Creating Sourdough Starter

Posted by Jeremy in food, frugality, recipe, self-reliance, simple living

I have been itching for the past few weeks to get some sourdough starter growing again. I had a great starter shortly after DW and I got married, but it went bad after being neglected when we moved out of the apartment we were living in.

Unable to resist the urge to scratch, I succumbed to the itch, and this is the story.

First of all, if you want to know anything about sourdough, please check out Mike Avery's Sourdough Home. It is a VERY informative site with instructions, recipes, tips and tricks, and referrals to suppliers if you really want to go nuts.

When I got into baking, I talked DW into letting me get a grain mill attachment for our KitchenAid. Avery suggests that raw whole wheat flour is best for getting a starter going due to its naturally high levels of microorganisms.

Once the flour was ground, I had everything I needed. You'll never believe just how simple it is to make sourdough starter.

First Step:

Mix 3/8 cups of whole wheat flour with 1/4 cups of water. Cover it, and let it sit for 12 hours.
Second Step:

Mix 3/8 cups of whole wheat flour and 1/4 cups of water into the starter. Cover it, and let it sit for 12 hours.
At this point, the starter has started to show signs of life. The mass of wheat paste has grown to double its original size and has lots of bubbles.
Third Step:

Mix 3/8 cups of whole wheat flour and 1/4 cups of water into the starter. Cover it, and let it sit for 12 hours . . . and keep doing this.

Once the starter begins growing on its own, you'll need to start pulling some out of it. Avery points out that once the starter starts doubling with each feeding, it will very quickly grow to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool. Now, I can't say that isn't an exaggeration, but, I am not going to test it.

Anyways, once the starter starts growing it is important to shift from whole wheat flour to an all-purpose flour. The reasoning is that all-purpose flour, being more processed, has lower microorganism levels. To ensure the success of the starter, you have to limit competition among the microorganisms that make it grow and give it flavor. So, the "cleaner" all-purpose flour will feed the bacteria/yeast in the starter without making them compete for dominance.

Now, I must admit, my starter hasn't quite matured yet, so it isn't entirely ready for use. But, once it does, I will post some pictures.

Once the transition is made, the daily feedings will be 3/8 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cups water. It should double with each feeding. If you will be away for a few days, it will sit happily in the refrigerator until you get home and feed it again.

I am really a fan of Mark Avery's San Francisco Sourdough and Pizza Crusts. In fact, we're planning on having homemade pizza for dinner tonight.