Sourdough Starter
When I decided to learn how to make my own bread, I thought it would be fun to make my own sourdough starter. As it turned out an Esalen cookbook was sitting on our coffee table and it so happened to have an easy recipe for making your own starter:
1 q t Mason Jar
Glass bowl
Wooden spoon
RECIPE
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
2 cups of warm water
2 cups of whole wheat or rye flour
DIRECTIONS
Mix all the ingredients in a glass (plastic or ceramic works) with a wooden spoon.
Transfer to a 1 qt mason jar, cover loosely with plastic wrap and the open part of the mason jar lid
Leave in a 65-70 degree area for 4 days until bubbles appear on the surface and it smells like sourdough
FEEDING YOUR STARTER*
After the above 4 days, I turned to a more traditional style of feeding my starter.
Once a day for the next 4 days:
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
1 qt Mason Jar
Glass bowl
Wooden spoon
RECIPE
4 ounces of the bubbly starter (approximately 1/2 cup)
5 ounces of AP Flour (approximately 1.25 cups )
1/2 cup of water (room temperature)
DIRECTIONS
Mix all the ingredients together in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon
Transfer to a 1 qt mason jar, cover loosely with plastic wrap and the open part of the mason jar lid (Freshly Fed Starter)
Allow to rise overnight and repeat in the morning (it should look like the Ready to use Starter pictured below)
After the 4th day, you can store your starter in the fridge or bake a loaf of (Overnight) Sourdough Bread)
If not using immediately, store in the fridge covered lightly. It is important to feed your starter before baking. If not using this starter regularly I recommend feeding it every 14 days.
*This recipe should allow for enough starter to make 1 loaf of (Overnight) SourDough Bread and reserve starter for the next time.
