Maybe its being in the so called "Quarantine" that we are in with the whole Covid-19 issues, then again, maybe not. However, I finally decided to make my own Sourdough Starter. I was surprised how easy it is to make and the amazing flavors you can get from one. Since making my starter I have used it for Whole Wheat Sourdough Pancakes and I have made a few loaves of sourdough bread. I will be honest, the perfect loaf still eludes me, but I will keep trying.
Sourdough Starter
What you will need:
Flour
Water
32 oz or bigger container
How to Make The Sourdough Starter:
Day #1: Mix 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water in your container and stir well to combine. Your container can be anything that is 32oz or bigger, preferably a glass jar (like seen above) or I have even used a 32 oz food grade plastic container, that has a lid that i could put on loosely. Cover the container, but not tightly. Place somewhere warm, about 70*F if possible.
Day # 2: After 24 hours you will want to discard 1/2 of your starter. To the remaining starter, about 1/2 cup worth, add 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and stir well to combine.
Day #3: You should be seeing some activity with the starter. Bubbles should be forming and if you have it in a glass jar, you should easily be able to see them. You might even be able to notice a distinct different smell now as well. You will want to discard 1/2 of your starter, which should leave you with about 1/2 cup. To the remaining starter add 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and stir well to combine.
Day #4: Measure out 1/2 cup of your starter and to that combine 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Still well to make sure it is good and mixed up.
Day #5: Once again take 1/2 cup of the starter, and add to that 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. Mix it well. Assuming that your storing it in a warm, not hot, location, you should be seeing some really good activity by the end of day #5. It should also smell quite "tangy". If you are anything like me, this will make you want to make some bread immediately!
Day #6: Do it one more time, take 1/2 cup of the starter, and add to that 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. Mix it well. On this day you should see your starter expanding, aka growing, fairly quickly. If you look at the 3 pictures above, the 2nd one was taken 1 hour and 40 minutes after the first one and the 3rd one was taken 1 hour and 42 minutes after that. My house runs cool normally, so if your house is warmer, you should see activity even sooner.
Day #7: Your starter should be ready to be used at this point. To use it, you will need to remove as much as you will need for your recipe, then with the remainder, transfer 1/2 cup of the starter to the jar you want to use and add 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water and mix well. You will want to leave this on the counter (I put mind on the top of my fridge) for a few hours to make sure it does it thing.
Then you can put your starter in the fridge to store until you need it. It is recommended that you "feed" your starter by taking 1/2 cup of it and adding 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water each week to keep it alive and active.
What kind of flour to use: I started mine with Whole Wheat Flour. It is said that you can use any flour as long as it is not bleached. I did not have any unbleached flour, except for my Whole Wheat. Around day # 5 I started transitioning it to the unbleached flour that I was able to get. My Sourdough Starter is now fully All Purpose, Unbleached Flour.
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