MAKING A SOURDOUGH STARTER

Directions

My goal in creating a sourdough starter was to come DAY 1

up with a method that would be easy for anyone. I also didn't want to end up with an excess of starter that would have to be thrown away, so I started with a very small amount. I find that starters seem to work better if they're very wet at the beginning, so I started by combining ½ ounce of flour and 1 ounce of water.

Cover the jar with plastic wrap and store on the That's all.

kitchen counter. Do not refrigerate. Forget about it until

While your just-started starter sits, the enzymes in the next day.

the flour get to work, and some of the starch in the flour starts converting to sugar. Soon wild yeasts arrive and a new sourdough starter is born.

Many sourdough starter recipes require a lot of feeding, DAY 2

but stirring is just as important as feeding— maybe more so. Stir the mixture whenever you think about it. You don't need to stir on schedule, but whenever it's convenient give the mixture a little stir, whether it's a couple times a day or a dozen because you happen to

be in the kitchen.

DAY 3 Feed the starter with 1 ounce each of flour and water.

Stir as on Day 2.

DAY 4

Feed the starter with 1 ounce of flour and ½ ounce of

water. Str as before. Now there is an equal weight of

flour and water in the jar, and this is the ratio we'll keep

throughout the process.

From now on, it's all about feeding once a day and DAYS 5 TO 12

stirring whenever you think about it. Unlike some starter recipes that require each feeding to double the existing amount of starter, I feed the same amount each day. Just add 1 ounce each of flour and water. As mentioned, the starter is ready to use when you see that it bubbles furiously and rises in the jar within an hour or so of feeding. It should actually double in volume. This could happen on Day 5 or it could happen on Day 12-each starter is unique. If your starter isn't bubbling vigorously after 2 weeks, dump out all but about ¼ inch of starter in the jar. You can add that discarded starter to another dough to add flavor, if you like, or use it in pancakes or waffles. To invigorate that remaining starter, feed it three times a day, doubling the amount each time. In about

2 days, you should have a very lively starter. If not, then you might want to try again, perhaps using a different brand of flour or using bottled water rather

You can also purchase starters online, if you have no than tap water.

luck trapping local yeasts.

Notes

A sourdough starter is a simple concept-let some flour and water hang around for a while and almost magically, the correct combination of yeast and bacteria will take up residence. And that same combination, when healthy and happy, creates an environment that's unfriendly so unwanted organism Sourdough starter takes between 6 and 12 days before it'e ready so use. Foul know it's ready when you see that it bubbles furiouly and rises in the jar within an hour ot so of leading. This coulel happen on Day 5

or Day 12, There's not a le of preplanning required. All you really nood is some wet of easonable containment ing jar sidh a lid (yote won't une the vessel, like a can

lid while you're growing the starter, but you'll use it when you store it), some flour, some water, and something to stir your mixture. A scale is nice if you want to be precise, or you can use volume measures or

just eyeball it as best you can. I use plain tap water for starters, fresh from the faucet. If your water is highly chlorinated, you might want to let the water sit overnight so the chlorine dissipates. If your water is otherwise nasty tasting. it doesn't necessarily mean it will be bad for sourdough, although it might be.

If you're worried, buy a bottle of water:

STORING YOUR STARTER

Before you store your starter, feed it. Then cover the jar

and stash it in the refrigerator.

People often worry that they ve killed their starter

by leaving it in the refrigerator for a long time without feeding it. But when starter is refrigerated, the yeasts

slow down and become practically dormant. A yellowish liquid usually forms on top, referred to as "hootch" by sourdough folks. Hootch isn't a big deal. Sometimes the hootch starts looking like it's goe black sediment in it, which is just yeast cells that have died off. This isn't a big deal either, and chances are there are plenty more yeast cells still alive. Some peopls stir the hootch back into the starter before they feed it.

and some people discard it. Either is fine. It's a good idea to feed your refrigerated sourdough starter occasionally, even though it's mosdy dormane Once a month is sufficient, ahhough Ive let nure Ar as long as 6 months and brought it back to life