Sourdough Starter

AuthorPriyanka Sivaramakrishnan
RatingDifficultyIntermediate

Funky, spunky sourdough starter!

Yields1 Serving
Prep Time20 mins
 500 g Whole wheat flour per feeding
 Water per feeding
DAY 1
1

Mix 100 gms of whole wheat flour with 100 gms of water. Make sure there are no lumps and that there are no dry bits of flour. Clean the top of the jar, loosely close the lid and let it work its magic for about 24 hours. Keep it in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight.

DAY 2
2

Remove 100 gms of the starter from the jar. Replace it with 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms water. This is the 1:1 ratio. One part of the old culture and one part of new culture (made up of half flour and half water.)

To mix, I recommend adding most of the water first, make a slurry and then add the flour.

3

Make sure there are no lumps and that there are no dry bits of flour. Clean the top of the jar, loosely close the lid. Let it rest away from sunlight for another 24 hours. Watch out for bubbling activity.

DAY 3
4

Repeat the same process. 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for another 24 hours. Ideally, you should be noticing a lot more activity, a lot more bubbles.

DAY 4
5

Repeat the same process. 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit i a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for another 24 hours.

DAY 5
6

Now that the starter is much more stable, we are going to move the feedings to twice a day to concentrate more on the funk. 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for about 10 hours this time.

7

After 10 hours, once again, 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for about 10 hours this time.

8

Repeat the 2 times a day feeding for Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, (and if you are like me, Day 14,) until your starter is bubbling away about 6 hours after feeding it. That is when it hits the peak.

9

Your sourdough starter is ready to use now.

Maintenance
10

If you are not planning to use the sourdough discard twice a day, increase the feeding ratio to 1:3. This means 100 gms out and 150 gms of fresh flour and water each. This slows down the fermentation process. You can store this on the counter and repeat the process every 48 hours.

11

If you plan to use your starter only once a week, you can refrigerate the starter. Each time you have to feed, remove the starter, let it sit on the counter to let it come down to room temperature. Feed the starter and let it sit on the counter for a little while until the activity begins. Put it back in the fridge in a couple of hours. Feed again in a week-10 days.

Ingredients

 500 g Whole wheat flour per feeding
 Water per feeding

Directions

DAY 1
1

Mix 100 gms of whole wheat flour with 100 gms of water. Make sure there are no lumps and that there are no dry bits of flour. Clean the top of the jar, loosely close the lid and let it work its magic for about 24 hours. Keep it in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight.

DAY 2
2

Remove 100 gms of the starter from the jar. Replace it with 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms water. This is the 1:1 ratio. One part of the old culture and one part of new culture (made up of half flour and half water.)

To mix, I recommend adding most of the water first, make a slurry and then add the flour.

3

Make sure there are no lumps and that there are no dry bits of flour. Clean the top of the jar, loosely close the lid. Let it rest away from sunlight for another 24 hours. Watch out for bubbling activity.

DAY 3
4

Repeat the same process. 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for another 24 hours. Ideally, you should be noticing a lot more activity, a lot more bubbles.

DAY 4
5

Repeat the same process. 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit i a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for another 24 hours.

DAY 5
6

Now that the starter is much more stable, we are going to move the feedings to twice a day to concentrate more on the funk. 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for about 10 hours this time.

7

After 10 hours, once again, 100 gms out. 50 gms of fresh flour and 45 gms of water in. Let it sit in a warm spot, away from direct sunlight for about 10 hours this time.

8

Repeat the 2 times a day feeding for Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, (and if you are like me, Day 14,) until your starter is bubbling away about 6 hours after feeding it. That is when it hits the peak.

9

Your sourdough starter is ready to use now.

Maintenance
10

If you are not planning to use the sourdough discard twice a day, increase the feeding ratio to 1:3. This means 100 gms out and 150 gms of fresh flour and water each. This slows down the fermentation process. You can store this on the counter and repeat the process every 48 hours.

11

If you plan to use your starter only once a week, you can refrigerate the starter. Each time you have to feed, remove the starter, let it sit on the counter to let it come down to room temperature. Feed the starter and let it sit on the counter for a little while until the activity begins. Put it back in the fridge in a couple of hours. Feed again in a week-10 days.

Sourdough Starter


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