Make Your Own Sourdough Starter
If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you may want to try creating your own sourdough starter from scratch. Baking bread from scratch is satisfying in its own right, but when you’ve also had a hand in the creation of one of the most fundamental components, the leavening agent itself, you’ll feel an even greater satisfaction and connectedness to the process.
Are there kids in your house? This little science project is ideally suited to sharing with any children you can convince to join in. Culture their budding scientific minds while creating your own bread culture.
This video outlines one simple method that worked for me the first time I tried it. In the video, I give credit for this technique to Peter Reinhart. It has since come to my attention that Debra Wink, a chemist and accomplished baker, is the mastermind and author of this Pineapple Juice Technique. A lot of research and testing went into developing and refining the technique. The choice of pineapple juice over other juices is from much trial and error. Debra was kind enough to email her essay on the Pineapple Juice Technique. Send me an email if you would me to forward it to you.
As I mention in the video, the wild yeast spores and lactic-acid bacteria that give your starter its leaving properties are all around you. You are simply creating the conditions ideally suited for them to thrive and multiply. I used whole wheat flour in this recipe because fresh whole wheat flour may harbor greater numbers of yeast spores than ordinary all-purpose flour and so increase your likelihood for success. It worked for me, so you might try the same. If, at any time, you wish to transition your whole wheat sourdough starter to a regular white flour starter, it’s super easy to do so.
I’ve listed the ingredients and approximate steps here to save you the note taking.
- Step 1. Mix 3 ½ tbs. whole wheat flour with ¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice. Cover and set aside for 48 hours at room temperature. Stir vigorously 2-3x/day. (“Unsweetened” in this case simply means no extra sugar added).
- Step 2. Add to the above 2 tbs. whole wheat flour and 2 tbs. pineapple juice. Cover and set aside for a day or two. Stir vigorously 2-3x/day. You should see some activity of fermentation within 48 hours. If you don’t, you may want to toss this and start over (or go buy some!)
- Step 3. Add to the above 5 ¼ tbs. whole wheat flour and 3 tbs. purified water. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.
- Step 4. Add ½ cup whole wheat flour and 1/4 to 1/3 cup purified water. You should have a very healthy sourdough starter by now.
Notes: I do wonder if the fact that I bake all the time with a sourdough starter (and so theoretically have wild yeast floating around our house by the gazillions and covering everything we own) would increase the likelihood that I would have success creating my own sourdough culture from scratch. So I anxiously await feedback from anyone who attempts this process at home. (You’ll see a nifty little form below for comments and feedback. If you’re shy; you can use the Contact link at the top of the page. While I may report your (mis)adventures, I’ll keep your identity anonymous. 
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Wil
Thanks for your informative response. In this case more info is better
My starter is very strong. It doubles in 2 hours and triples in 3; it smells wonderfully yeasty and is a bubbly, spongy mass at full expansion. I’m happy to hear that there should be no need to alter it at this stage.
Thanks again and I’ll let y’all know how my first batch of bread comes out.
Best,
Angela
Angela,
No need to add pineapple juice to your already established starter. Not sure it would hurt but feel it is unnecessary at this point. If your starter looks, smells, taste and acts (bubbles, expands,etc. after feeding) like a good starter—it is a good starter. At this point it’s bacteria and yeast are superior to anything bad floating around. If you are getting ready to bake, just replace what you use in equal amounts of flour and water, stir it up and put in your refrigerator until you bake again. If you go a week or more without using your starter, take out of the refrigerator, take out half and discard or make pancakes or waffles. Replace what you take out with equal amounts of flour and water, stir and replace in the refrigerator.
You can use whole wheat flour or rye or a mixture of both for your starter with no problems. Many of us keep such a starter. Personally I have used a 50/50 white whole wheat and rye starter for years. It tends to be a robust starter with good sour taste and keeping qualities. I personally do not use a high gluten flour such as bread flour because SD starter purist say in time, it can become gummy and a little hard to manage. I experienced this although I am sure some people on here have only used bread flour with no problems. A last note about amount of starter to keep and manage. I have found that no more than a cup is plenty and less is more. I keep 1/2 cup and use 1/4 cup at a time. Some recipes call for as little as 1/8 cup in a “retardation/refrigeration process” to improve dough sourness and quality. More on that can be found here in Breadtopia.
This is probably more than you wanted to know. Happy NK SD baking!
Wil
Hi I just found your site via the Thesis portfolio. I started a starter from scratch on 12/8/09 using the method found here: http://www.sourdoughhome.com/startermyway.html. It’s been doing just fine doubling rapidly twice a day after feedings, but I’m concerned after watching your video about possible harmful bacteria. Could I give my starter a few feedings of pineapple juice in stead of water now, to kill any errant germs? I have not used the starter yet (no time at the moment) nor have I refrigerated it. It sits in my kitchen, bubbling happily.
As per the instructions I used, I started my brew with rye flour and after it was doubling reliably, switched to white flour because the author states that whole grain flours add large numbers of stray organisms you don’t want into the starter. He says the organisms are helpful at the beginning, but after the initial 4-6 feedings “we want to refine the starter, encouraging the growth of the organisms we want and discouraging the ones we don’t want”. What is your take on this idea?
Also, half of the starter is discarded just prior to each twice daily feeding. I noticed in your video that you did not discard any. Wouldn’t you end up with a mountain of starter, or do you bake so often that your use of it is like discarding half?
I’m thrilled to have found your site! So full of helpful information. I used to bake breads several times a week but other priorities have taken me from this pleasure. I’m gearing up to start again as a patch of free time approaches. This will be my first foray into sourdough.
It’s ALIVE !!!!! yes conceived just 5 days ago My Ground Hog Day “mother” (Sourdough Starter) was born.. Alive and Kickin’ Next up, Awesome Sourdough Bread !!!! I love making the Wheat and White No-Knead breads… I make a really good Onion and Poppyseed variation. Who would have thought you could make crusty great bread like this at home !!! Breadtopia Rules……
I’m not exactly a novice baker but was a novice bread baker when I made this sour-dough starter over the holidays in December. I’ve been baking bread regularly almost exclusively with my starter. Lately I thought my yeasties were dead but they seem to be just a little lazy. On the last few attempts they seemed to need an extra proofing boost. I have a proofing setting on my oven, so when I mix up the dough I put it in the oven on the proofing setting and wait until I see some action. Once there is action then it seems to continue, even at a lower, cooler house temperature. But if I don’t wake them up with a little warmth, the dough just seems to sorta sit there inactive. Maybe they go to sleep and need to be woken up.
I know my starter is alive because I take it out of the fridge from time to time, feed it and let it sit at room temperature. I always see a little bubbling action. I think they are just lazy and prefer a more temperate climate!
I bake bread daily – many different kinds. I have not been successful with sourdough. I cannot capture wild yeast spores in my house but like one of your other commentators my starter reacts very well within 48 hours, I see the hooch and smell a wonderful sour aroma – as I continue to feed it, it seems to die. I shall try your method, once made beer from pineapples, can I use White High Gluten Bread flour?
I am 20 years old and a very novice bread baker, but I am extremely intrigued but the whole process and i am trying to learn everything I can. I browsed around for a while before I made my starter about three days ago, unfortunately I didn’t come across this site until the deed was done…I had action in my starter very early into day two. Yesterday, I had very little bubbling, but I had what I believe was hooch and a sour smell. Should I be worried? Should I have hooch so soon?
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