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. Click here for a printable copy of it.
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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Thanks Wil,
Pineapple never lasts long enough in our house to have noticed it juices out naturally over time. I will cover the bowl with tin foil and label it “cauliflower” to camouflage it in the fridge. That should buy me at least a few days before someone realizes I usually don’t label stuff.
I will surely update when I have something going. Actually, the flour I am using right now is lousy so hopefully I will have better flour by then too.
Thanks for the tip! (I could just see myself beating the crap out of the fruit and making a huge mess trying to get juice.)
April,
If you just twist the top off then cut the pineapple in half, then in quarters, cut the rind off like you would a melon. Then cut the core off, slice in to cubes and put in a bowl. Put it into the refrig and the juice will come out. You can squeez down gently on the cubes to hurry it if you want to get started. In a couple of days you will have enough juice. I had to wait a few days to let my pineapple ripen on the counter. It was really green but I don’t know if that matters. If you do make it, compare with your old starter and let us know if there is a difference. I haven’t used mine yet so I don’t know how well it will rise the bread yet. It is still young.
Wil
Wil
I passed the pineapples today at the grocery store and thought seriously about trying a new starter, but figured my old starter is just fine. I don’t think I will pass them over next time I am at the store. Thanks for the push, Wil.
How do you get the juice from the pineapple? A lemon reamer? I feel like a real dunce at the moment but I can’t wrap my brain around it.
Mikhael,
I think it is so good, I am switching over to the new pineapple starter. It has been days now and it responds immediately to refreshing, lots of action and doubles as soon as it warms up after taking it out of the frige and it still taste great. I am going to refresh it a couple of times today and mix some dough up tonight. I am serious when I say I believe that an infusion of fresh pineapple juice (maybe store bought too) into a not-so good starter, may restore it into a healthy one.
Wil
Wil,
Thanks for checking out the “pineapple theory”! Good to see that there appears to be something to this. Since I have little experience with starters I wondered if I was just getting excited about nothing, but it appears that this is a valid new method for getting a starter going…..awesome….
This method will most likely work with all sorts of “raw” fruits (even fresh acidic vegetable juices?), fresh OJ etc. and I’ll bet that each one imparts it’s own special flavor to the starter.
Mikhael
Is it ok.. if we don’t use the starter right away.. I know it takes about 5 days to make the starter.. I did not have a chance to make bread.. so I kept adding flour and water.. and it was still bubbly.. will it die off if not used after the 5 days. . if and when we use the 1/4 cup to make bread.. do we start at step 1 all over again to continue the process of keeping the starter doing for the next batch of bread.. I noticed that the starter is not as thick as it was originally.. does that mean it is no good.. or should it just be thrown out and started again if we don’t use it within the five days. Please let me know, so that I can do it correctly.
thanks
Jeannie w.
Eric,
I love your website! Thank you for sharing. I have recently made my own starter using the recipe here, and have made 3 loaves now of sourdough bread. While it’s getting better, I still feel like it’s a little dense. Any ideas why? Tips or pointers you can offer up? Thanks! I never want to buy bread again!
Just discovered your amazing website and wanted to thank for the push to try making my own sourdough starter. I didn’t use pineapple juice just plain water, after the third feeding added WW flour to the AP, and covered it with a paper towel. I used the CI almost NKB sourdough recipe with the beer and vinegar you featured here, with a few changes. I added 1/4 cup starter to the liquid, increased the WW flour by 1/4 cup, and let it sit out for 24 hours. The results were amazing! Great sour tasting sourdough and my family loves it.
If not for your site I wouldn’t have tried it, THANKS!
Theresa
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Some results are in. The pineapple starter using juice from a fresh pineapple is in the third day and I just had to go to step #3. It was really working after the 1st 48 hrs (36 really). All I can say is WOW! This starter already taste great. It is already a little power house. I thought my starter was good but I think this may beat it. The 2nd pineapple starter that had a kick start from some scrapings from a starter jar was working in just about 24 hrs and is also doing very well and has a taste like the starter from scratch. Both have a very different kind of sour taste than my regular starters. I can’t describe it other than it is sour without a tang. The starter refreshed with regular city tap water did ok and acted just like it always has. No problems, although I don’t think I will continue to use tap water. I am wondering if one was to refresh a problem starter with pineapple juice, it might fix it. Kind of like “take 2 asprins and check in the morning”. Maybe pineapple juice is starter medicine.
Wil
Ok, I have some experiments going on. I have a pineapple, whole wheat starter from scratch going. I have a pineapple whole wheat w/scrapings from an active starter jar, to kick start it. I also have a 100% rye starter that when I refreshed it this morning, instead of dumping half of it, I took that half and refreshed it with city tap water. The water has always smelled and tasted ok, so I’ll see what happens. As far as the pineapple experiment goes, I ask myself why am I doing this? I have great starters that I really like already. I think the intent of the pineapple method was to give people a chance of culturing a good SD starter with almost assured success. Once you have the starter going, it will grow up to be what it will be. After a number of generations with proper maintenance, it will not be pineapple but a healthy starter with a nice sour, sweet smelling taste. Just my thoughts. The proof will be in the bread. (AAP – Almost a Pun!)
Wil
Hi Jessie,
You shouldn’t have to do a whole lot of experimenting since the above directions have been proven effective by those who have gone before me. But even following the instructions perfectly doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to have success since sometimes you just don’t capture any yeast, or for whatever reason, it just doesn’t work.
Sometimes you have to try several times. Also, 100° may be too warm. Just stick with room temp.
Hi,
Ive recently taken up bread baking and have began to grow my own starter. It’s been about 4 days and so far Im having mixed results. Either the recipe is testing my short patience, or I have killed it…?
Based on the research i’ve done it seems like “killing” the starter is pretty difficult, since people did this for thousands of years with no fancy directions. Maybe I am just over thinking the whole thing, but regardless I have no one to ask to sooth my worries, or perhaps give me some reassurance or advice.
Basically, I mixed 1c flour w 1 cup warm water, left it in a jar. About 12-16 hours later the starter foamed up and expanded greatly. It was awesome.
but then it just kind of fizzled out, though I had a very strong sour odor.
I tossed half and fed it but since then growth has been very slow. There are some bubbles, but none of the froth that was there after 24 hours. and it doesn’t smell as strong. there also was hooch that I stirred in and have since dumped out. I’ve been following directions, but also kind of “winging” it. Now I have 3 different starters.
One I have been feeding every 12 hour or so, one ever 24 or so and the other I just started yesterday. There is very little activity in any of them.
Am I a terrible starter mom? I have been keeping them on my gas stove? Though not over 100 degrees, maybe it is too hot? Im experimenting with what works but I need some experienced guidance.
Is it possible that have day 2 the original starter was ready?
Thanks!
Hi Wil,
I don’t think using your starter will take away from the quality, but IMHO if you really want to test this out I would start totally from scratch that way you would know for certain if there is anything to this method. It sounds like you have experience with starter so I would be interested in hearing your opinion using the fresh juice. Since it was my first starter I don’t have much to go on.
Maybe you should do both, use your old starter and also start from scratch then compare them…
I have since made some bread from the starter. It does not taste very sour, it may need more time and I am a newbie at sourdough so I think I need some practice.
Mikhael
Jeannie,
I feed my very active starter and put it right in the fridge (mine runs at 37 degrees). before it bubbles. In a few days it is bubbling, even in the fridge. It will even rise a little bit. If I am not using it, I take it out in about a week and stir it up real good, put it back and check in a few more days and it is usually bubbling again. If I am not baking by then, I take it out, let it warm up a little bit, throw half of it out, re-fresh it and put it back in the fridge. When I convert it, I take out just a tablespoon of starter and add to it the kind of flour I want to use and water for the consistancy I like. I do this about 3 or 4 times, even if it doubles earlier. I then have a new starter, Spelt for example. Others may do it differently. There seems to be a “counter top” school and a “refridge” one. I personally think keeping a good starter in the fridge and not letting it sit too long on the counter (unless you use it a lot) improves the quality, lets the lacto bugs gain some ground on the yeasties. I like to let my bread dough sit in the fridge a day before I start the 12-18 hour proof.
But with all of that said, Eric is really the starter Guru but I hope some of what I said is true. It works for me.
Wil
Mikhael, I agree with Jeannie W. Way to go! It reminds me of a passage in one of Peter Reinhart’s books, when a student whould raise a question regarding “what if?” I have my fresh pineapple ready to go. I may try starting it with just the scrapings left in the bottom of one of my white starters (a very good one) to give it a jump start. It wouldn’t be starting from scratch that way but do you think it will take anything away from the idea behind the pineapple theory / quality?
Wil
HI Mikhael
You are so clever.. I think it is great that you did the experiment with the real pineapple juice.. I used the canned stuff and it has taken the 5 days. I think your concept makes alot of sense.. as well as it is so much healthier then the canned. I Need to learn more about eating more raw foods.. good for you. We love to eat salads.. and I try to be creative.. but we need to learn how to eat more raw foods. My husband loves bread.. and I am told not to eat wheat from my Naturopath. so I will slowly wean my sourdough starter and make it with Spelt flour. Right now it is made with Organic Whole wheat flour.. one thing I don’t know is when I use the sourdough starter.. do I start the recipe all over again, to make more starter.. and can I then start using Spelt white or whole grain.. If any one else knows please let me know.. and can the starter be kept in the fridge after it has bubbles? Or is it not necessary? Please fill me in on details.. Happy raw eating.
Jeannie W.
Canada
Hi Folks,
FYI to anybody interested in how I made my sourdough starter. I am a nutritionist and eat a lot of raw foods and I noticed that everybody was using what I call “dead” pineapple juice to make their starter. What I mean by “dead” is that the juice is from a can meaning that it has been processed, heated to kill various organism etc… What happens in the canning process is that all of the enzymes, beneficial bacteria and YEAST etc that may be present are killed off. It may be safer for public consumption (a matter of opinion) but it is not as healthy when all the enzymes are killed off.
I wondered what would happen if I used juice that had all the live “critters” still kicking around? So I did a little experiment and made two starters using pineapple juice; one from fresh squeezed pineapple and the other from canned pineapple juice. I know it is only one experiment, but the difference was striking. In the fresh squeezed juice starter I had a few bubbles by the end of the first day (I have never made starter before so I simply thought that I did something wrong and attributed the bubbles to air). After 2 1/2 days (less than 72 hours) I had a full blown starter. After 3 full days It would easily double in size after each feeding. It smells and tastes stronger than the starter made from canned juice and it is still getting a bit stronger and a little “sweet” tasting if that makes any sense.
The other starter made from the canned “dead” juice is doing well after 5 days, but it does not taste as strong, sweet or “smooth” (don’t know how else to describe it) as the other. It taste “harsh” and bitter compared to the fresh juice starter. In addition, there is no question that the starter made from the fresh squeezed pineapple is significantly more vigorous than the other!
It’s just a one time experiment so take this info as you wish, but I thought maybe others might want to try this and see how it goes. I figure that the “live” juice that I used has all sorts of beneficial bacteria and apparently even some yeast that are making this starter much different than the other! My starter made from the “dead” juice is doing just fine and I would never know the difference if it were not for trying this experiment. Since it’s my first starter I don’t have much to go on, BUT like I said the starter made from the fresh juice is what I would call much better after 6 days than the other. Maybe I have some yeast from Hawaii in that pineapple juice? I don’t know if yeast can actually be inside a fruit, but my starter sure us doing well….
Going to give it a few more days and then try and make some bread with it
Mikhael
It may be. Or it may just be harder to see how it’s going. The bran in whole grains tend to cut the gluten strands to some degree or another and reduce the amount of rise you would get otherwise with the equivalent white flour version. It could be fermenting as well but just less visible.
Just a note: I was using white spelt flour, thus it probably gave me more activity when I was converting my starter. Whole spelt may be harder to get going. (Eric?)
Wil
Hi Jeannie,
I took a couple of tablespoons of my white SD starter and mixed it with a half cup of spelt and not quite a half cup of water. It actually was working pretty nicely after a few hours. I dumped half of it, replaced it with another 1/4 cup of spelt and just enough water to keep it the consistency I like (little less then 1/4 cup). I refreshed it one more time. It should double in at least a couple of hours. It was ready to go that night when I made my dough. I made a white spelt bread and it was delicious.
Wil
Hi Alex,
I suggest starting a starter with regular white flour until it’s going strong. Then feed it with spelt (or whatever) flour a few times until it’s spelt starter. It’s just easier this way plus you have something “normal” to compare your spelt starter to.
You can also use balsamic vinegar instead of pineapple juice. Do the same as prescribed above, but use filtered water instead of pineapple juice for step 1 & 2. Just add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar along with the water (only during step 1 & 2 is this necessary).
This helps nock the PH down and works just great! I have done this several times and never had a starter fail. I have also tried it with just plain water and no vinegar or acidic fruit juice and it seems to fail atleast half the time.
Someone Mentioned that they started their Sour Dough starter with Spelt flour.. I don’t think the there is enough Gluten in the spelt flour to produce the same effect as white or wholewheat flour.. could someone please comment on that.. I would love to be able to start with just Spelt, because I don’t want to use white or wholewheat.. but I believe that it is not possible to use a less glutenous grain such as spelt. Please let me know what you all think.
Jeannie W.
Thanks for your videos, they helped me to know what a good starter looks like. I had never baked with one before, but I really wanted to try to make my own rather than buy one. (I love little science projects.)
I didn’t have any pineapple juice, so I just started with 1/4 cup white flour and 1/4 cup water. I also fed it in 2-tablespoon increments after the 3rd day, because I was thinking perhaps I’d save some flour. It took 13 days to get a proper starter, but I was determined! I can see why the pineapple method might help things along as there really is a “lull” in between the different stages of bubblings, where people might think the starter is dead or unsuccessful. I almost threw mine out twice–once after the third day when it smelled pretty rancid (that eventually went away), and then when it just sat there doing nothing from days 5-10. On day 11 it started bubbling a little bit and on day 13 took off like gangbusters. So I got mine going with white (King Arthur) flour and water, but it took 2 weeks. Towards the end of this process I read the Peter Reinhart advice to frequently stir the starter so doing that that may have helped.
I’ve already made bagels and cinnamon rolls with it–yum. Anyway, I hope my little experiment encourages someone else not to give up or perhaps go the pineapple juice route to speed things up. There really is a difference between the initial bubbling and “rising” and a good starter rising. It was also interesting to smell it every day and see how it changes from day to day. There are different smells–sometimes it smells kind of beer-y, sometimes spoiled, and then it gets this yeasty sharp smell. Right now it is really sour and kind of sharp. I hope that’s right.
I started my sourdough starter using whole Spelt flour. It is ending the second 48 hrs and it has a layer of liquid on top (hooch?) it seems very glutenous but not a lot of bubbles. I had tried this before with the spelt flour and water and got the same thing… thinking I had some bad culture growing I tossed it and started fresh. Now I don’t know what to do next… is this how spelt starter looks?
Alex
AO,
I have several starters which separate like you said. Just stir it all back in. Others never separate.
I use white flour starters to make rye and whole wheat bread. I simply add the “flavoring” flour that I want to use in that particular recipe. That said, I do have a strong rye sour starter that I use for my Jewish Rye and my sour Rye breads.
Just to throw something else in for you to think about, I also use “altus” in my Rye breads. Altus is simply left over Rye bread (any left over goes into a plastic bag and into the freezer), soaked in water for a while and then squeezed to remove most of the moisture. I add about a half cup of that to my doughs. It seems to improve the flavor. I learned that trick from “Secrets of a Jewish Baker” by Greenstein.
I do NOT maintain a whole wheat starter simply because it seems to mold easily and rapidly on me.
Most of the recipes I use call for a cup of starter. I have been experimenting and am now down to a quarter cup of a well fed starter. Takes several hours long for the initial rise, but I cannot see any difference in the second rise, the oven spring, the crust nor the crumb.
Bob
Thanks Bob, my oversite. I believe now I have a starter on the go.
I have in the last 2 hours added the last addition of flour & water and it has been transferred to a jar. The jar now has about a (large – 300ml) cup full of starter, I assume this is where I have to start maintaining it.
A query: just before I added the last amount of flour (and it had been like this over the last few days) the mixture would froth/bubble on the top then under that it was sort of liquid and then under that there is the rest of the mix. Is it normal to separate like this over the making stage between the additions of flour?
Since the final addition of flour it is like what you showed in the video. It looks good and has a strong (I suppose fermented sort of sweet-sour) smell. I have made it from white spelt. Does this mean I have to make the loaf from white spelt flour? In turn do I have to adjust my starter to the flour I am about to bake with? This is what I seem to gather from the discussions above. Or can you mix and match starters and baking flours?
It is evening my time now and wonder if I can start baking with this tomorrow (as I only need a 1/4 cup for your sourdough spelt recipe, so I already have enough)? Or do I have to continue feeding it for a bit? How soon after a feed can I use it? Should I just wait for it to double or does it need to be a least 12-24 hours?
Thanks for all the help on the videos and the feedback on the above forum
AO,
If I may toot my own horn, go to my website (www.allthingsbread.bravehost.com) and look for the instructions on care and feeding of starters. It is step by step and should help you out.
Bob
Hi Jeannie
Yes, absolutely. Just take your existing starter, if you have some, and feed it spelt flour for a while. After a few feedings it will be spelt starter. This is what I did in the spelt bread recipe I recently posted.
If you don’t presently have a starter, and plan to make one yourself, I recommend getting it going with regular white flour first because I think you’ll find it easier and then transition it to spelt starter once it’s well established.
By the way, I am not sure at when my starter is actually at a point to use? Is it straight after point 4 where the 1/2 cup of flour is added and then left for an hour or so?
Also how do I keep starter for next time? How long can I keep it in the jar and I am confused as to how to maintain it if I only need to use it say once a week
Further on from my comment above: I wiped the mould way from the top where it was evident (using clean paper/kitchen towel). Making sure I was leaving a clean dry surface so it wouldn’t come back and continued with the process. When I looked at the starter at the end of the second 48 hrs it had begun to show activity (as had hoped for) and did not smell off at all, and there was no evidence of mould. So it appears I have overcome that hurdle. I have just added the 5 and a quarter spoons of flour and 3 spoons of water (I have used bottled spring water as I didn’t have any purified on hand). I’ll see how this goes from here.
Can you make sour dough starter using Spelt flour instead of Whole Wheat or white.. for some of us that cannot sure wheat.
Thanks Jeannie W.
I am only 36 hours into making my first ever starter. I have noticed on this most recent stir that near the top of the container where some of the mixture sticks to the sides that there is mould. I have wiped this away as it is only at the top, but wonder if it could become toxic to use or contaminate the rest of the starter. Can I still continue or is any mould and indicater that I should start again. Room temperature where I live is ranges between 19-28 degrees celsius over 24hrs and I’m not to sure if this is too warm to grow starter. Should I start again? Is this normal. Is it too warm? The container was clean (it had been through a dishwasher) and I kept it covered in the top shelf of my cupboard. Advice?
Phil,
Did you feed the starter well before you put it back in the refrigerator? If not, you might have starved the poor critters. I always feed well and then immediately put the starter back in the fridge so it has something to munch on until I need it again.
Try feeding your starter twice a day for about 5 days to see if that odor goes away. I am thinking it is just hungry.
Bob
Gosh, I don’t know, Phil. If more feedings don’t eventually help then starting another, as you’re doing, sounds like the way to go.
I am having a problem with a starter about 10 days old.
I made one loaf with it that came out great, and then I put the starter in the refrigerator for a couple of days then brought it out to start again for another.
I fed and came back a few hours later, and it had restarted well, but when I opened the lid it no longer had the right smell but rather an off juice smell. I have removed most of the starter leaving only 2 tablespoons, cleaned the jar and restarted and fed it. The problem is that the smell is still there, an off or rancid smell that got better but is still there. Meanwhile I started another. Any ideas? thanks
AO, my kids also do not like any sour at all- and I mean even the tiniest hint gets them complaining. I use the herman way of feeding- equal parts milk and unbleached flour and about half of a part of sugar ( I try to go easy on the sugar). I also do not put my starter in the fridge as I heard that can make it more sour, mine lives on my counter and has for over a year now.
The way I maintain my starter is about a cup in a wooden ice bucket (I had mine branded bread starter on it) the kind with the plastic liner inside. I may neglect it for weeks, but when I know I am going to want to bake with it I feed it (which makes 2 cups), wait 12-24 hours and I feed it again(now 4 cups), wait another 12 hours or so then I use it to bake with. The frequent feedings make it as mild as it can be and raring to go. I have read that the sourness is the by products of starved yeast- by well feeding it right before several times it is gorged instead of starving. I also may add a little sugar to say biscuit recipes…only a little maybe a couple Tbl. I typically make a couple things needing in total about 3 cups of starter which again leaves me with one that I set aside and forget about for what could be weeks until the next time.
Also the kind of flour you use dictates how sour it will be to a degree. Wheat can get pretty sour and so can rye…I don’t know about rice or other types of flour. I believe that the milk also helps to give a milder flavor and the sugar helps counteract the sour.
Just my opinions and what I do, hope it helps.
Marianne – there are various multigrain mixes in natural food type grocery stores but you can also add your own grains, seeds, nuts. They don’t have to be roasted before hand but roasted nuts happed to taste very good.
AO – By feeding your starter very well before baking, you will keep it fresher and a fresher starter will help produce a more mildly sour bread.
Thanks for this video. It was very clear and easy as far a instructions go. I am keen to make my own bread as I try to avoided yeasted breads. However I am keen on bread that is not too sour. In fact I do not like the sour to be prominent at all. Does that mean I use a starter that is less mature? Any other tips. By the way, this a great site and easy to navigate. Thanks
Thank you for these wonderful videos. I learn much quicker by watching. I have tried the no knead bread, but I must be the only one that has failed at this. I should mention here that I used someone elses recipe, so I will try again with your instructions. My dough was very runny, and could not be handled. It was almost like cake batter when I dumped it out onto the pastry board. I had no choice but to add flour to keep it from running off the board. Once I had added enough flour to be able to handle it, I could sense that this would not work out. I have worked successfully a fair amount with yeast doughs, and this was destined to fail. Thank goodness I found your website. There might still be some hope of success with this approach.
I do have one question. When you see a no knead recipe that incorporates “a multigrain mix” is this something that comes packaged, or can you select your own grains like sunflower and pumpkin seeds? and do they have to be roasted before adding them?
Hey Eric,
WOW! just stumbled upon this website via someones comments at another great site: http://www.culinate.com (“eat your ideal”). What an incredible resource you have here! And such a service to people who love to bake. My interest has been exponential lately and I am ready for a wild starter. This has given me the little push I needed to just go for it. Thanks so much for what you have created here. I am going to share this with many dear friends.
salud! -Ian
This is an incredibly easy recipe and I have found it works beautifully with unbleached AP flour. bleached AP flour, as well as whole wheat flour. It’s my “go to” sourdough starter recipe from here on.
Thanks for the demonstration and encouragement.
Hi Carolyn,
I feed my starter equal weights of flour and water. Which, if I understand how baker’s percentages are figured, works out to 100% hydration.
In actual practice, I usually don’t measure at all. But that’s pretty close to what it ends up being.
I just converted part of my starter to 70% hydration and I’m having a heck of a time trying to figure out on an ongoing basis how much to feed it. If I have 4oz starter do I feed it 4oz flour and 2.8oz water? Also, Eric what hydration percentage do you keep your starters at?
Thanks!
The best sour dough starter is a tablespoon of mashed/ground currant (resins), 3 table spoon ful whole wheat flour, 1-tea spoon of sugar and enough water. Mix well and leave for 3-4 days at room temp in a bottle that has holes in the cover. The yeast comes from the resins. Bacteria comes from the air. We use the no knead technique with the sour dough culture and it turns out great. It is a two day process but the result is great! We never baked bread in our lives before and if we can do it any one can do it.
Raj,
Sweden.
Hi, Eric. Thanks for the interesting recipes – I’ve really enjoyed trying them. Here’s a time-saver that works well for me.
Instead of feeding my starter little bits over the course of a day or two, I add all the flour and water required at one time. I start with a 1/4 – 1/2 cup of starter that’s been stored in my fridge since the last time I baked. I leave this mixture sitting on the counter until it looks really lively and I give it a good stir every 4 hours or so. This takes 8 – 12 hours usually, in my cool kitchen.
Once my starter became good and lively (after about 3 weeks) it seemed that it could stand up to any kind of abuse. I leave it in the fridge between bakings and only feed it when I’m ready to bake again. Even sitting in the fridge for a couple of weeks doesn’t seem to bother it.
Anyway, thanks again for getting me started on a fun hobby. The first bread I made was your Poilane and it’s still one of our favourites.
regards,
Angela
Hi Marty,
I try not to pay too much attention to the jargon. I’ve forgotten what the difference is between a “seed” and “mother” culture. I do bake a fair amount from Reinhart’s whole grain book and when a recipe calls for starter, I use what’s in my starter jar. Works great.
Eric: I have made a very active starter following your recipe. I just got Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads book and he refers to your starter as a seed culture for the mother starter. I am a little confused. Can I use your starter as the mother starter or do I convert it to the mother starter in the book? I see that you use this book as a reference and would like your ideas on this.
Marty
I keep a Brita filter pitcher of water on my counter and use the room temperature water in all my starters AND my breads. Cool/cold water slows down the action. Too hot will kill the nice little critters in your starter.
If you had kids, remember how you tested the baby bottle on your wrist? Voila!
Bob
My 1st sourdough starter is really thick. After one day in refrigerator I took it out to use for the NK. Following the instructions, I put the 1/4 cup in the 1 1/2 cup water and the starter sank to the bottom like some amorphorus blob! I had to stir it for a long time before it finally before it finally dissolved. So, I guess the water should be warm to deal with the thick starter more quickly and easily. I guess I would be safe with water no warmer than 105F? Anybody have a thought on this?
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