A Beginner's Guide to Sourdough Baking at Home

Welcome to part one of my sourdough series! Today we are starting at the beginning. Sourdough Starter. What is it? What does it do? How do I make it, and how do I use it? I'm here to break it down to the basics for you! Stay tuned later in this series for a bunch of sourdough recipes to make good use of your new sourdough starter.

Sourdough starter is basically the bread-baker’s equivalent to a houseplant. It needs just a little tending to stay alive, but it’ll pay off in spades after consistent care. If the thought of a houseplant makes you nervous, do not be dismayed. A thriving sourdough starter is, in my opinion, much easier to achieve that a perfectly happy houseplant…although I do aspire to improve upon my houseplantery skills.

A happy, lively sourdough starter just gets better and better with time with very little maintenance involved as well. As the starter becomes more and more active, it ultimately yields an even better quality bread (or other sourdough recipe). Stay tuned for the rest of this series for a bunch of other non-bread uses for your starter!

The first thing to know before you jump in to making your own sourdough starter is how and why it works.

What is a sourdough starter?

Sourdough starter is the base from which sourdough bread (and other sourdough recipes) get their rising action and signature tangy flavor. It is a slurry made from flour and water that develops and is later used in various sourdough recipes in place of (or in addition to) yeast as a rising agent.

How does it work?

Sourdough starter relies on wild yeast in combination with the naturally-occurring friendly bacteria to develop when activated by water. As they work together, they produce gas bubbles that cause the bread to rise just like other breads and rolls get their rise from packaged yeast.

How do I keep it alive?

The wild yeast and friendly bacteria need to be fed, just like any other living organisms do. After the initial creation of the starter, a sourdough starter will need to be fed once every 5-7 days. This “feeding” simply requires discarding some of the starter, and adding equal parts starter/flour/water together. It is very simple to do and will allow your starter to continue to mature and develop, which allows for even greater depth of flavor and more active bubbles.

What can I use it for?

The obvious answer to this question is breads, but I’ve also got several sourdough recipes coming later in this series that are not for a traditional loaf breads.

SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE

Note** Using a digital scale to weigh ingredients is strongly recommended if you plan to work with sourdough. Weighing the ingredients provide precise accuracy, but also make the feeding process much more quick and easy because it eliminates using and washing multiple measuring cups twice a day. I've included a free downloadable PDF to make it easy to follow along with the sourdough starter process. Click HERE to view and download the free Sourdough Starter Process Checklist.

DAY ONE. EVENING.

Ingredients:

• 115 grams organic whole wheat flour, about 1 cup. (Whole wheat flour is only used on day 1. It is important to use organic whole wheat flour for this first feeding due to the higher amounts of nutrients needed for the wild yeast and friendly bacteria to develop.)
• 115 grams lukewarm/room temperature water, about ½ cup (If ambient temperature in room is cool, use lukewarm water. Otherwise use room temperature water.)

Method: In a medium glass bowl, stir whole wheat flour and water together until combined. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours.

DAY TWO. EVENING.

Ingredients:

• 115 grams starter, not quite 1 cup
• 115 grams all-purpose flour, about 1 cup
• 115 grams water, about ½ cup

Method: Stir the starter, then discard all but 115 grams of starter. Add all-purpose flour and water, stirring to combine. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours.

DAY THREE. EVENING. (STANDARD FEEDING PROCESS)

Ingredients:

• 115 grams starter, not quite 1 cup
• 115 grams all-purpose flour, about 1 cup
• 115 grams water, about ½ cup

Method: Stir down the starter, then discard all but 115 grams of starter. Add all-purpose flour and water, stirring to combine. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 12 hours.

DAY FOUR. MORNING. (2 FEEDINGS TODAY, 12 HOURS APART.)

Repeat standard feeding process as done on Day 3. Starter will likely be shaggy, wet, and stretchy at this point.

DAY FOUR. EVENING.

Repeat standard feeding process as done on Day 3. More bubbles will begin to appear, and there will be a more noticeable increase in volume at this point.

DAY FIVE. MORNING. (2 FEEDINGS TODAY, 12 HOURS APART.)

Repeat standard feeding process as done on Day 3. Observe larger bubbles, starter growing more in volume.

DAY FIVE. EVENING.

Repeat standard feeding process as done on Day 3.

DAY SIX. MORNING. (2 FEEDINGS TODAY, 12 HOURS APART.)

Repeat standard feeding process as done on Day 3.

DAY SIX. EVENING.

Repeat standard feeding process as done on Day 3.

DAY SEVEN. MORNING.

Look closely at the starter to make sure it is risen and bubbly. If it is not, continue feeding process twice daily for another day or two. Otherwise, your starter is now ready to be transferred to a large jar with a lid and refrigerated.

Congratulations! You’ve got your very own baby sourdough starter! It’s time to get ready to bake all the things. Keep in mind, as time goes on, your starter will become more and more active and also gain a greater depth of flavor. Those first few loaves of sourdough bread won’t have quite the same outcome as those made with a more mature starter. I found that my starter really went gangbusters after about 7 or 8 weeks. A significantly noticeable increase in bubble activity as well as the rise and flavor of my breads.

MAINTENANCE FEEDINGS: (ONCE EVERY 5-7 DAYS)

I always feed my sourdough starter on Sundays. It’s just easy for me to remember “Sourdough Sundays”. Feel free to adapt to your own schedule, but be sure to be consistent. A reminder in your phone might be helpful until it becomes second nature.

EVERY SUNDAY MORNING.

Repeat standard feeding process as done on Day 3. Make sure that starter has rested at room temperature for 12 hours after a feeding before transferring to refrigerator.

EVERY SUNDAY EVENING.

Return rested starter to refrigerator and leave it alone until you’re ready to bake or until next week’s feeding.

How to Use Sourdough Starter:

Each time you use your starter in a recipe calling for starter, you’ll measure out the required starter according to the recipe.

Some recipes call for “fed starter”, in this case, you’ll use your starter 8-12 hours after a feeding. (I typically just feed mine the day before I plan to bake.) Do not use starter immediately after a feeding. It needs time to develop at room temperature. Measure out the fed starter, then using the remaining starter, feed as usual according to the starter process. Keep in mind that the ratio for feeding starter is 1:1:1 when weighing in grams. For instance, there may be a time where the amount of starter you have leftover after measuring your fed starter for a recipe that doesn’t weight the usual 115 grams. That’s okay. Weigh out however much starter you have, and use equal amounts of flour and water to continue the feeding process.

Other recipes may call for “discard starter”. This is simply the leftover starter from when you feed your sourdough starter. I love recipes that call for discard starter because it saves me from wasting the discard, however it does make an excellent addition to a healthy compost pile.

Tip: If you have plans for a recipe that calls for a large amount of starter (more than 1 cup), or if you’re planning to bake multiple sourdough recipes in a short period of time, it might be a good idea to double your starter at the final feeding prior to baking. To double your starter: Feed as usual, but instead of discarding all of the remaining starter, you’ll measure out an additional 115 grams of starter and feed that as well. You’ll now have two batches of starter going. This is also how you would gift starter to friends.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next post in this series, a Basic Sourdough Bread. After that, we're moving past loaves of bread and on to some other fun uses for sourdough starter!