my 1st 12 hours & fed. Will it still turn out okay, or should I start over?
Cery says
It will be just fine! 🙂
Phyllis says
Hi,
Is this starter for sourdough recipes only?
Or is there a different starter for just regular dinner rolls/bread. Etc.
Thanks P.J.
Cery says
Hi Phyllis! This is only for sourdough breads. Most yeast added breads don’t call for any kind of starter.
Blessings!
Jillian Hopkins says
I have found plenty of information on growing a starter but not on how to use it. How much would you add to a bread recipe?
Cery says
Hi Jillian! The last part of this series has my go-to bread recipe. Every sourdough recipe is a little different, so I really can’t give you a definite amount. Mine uses 2 cups of the starter. Hope that helps some!
Blessings!
Jan says
(1) Before the 14th feeding, approximately how much starter should I have by measurement in my jar?
(2) on the 14th feeding do I only remove 1 cup from jar?
(3) If so, do I feed the jar 1/4 cup water and 3/8 cup flour and continue feeding it for future use?
I guess I am not reading it correctly on the 14th feeding
Cery says
Hi Jan! On the 14th feeding, it’s ready to use. So you are not going to remove anything from the jar. You need to build up enough in the jar to use in the recipe with about 1/2 cup left over to keep it going. Sorry if that was confusing.
Blessings!
Catherine L McNeal says
I’m a newly retired nurse that loved to make sourdough starter and breads. I’m going to the kitchen now to get my starter started. Thanks for all the information.
Cery says
Hello Catherine! I’m so glad you are getting a starter going again! Happy baking!
Blessings
Lori says
Unfortunately I fed my starter at 11:30 AM can I let it go till 5 AM OR 6 till I feed it again? I won’t be able to stay awake till 11:30 tonight. I
Thank you,
Lori???
Cery says
Hey Lori! That happens all the time at my house. lol Just feed it again before you go to bed. Better too often, then too seldom.
Blessings!
Carol B. says
I just started my sourdough starter on 3/3/19, I have been feeding it every 12 hours but I missed a feeding at 12 am as I just couldn’t wake up to my alarm so at 6 am I stired it down and feed it then I disgarted 1/2 of it when I should’ve removed it before feeding..
will it still be ok?
And can I used the diisgard next time to star a new starter for my sister, and also would that be counted as day 1?
Hope that makes sense!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Cery says
Hi Carol! I’m so sorry for the delay in answering your question! Sourdough is pretty forgiving and it recovers quickly after a missed feeding. Just feed it a little extra if you miss one.
You absolutely can gift some of the discard! Depending on where you are in the process, that’s where your sister would need to start. So if you are on day 5 of the feedings, the other person would also treat it like it was day 5. After the starter is established, even the discard would be ready to use by someone else after a feeding.
Hope that helps!
Amber says
After you use it and keep a half cup to keep going do you need to feed the half cup or just put in fridge? Then what do you do with the refrigerated starter when you need to prepare for another bake? Do you feed and put in a warm place or feed and put in fridge?
Cery says
Hi Amber!
Those are very good questions! I’m sorry I didn’t make that clearer in the directions. If the starter has been fed in the last 6 hours or so, go ahead and put it in the fridge. If it’s been longer than that, feed it again and wait about 2 hours before you put it in the fridge.
Depending on whether the starter needs to be active for what you are making, like the bread for instance, you need to remove the starter from the fridge and let it come to room temp. That usually takes about an hour for me. Then feed it. After it’s active and bubbly it’s ready to use. That can take a few hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. After you’ve done it a few times you will be able to better gauge how long it will take.
I hope that cleared things up a bit!
smaeell . iran says
Hello. I tried several times. Unfortunately, however, it does not form properly and becomes fluid.
In some villages in Iran, they still use sourdough, and this is amazing for me. I also love the sour dough, and in the end I will surely succeed.
Anyway, thanks for your advice
Cery says
Hello! Try adding more flour to the starter. Different flours absorb water at different rates. It should be quite thick. Let me know if that works for you! Blessings!
Ashlee Happy says
Hello!! I was wondering on the temperature of the water that I will be adding?
Cery says
Hello Ashlee! Warm or room temperature water is usually the best. As long as it isn’t cold or hot you’re good. Too cold will put the yeasts to sleep and too hot will kill them. So just stay away from the extremes and you’ll be alright. Blessings!
Veronica says
When making bread my starter becomes very runny. What to do?
Cery says
Hello Veronica! A runny starter usually is a result of not enough flour. Add more flour than you normally would when you are building it up to use so that it’s quite thick. Let me know if that helps! Blessings!
Kathy says
I was wondering could I use a gallon glass jor to make my sourdough starter in instead of a quart jar. I remember my mom using one for her staters?
Cery says
Hello Kathy! You can absolutely use the a gallon jar. I use one myself if I’m going to have a large bake. Blessings!
MARY MCAVINCHEY says
One of my starters had mold on the top. Is it still good or do I need to toss it and start over?
Cery says
Hi Mary! If there’s mold it’s usually best to toss it and start over, unfortunately. Once it starts blooming on the top that means that it’s got tendrils down into the starter and will continue to grow.
Cery
Bertha Hicks says
I started with organic rye flour because organic unbleached was not available and it did great the first day and grew to the top I got rid of half and then used unbleached flour to feed it the second day and it did grow and I ot rid of half and iron my 5th day but it doesn’t have very many bubbles and it didn’t grow as much as the first day,is some thing wrong.
Cery says
Hi Bertha! It’s possible that everything is fine are there are just some temperature fluctuations going on. Check how thick the starter is. If it’s thin, add some more flour at each feeding. Some flours absorb more liquid than others and it just may need a little more.
Cery