Prep time: 6-7 days Yield: Sufficient sourdough for ongoing baking
INGREDIENTS
TO BEGIN YOUR STARTER
1 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cool non-chlorinated water
TO FEED YOUR STARTER
1 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cool non-chlorinated water
METHOD
Day 1: Combine the organic unbleached all-purpose flour with water in a non-reactive container. Glass, crockery, stainless steel, or food-grade plastic are ideal.
Stir everything together thoroughly; make sure there’s no dry flour anywhere. Cover the container loosely and let the mixture sit at warm room temperature, at 21°C for 24 hours.
Day 2: You may see no activity at all in the first 24 hours, or you may see a bit of growth or bubbling. Either way, discard half the starter (about 1/2 cup), and add 1 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup cool water to the remaining starter.
Mix well, cover, and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 3: By the third day, you’ll likely see some activity — bubbling; a fresh, fruity aroma, and some evidence of expansion. Begin feeding the starter twice daily, as evenly spaced as your schedule allows. Discard half the starter (about 1/2 cup), and add 1 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup cool water to the remaining starter.
Mix well, cover, and let the mixture rest approximately 12 hours before repeating.
Day 4: Discard half the starter (about 1/2 cup), and add 1 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup cool water to the remaining starter. Mix well, cover, and let the mixture rest approximately 12 hours before repeating.
Day 5: Your starter should have at least doubled in volume. You’ll see lots of fine bubbles. The starter should have a tangy aroma — pleasantly acidic, but not overpowering. If your starter hasn’t risen much and isn’t showing lots of bubbles, repeat discarding and feeding every 12 hours on day 6, and day 7, if necessary — as long as it takes to create the tangy aroma.
Once the starter is ready, give it one last feeding. Discard most of the starter, leaving 200g. Feed as usual.Let the starter rest at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours; it should be active, with bubbles breaking the surface.
When mixing the sourdough recipe remove however much starter you need for your recipe and transfer the remaining minimum 200g of starter to its permanent home: a crock, jar, or whatever you’d like to store it in long-term. Feed this reserved starter with 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water, and let it rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours to get going, before refrigerating.
Store this starter in the refrigerator, and feed it regularly with a scant 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water once a week.
