I told a horrific story in my last sourdough post and I promise, this one is way better!
Now, making and using a sourdough starter in your baking is an ancient method for adding yeast or a “lift” to your baked goodies. I decided to give it a try after reading about Ma’s ability to make fluffy, delicious biscuits in the frozen wilderness of Dakota Territory in By The Shores Of Silver Lake.
Ma’s simple instructions to Mrs. Boast are, “You start it…by putting some flour and warm water in a jar and letting it stand til it sours.” (This can be found in chapter 21 of the book mentioned above!)
It really is that simple. No need to measure or make it more complicated than necessary. Really!
There is a bit more to it, so let me explain…
Day 1: Put equal parts flour and water in a large container. Eventually, your starter will rise, so use a much bigger container than you have flour and water.
Cover and leave on a counter where you will remember to feed it each day.
Day 2-7: Each day, at about the same time, remove half of the starter. This is called the “discard” and can be used in most sourdough recipes. Keep in mind that an early discard will not have much rise/yeast in it, so it may make some limp pancakes!
To your halved starter, add equal parts flour and water. Stir until all flour chunks have been incorporated. Cover and return to it’s counter space.
If you are consistent in removing starter and adding about the same amount of flour/water, your starter should stay about the same size for the first few days. After 4 or 5 days, you should begin to notice some growth in the jar about an hour after you feed the starter. (Compare my first picture with the next one. You can tell the second one is filling up more of the jar, simply because it’s “working!”)
Below is a close-up of all the glorious bubbles!
Somewhere between day 5 and day 7, your starter should be full of bubbles and ready to use. At this point, you could leave it on your counter and continue the process above. Use about half and add equal parts water and flour.
If you would like to take a break from baking, pop your starter in the fridge! That beautiful baby can go to sleep now. Once every 7-10 days, remove it from the fridge, allow it to warm to room temperature, and add equal parts flour and water. At this point you can use it once and return it to the fridge, or leave it out and use/refill daily.
I find that in the summer, I only get it out once a week (if that.) And, in the winter, it is out most days of the week. Find what works for you!
A few tidbits I have learned….
- Use quality flour- When I first made the original starter, several years ago, I was still buying “regular” white flour that was cheap and generic. My sourdough baked goods tasted awful for many months. While I am all for saving a buck or two, this is not the time to do it. Buy organic and unbleached flour. The bag shown above costs about $4 and very much worth the investment!
- Use filtered water- Again, my first starter was a pure science experiment and it’s amazing we are still alive. I used tap water…ahhhh! Now, I try very hard to remember to get the filtered water from the fridge earlier in the day so it can warm to room temperature. If I forget, I just use it cold, but I don’t skimp on this anymore!
- Practice, practice, practice- Try lots of recipes. Make mistakes. Be willing to THROW AWAY the bad stuff. It will help you find the great, tried-and-true recipes that can go into your rotation.
- Eyeball it- A lot of people out there say you have to measure when it comes to making your starter. Relax, take a deep breath, and don’t worry about the exact measurements. If Ma could do it with minimal kitchen tools on the frontier, we can skip the exact measurements too!
This year, I have finally began making incredible sourdough recipes that amaze my husband. Our family’s favorite cinnamon roll recipe involves starter and an overnight fermentation period. And, we can’t taste the “sour!”
Over the next few weeks, I plan on sharing all our favorite “go-to” sourdough recipes!
