No Fail Sourdough Starter

I don’t know about you, but I am getting nervous about the lack of commercial yeast available at the stores right now. At least where I am, it is always sold out. Hopefully one of these days I’ll hit the jackpot and find a container waiting just for me. Until then, did you know you can make your own “yeast” at home, with minimal ingredients, and in just a few days you will be back to baking those delicious loaves of bread.

There is natural, wild yeast all around us just waiting to be collected. All you have to do is create an environment to store it – A sourdough starter! Basically a starter is a mix of flour and water that absorbs the wild yeast and bacteria around you and then ferments (that’s where the sour flavor comes from) to provide a leavening/rising agent to your bread.

Just like commercial yeast, a starter is a living organism and without it your bread won’t rise. In fact, every teaspoon of a starter contains 50 million yeasts and 5 billion bacteria called lactobacilli. Sounds kind of gross, but the bread you produce is definitely not!

Creating sourdough starters have been around for centuries, long before commercial yeast was available. Why? Because it is so easy to create and makes delicious loaves of bread! It does take several days to reach perfection, but it requires very minimal work. Are you ready to create some?

Tip 1: It’s important to feed your starter everyday at around the same time, so make sure you start it at a time that works best for you to remember. I like to start in the evening so that on the sixth day I can have a loaf of sourdough ready for dinner. It’s helpful to put an alarm on your phone or another device so you don’t forget about it.

Tip 2: Do NOT store your starter in a metal container of any kind. Always use plastic or glass. If it is stored in metal, your starter will take on a metallic taste which will not taste good.

Tip 3: There are so many different ways to make sourdough. Some recipes remove half of the starter every day and others just keep feeding it until it is ready and then you remove most of it and store the rest. Either way produces a starter. Personally, I like the latter option because I feel like it’s easier and less wasteful.

Day 1

Add 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat flour if you prefer) and 1 cup of lukewarm water to a large plastic/glass mixing bowl. I like to mix it together with either a plastic spatula or whisk. Mix it together until it is fully incorporated and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the starter loosely with either plastic wrap, a clean dish towel, or if your bowl has a lid you can place it on top. Make sure there is space for air to come into the mixture though. I like to store the starter on the kitchen counter so I don’t forget about it. Set aside.

Day 2

Around 24 hours later, add 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water to the starter and mix with a spatula/whisk until fully incorporated. Cover loosely again and set aside.

Day 3

Twenty-four hours later, add 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water to the starter. Mix to incorporate, cover loosely, and set aside.

Day 4

Twenty four hours later, again add 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water to the starter and mix to incorporate. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula, cover loosely and set aside.

Day 5

Twenty-four hours later, feed the starter again with 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Mix to fully incorporate and scrape down the sides again. It’s almost ready! Cover loosely again and set aside.

Day 5+/6

About 12 hours later your starter should be ready to use! Remove 1 1/2 cups of the starter and store in a glass jar with a lid so you can use it later. The rest of the starter is ready to use to make a beautiful sourdough loaf, pancakes, rolls, etc.

If you plan to use your starter often, you can leave it on the counter and you will need to continue feeding it daily. First you will remove 1 cup of the starter (use it or dump it) and then feed it with 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water.

If you aren’t baking daily loaves of bread, store the starter in the refrigerator and pull it out the day before you are ready to bake. Feed the starter with 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Leave the starter at room temperature, with the lid off until it starts forming bubbles (about 6-12 hours) and then start preparing your dough.

Every time you remove 1 cup of the starter, you will need to feed it 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water. If the starter is growing to large in your jar, remove half of the starter before feeding it.

Give it a name and feed it regularly. If you take care of your starter, it will take care of you – by producing delicious loaves of bread!