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Sourdough Bread Starter

How to make that tricky mixture of flour and water in which natural yeast thrive
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 7 days
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • flour as needed (you'll want to have plenty, at least a 5# bag to be sure)
  • water as needed

Instructions
 

  • Combine 100 grams flour with 100 grams water, and stir to create a paste (I use a quart deli container). Let it sit for 24 hours (you can give it a stir once if you wish).
  • Add the same amounts of flour and water and stir till combined. Let sit for 24 hours. Give it a stir once or twice. Now you can cover it if you wish.
  • You should be seeing bubbles by now. Pour 100 grams of starter into a fresh container and add 100 grams each of flour and water in the morning.
  • That night add 150 grams flour and water and stir.
  • Continue adding about equal measures of flour and water to an equal measure of starter. You'll start dumping your starter (or save it to use for pancakes or waffles--you'll have to calculate flour and water by weight if you use flour and waffle recipes, knowing it's 50% of each). You should have the hang of it by now. You'll need about 250 grams (about 8 ounces) per loaf.
  • Figure out when you want to make your dough and feed your starter on last time about 12 hours before. You want that yeast nice and hungry come mixing time. If your schedule changes or you just can't deal—refrigerate it until you're ready. But I would recommend feeding it again and letting it sit at room temp for 12 hours or so.
  • Sour dough should last indefinitely in your fridge. The longer it sits, though, the more refreshing it may need. (If it's moldy, of course, that would mean it's dead and should be discarded.
Keyword Sourdough, sourdough bread, sourdough bread starter, starter, wild yeast, yeast