This starter is a natural starter and if properly cared for, will last for years. If you enjoy healthy, eco-friendly and inexpensive homemade baked goods, give this sourdough a try.
Ingredients
Simple Starter
- 1/4 cup (50 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (50 g) whole wheat flour
- Water and flour (wheat flour and other flours) over time
With Wine
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour (150 g) (without substitute)
- 2 cups (500 ml) mineral water, room temperature
- 1 handful unwashed organic grapes, with stems
- More water and flour as described in the recipe
Step
Method 1 of 4: Simple Starter
Step 1. Take a container to put your starter in
Use a small bowl that can hold 2 to 4 cups (500 to 1000 ml). You can use any type of container – glass, ceramic, plastic, or stainless steel. All can be used properly. As long as you can cover it with sticky wrap (or plastic wrap), you should be fine.
Step 2. Mix the starter
Mix 1/4 cup (50 ml) of water with 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour. If you're measuring the weight of your ingredients, use 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Stir well and cover with plastic wrap.
When you've stirred it, scrape the sides of the container. You'll want to make sure you don't want to leave "food" on the sides of the container to feed the growing mold
Step 3. Find a place for your starter
You don't want to place it where it can be disturbed (dogs, kids, curious husband) and where the temperature is between 18° to 30° Celsius.
If you need a warmer place, turning on the light in the oven (but not turning on the oven) will get you the temperature you need. Similarly, the top of the refrigerator is also a good place
Step 4. Wait
Making sourdough must be patient. What are you really waiting for? You want your starter to be active and start bubbling. Over time, this starter will develop as if it were alive.
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How long did you wait for it? 12 hours is usually enough for this starter to become active, so make sure you make other plans. These starters can bubble with just a few hours of waiting, or even up to 24 hours – it all depends on the ingredients you use and the environment in which you're making them. If the starter is off within 12 hours, leave it for another 12 hours. If it's still not active, leave it for another 12 hours.
If the 'starter still hasn't started within 36 hours, check the steps above and make sure you did it correctly. If everything is correct, throw it away and start again – this is probably not the case. If you've tried twice with no results, try a different brand of flour or a different kind of water
Step 5. Fill the starter
When the starter starts to activate, you "must" charge it. Add another 1/4 cup (50 ml) of water and stir the starter. Then add 1/2 cup (50 grams) of whole wheat flour and mix again until smooth.
Wait back. (Again) You have to wait for the starter to expand. Typically, the starter will double in size in 12 hours or less. Sometimes it can take up to 24 hours, so don't worry if your starter doesn't look big enough in 12 hours. It's also okay if your starter is bubbly but not double in size
Step 6. Refill the starter
However, now get rid of half of those starters. Add 1/4 cup (50 ml) of water and stir in the starter. Next? Same as above: Add 1/2 cup (50 grams) of whole wheat flour and mix again. Getting used to this? And yes, it's important to get rid of 1/2 of the starter at this replenishment stage. You don't want your kitchen to be filled with puffy flour.
Filling the starter should double its size. If you don't get rid of the starter early on, you'll have more starters than you need. As the process progresses, you can save the starter, but at this stage, the starter is not stable enough to save
Step 7. Wait again
Again, you want to see bubbles on the starter and double in size. Once the starter is steady, regular filling is essential, but don't get too excited. Filling the starter too quickly can spoil the preparation. Each filling melts processed; if you defrost too much, your preparation will spoil.
- If the charging does not become double, be patient. When the starter is just starting, the shape is still unstable.
- Repeat the above two steps until the starter is double in size.
Step 8. Replace with wheat flour
The point of this step is to get rid of unwanted micro-organisms; wheat flour continues to add micro-organisms. When the sourdough has stabilized, you can return to whole wheat flour if you wish.
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If you notice the starter is less active when you change the flour, don't worry; this is normal. Wait for the starter to start (this will take 36 hours) to allow it to get used to the wheat flour once it's been replaced with wheat flour.
You can ease the transition without making it cold. Make the transition using the wheat flour 3 times, reducing the amount of wheat flour slightly each time. Start using 1 part wheat flour and 3 parts wheat flour. For the next filling, use half wheat flour and half wheat flour. For the filling after that, use 3 parts wheat flour and 1 part wheat flour. For subsequent fillings, and subsequent fillings, you can use only wheat flour
Step 9. Refill your starter
Do the same as before – remove half of the starter, add 1/4 cup (50 ml) of water and stir. Then add 1/2 cup (50 grams) of flour and mix again. Now that your starter is stable, you can save the wasted parts in another container for another project (can be a great gift). If you decide to keep it, put it in the refrigerator to make it last longer.
Step 10. Wait again
As previously mentioned, your starter may slow down after charging or when it expands. Do not rush to conclusions; it just takes time. When it looks active and stable, you should charge it every 12 hours or so. The starter (at room temperature) should be filled no more than twice a day.
- Repeat the two steps above. By this time, your starter has reached its full potential and is developing to its fullest. While it's tempting, don't try it until it's been a week and doubled. Many sourdough experts think that the starter can continue to rise for anywhere from 30 to 90 days, although this is not always true.
- After one week, your starter is edible!
Method 2 of 4: With Wine
Step 1. Combine flour and water
Stir 1 1/2 cups flour (150g) and 2 cups (500ml) mineral water together in a large plastic or earthenware bowl.
If your tap water tastes good and has no odor, it can be used. Many people believe that water with chlorine is the beginning of death, but experiment and use your own experience to see what makes the best results
Step 2. Add the wine, pushing it into the dough
Don't mash your grapes or don't think the juice from the grapes needs to soak into the batter; this is just the fruit that needs to be in that dough.
You can use raisins, or any other fruit that develops naturally in yeast on the surface
Step 3. Gently cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth
The starter requires air without dust or insects. Put it in a warm place.
- If you close it too tightly, you run the risk of developing pressure inside and causing it to explode.
- Don't be "too" warm. Above the refrigerator is a good place.
Step 4. Every day, mix one spoon of water and one spoon of flour
This is called "filling" the sourdough dough. Within a few days there will be signs of “getting started”; that is, bubbling slightly as the yeast begins to "eat" the flour and sugar.
If this doesn't happen within 48 hours, discard the dough and start again
Step 5. Continue filling every day
Don't worry if the dough separates; this means the water expands and the flour absorbs. This is something normal. After 5 or 6 days, the starter should have puffed up into something a little sour smelling. Looks leavened and unsightly.
Some say that refilling the starter twice a day is the ideal amount. Experiment to see what method works best for you
Step 6. Fill in for the next few days
Do this at least once a day! You will get a pancake-like consistency. Now, get rid of the grapes.
Step 7. Cover your starter and put it in the fridge
You need to fill and stir it every day to keep it good. If you start to have too much dough (say a gallon), throw away the excess.
Step 8. Remove the starter from the refrigerator the night before you use it
It takes four cups of starter to make two slices of bread. Every time you use the starter, refill it like this:
- For every cup of starter you remove, add and stir in 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water.
- If you don't use the starter every day, put it in the refrigerator and refill it at least once a week or your starter will break. If your starter turns yellow and doesn't "bloat" before baking, throw it away and start again. The starter has been charging steadily for decades. It is possible (though not always recommended) to freeze your starter and restart it the day after.
Method 3 of 4: Keeping & Using Your Starter
Step 1. Keep your starter slightly above room temperature
This is "when the starter expands". Eventually, you'll need to transfer it to the refrigerator, but if the starter is still puffing, place it on top of the fridge or in the oven with the light on.
Step 2. Fill regularly
If your starter is too thin, add a few scoops of flour each time. But be aware that thick starters are more difficult to work with and only experienced bakers see thick starters as a good thing.
The skinny starter inflates too fast, so a few wrong fillings is a big mistake. Many bakers use very thick starters and with good reason: Thick starters develop more flavor, look stronger, and are more active than lean starters and are sometimes okay if they are filled incorrectly. However, a very thick starter will be difficult for a beginner toaster to work with and maintain. Master the base first before you make the thick one
Step 3. Look for small cracks on the surface of the dough
When the starter runs out of food, gas production will decrease, and the starter will begin to no longer expand, causing it to dry out and crack. When the starter doesn't expand anymore, you may notice a small crack that looks like a chasm in the surface – believe it or not, this is actually a “good” thing.
The starter is active and is at its peak the time when it starts to no longer expand. If you ask when you can use it, the answer is "now"
Step 4. Change to another recipe
Don't be shy – sourdough can be used for anything. To change any recipe for sourdough, start replacing each packet of yeast (about a teaspoon or 6 grams) with one cup (240 grams) of active sourdough starter. Adjust the recipe to accommodate the water and flour already in the starter.
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If the sourdough is too strong for the flavor the bread should have, use "'more"' starter next time. And if the bread doesn't look sourdough enough, use "lesser" sourdough next time.
One of the best ways to get "more" flavor in a starter is to "reduce" use of the starter, you'll see the bread rises quickly, less time for the flavors to sink in, and therefore less sourdough
Method 4 of 4: Saving & Restarting Your Starter
Step 1. Be careful when storing your starter in the refrigerator
Some people believe that if the temperature of the starter is below 7° Celsius, you don't have to do it and just throw it away – others disagree. If you store it, it should last at least 30 days and can withstand cooler temperatures.
Fill your starter before you refrigerate it. This will help your starter expand faster when you need to use it next time. Starters that are already large when stored will be very difficult to develop again
Step 2. Don't close it too tightly
The air pressure will increase and possibly explode (or at least hinder the expansion process) in the container. Use a cover, but not too tight.
Glass containers are the best containers to use. Plastic containers scratch easily and metal containers will give your starter a metallic taste if left out too long
Step 3. If the starter has been stored before one week, use it as usual
Measure out how much you need and place the unused starter back in the refrigerator. Let the starter you are going to use come to room temperature before you use it.
Keep in mind that room temperature starters need to be refilled twice a day (even after they are removed from the refrigerator), so don't leave them until you fill them! Your starter is already in the starch storage in the starter when it is in the refrigerator and if it needs to rest for a while then your starter will need to be filled
Step 4. If the starter has been stored for more than a week, restart it
Fill your starter for at least 3 days (2 times per day) before using it or putting it back in the fridge. Be as careful as when you develop it (temperature, etc.).
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Begin the removal process as usual. Remove 1/2 the starter and add another 1/4 cup (50 g) of water and 1/2 cup (50 g) of flour every 12 hours, just as you did before. When the starter doubles nicely with each fill (good and steady), refill it one more time. Clean your container, return your starter to the container, then return it to the refrigerator to let it rise again.
Also, the key to a successful starter is to fill the starter to double its consistency between fills, to fill the container no more than 1/2 full (needs air), and to put it straight into the class after you fill the starter (after it expands, of course)
Tips
- This sourdough recipe with grapes has been used on a gold claim in British Columbia and has supported people there through the ages.
- Avoid starter recipes that use branded yeast as the main ingredient; the yeast makes the starter disgusting after a month or so
- You can find great recipes for sourdough bread, biscuits, pastries, sourdough pancakes, etc. on wikiHow or the internet; only use this starter dough and not the branded stuff suggested by other recipes.
