Would you like to learn how to make your own sourdough starter? Today, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know: what it is, what you need and, most importantly, how to do it in the simplest way possible.
Is it difficult to start a sourdough starter?
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is whether it’s difficult. No, it’s definitely not! Let me start with that. All you need to make a sourdough starter is a few minutes a day and some patience.
I think what makes it ‘difficult’ is the abundance of information available online and the fact that there are so many different ways to start a business.
If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to choose one method — whether it’s mine or someone else’s — and stick to it. Don’t deviate from it or use a different approach halfway through, because that’s exactly what can cause you to spend more time on it or cause your starter to fail.
What is a sourdough starter?
It works in a similar way to commercial dried yeast (the little packets you buy in the supermarket) in that it makes your dough rise. With a sourdough starter, it is the fermentation process that causes the dough to rise.
A sourdough starter is simply flour mixed with water and fermented by naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria. This process takes time to get going, which is why it often takes at least a week to start a sourdough starter, sometimes even longer.
Baking sourdough bread also takes longer because the starter is added to the dough, causing it to ferment and rise.
As a starter consists of flour and water, recipes for sourdough bread often differ from those for bread made with ‘regular’ dried yeast. This is because the starter replaces some of the flour and moisture.
What do you need to make a sourdough starter?
Flour, water and a jar with a screw cap. It’s also useful to have a rubber band, but that’s all you need. You will also need a little patience, as it takes time for a sourdough starter to become strong and active.
It needs to ferment to become light and bubbly, which makes your bread rise. It usually takes me a week, sometimes even two to three weeks, to start a starter several times. Don’t let that put you off though — once it’s strong and active, you’re good to go! 😉
What type of flour should you use for a sourdough starter?
I always use a 1:1:1 ratio of wheat flour and water. This means equal amounts of water, wheat flour and starter. I will come back to this in the diagram showing how to start your own sourdough starter.
I use wheat flour because I prefer to make bread consisting largely of wheat flour. You can also use rye or wholemeal flour to make your starter, which often works faster, but then you’re limited to using only rye or wholemeal flour. However, with a wheat flour starter, where the bread is made mostly from wheat flour, you can add quite a lot of wholemeal flour or rye flour (as I did with the bread roll above), which keeps the bread light while providing the fibre from wholemeal flour.
Therefore, a sourdough starter made from wheat flour is more versatile and can be used for bread or other baking recipes, ciabatta, sourdough pancakes and more. You can do much more with your starter than just bake traditional sourdough bread! It’s essentially just yeast, so you can use it for anything that normally requires yeast. I prefer to use organic wheat flour with a protein content of 11–12%.
What do you need to make a sourdough starter?
The good news is that you probably already have most of these ‘essentials’ at home.
- A small glass jar with a screw cap (an old jam or olive jar will do)
- An elastic band
- Kitchen scales
- Wheat flour (I’ve used this before for my starter)
You will also need water, but I won’t include that in the ‘list of essentials for a sourdough starter’ as it’s widely available. You will also need some heat to speed up the fermentation process. Find a warm place in your home for this, but not directly above the stove or fireplace.
Once your starter is strong enough, if you want to bake classic sourdough bread, it’s useful to purchase items such as this set from bol.com. It contains two proofing baskets for baking bread in different shapes (round and oval), a dough scraper and a knife for cutting the bread. These items are useful to have and will make your bread-baking adventures that little bit easier. However, they are not essential. You probably already have suitable alternatives at home, such as a very sharp kitchen knife and a mixing bowl.
Ingredients
- 50 gram wheat flour
- 50 ml lukewarm water (approx. 20–25 degrees Ceslius / 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Equipment
- Glass jar
- Elastic band
- Kitchen scales
INSTRUCTIONS (how to make this recipe):
- Day 1, On day 1, mix 50 grams of wheat flour and 50 grams of lukewarm water together. Place the mixture in a glass jar and loosely screw the lid on. Then, put an elastic band around the top of the jar. Move the rubber band every day to check if your starter is becoming active. Place the jar in a warm place in your home.*
- Day 2, remove your starter from the jar and weigh out 50 grams of it, discarding the rest. * * Now add another 50 grams of wheat flour and 50 grams of lukewarm water. Mix together, put the mixture back in the jar, replace the rubber band and return it to the same place.
- Days 3–7: Repeat Day 2. Your starter may rise and then collapse quickly again (this is why the rubber band is useful). It is definitely not ready yet, but your starter is starting to come to life. It's also fine if you see signs of life on day 3, but none at all on days 4 and 5. Be patient!
- Day 8, if you notice that your starter rises well a few hours after feeding it every day, it may be ready. If not, simply repeat day 2. This process can sometimes take one week, two weeks or longer.
- Day 9, check if your starter has doubled in volume within 8 hours of the last feeding. If so, it looks like your starter is ready. To be sure, put some water in a bowl and place a spoonful of starter on top (do not stir the starter beforehand!). Does the starter float? If so, you can start using your starter!
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My starter smells strange, what should I do?
When starting your sourdough starter, it may smell a little sour. This can also happen with an active starter, which means it is hungry. Feeding it will do it good and make the smell go away.
My starter is inactive
Be patient, I’ve said it a few times already, but it can sometimes take up to three weeks. Are you in week two and nothing is happening? Try a smaller pot and a different, perhaps slightly warmer spot. If necessary, feed him twice a day (early in the morning and late in the evening) for a day or two to give him some extra stimulation.
When do you start a sourdough starter?
You can start a sourdough starter at almost any time of the year. Make sure you have at least a few minutes each day at around the same time to feed the starter.
I don’t recommend starting a starter during a heatwave (when there is a high risk of mold and fruit flies) or during very cold winter weather when temperatures are well below freezing, because it is often too warm in the house or it takes a long time for your starter to become active.
There is mold on my starter, what should I do?
Unfortunately, mold can happen. It doesn’t happen often, but it has happened to me during a heat wave. The only thing you can do now is start over. For this reason, once you have an active starter, it’s a good idea to keep a little bit in the refrigerator so you always have a backup. You can easily store the starter in the refrigerator for a few weeks, feeding it every 2 to 3 weeks. Liquid may accumulate on top; see the question below.
There is liquid on my starter, what should I do?
If you see (dark) water – or hooch – on your starter, it is a sign that it is hungry. Feed your starter and the layer of water will disappear. Sometimes your starter needs feeding sooner than 24 hours. There are times when I feed my starter every 12 hours because I am busy baking and want it to be nice and active. You don’t need to throw the water away; you can just mix it into your starter.
How often do I feed my starter?
When you are starting your starter, daily feeding is standard. If you notice that it is taking a long time and you have been doing this for more than a week, you could try feeding it twice a day. See also ‘Can I feed my starter more often during the day?’.
Should I feed it more than once a day?
Basically, you feed your starter once every 24 hours. But once your starter is up and running, you can also feed it twice a day (early in the morning and late in the evening, for example). This will make it nice and active. You can also choose to feed it earlier if your starter seems hungry (see the question about water on my starter).
Why should I discard a part of my starter?
When you are setting up a starter, you will have to discard a small amount each time. You cannot use this; it is not a discard that you can use to bake bread. After all, you are still in the start-up phase, and unfortunately, this means that you have to discard a small amount. I know that many people find this difficult, throwing food away, but unfortunately, this is an essential part of setting up a sourdough starter.
