Simple Sourdough Starter for Beginners

If you are an avid bread baker, let me just stop you right here. This is not a professional, in-depth post on the ins and outs of all things sourdough. To be honest, I don’t have a bread baking bone in my body and I have had countless disasters. I probably have done everything wrong at one point in time. But here is the thing, I LOVE bread. Especially REAL, FRESHLY BAKED bread. I mean isn’t bread used as a symbol for life throughout the Bible??

So if you have wanted to jump on the 2020 sourdough bread train, but have avoided it because you struggle to keep a cactus alive (just me?), have I got the recipe for you. But first, we must begin with making sure you have a starter culture ready to go!

What is a Sourdough Starter? 

A sourdough starter is a small amount of flour and water that has set at room temperature and began to ferment. Naturally occurring yeast found in flour begins to grow and multiply. As this wild yeast multiples, it grows the starter, becoming bubbly, frothy, and giving off a sour smell. This is a sign that your starter is what we call “active”. 

This yeast is is what will cause your bread to rise, becoming soft, fluffy, and delicious.

See those bubbles! That is gas produced by the yeast.

Making Your Own Starter (or where to get one)

If you don’t have someone in your life who can give you a starter culture, no worries! You still have options!You can make your own starter culture with a little bit of flour, water, and time. Here is a great article that walks you through the process of starting your own culture from scratch. 

Alternatively, you can also purchase sourdough starters. I purchased my sourdough starter from Breadtopia (not sponsored). Well actually, my husband wanted bread so HE purchased the sourdough starter for me so that I could make him bread… I am not sure where his logic came from but here we are a year later making our own bread and loving it! If you choose to purchase your starter, Breadtopia is a great resource as it walks you through how to rehydrate your starter once you receive it. I purchased their live sourdough starter (as opposed to the dry). They have instructions on how to choose which one is best for you!

Maintaining your Sourdough Starter

This is where I deviate from the crowd. Most bread bakers out there can get pretty obsessed with tending to their starter to the point they need a “starter sitter” when they leave town to feed and tend to their delicate starter. Knowing myself, if anything is that delicate, it will surely perish in my care (like seriously, don’t call me up if you need a plant sitter).

When I am NOT using my starter, I store it in the refrigerator, covered but not sealed. I aim to feed (and ideally use) my sourdough starter about once every 7-10 days. Seems pretty reasonable right? 

When I am ready to use my starter (or it has been more than 10 days), I will remove it from the refrigerator and set it at room temperature for a few hours or until it no longer feels cold to the touch. Now it is time to feed your starter! 

Feeding Your Starter

I feed my starter in a 1:1:1 ratio by weight of flour to water to starter. This is where a kitchen scale can really come in handy. Measuring by weight is a bit more reliable than by volume. This is a great option! 

Here is what you will need:

• 112 g starter

• 112 g filtered water, room temperature

• 112 g all-purpose flour, organic, unbleached, unenriched

Measure out 112 g of starter in a glass jar or container. Add in 112 g of filtered water and 112 g of all-purpose flour. Mix until well combined. The mixture should not be too wet, but not too thick either. You want a happy medium. Loosely cover the jar, but do not seal. Place a rubber band around your jar, marking the volume of the starter. 

Notice how the jar is COVERED but not SEALED. You want your starter to be able to breathe.

From here, keep it in a location that will maintain at 70-75 F temperature. If the weather is hot and humid, your starter will likely be ready in a few hours. If the weather is dry and cool, your starter may take a bit longer. 

Ideally, you want your starter to double in size in about 6 hours. Since you marked the jar with the rubber band, you will be able to easily tell if the volume has doubled.

Happy starter that has doubled in size and is ready to use!

After you use your starter, place it back in the fridge to use next week!

Stay tuned for my SUPER SIMPLE Sourdough Bread recipe for the non-bread bakers out there! This recipe is for you!