Sourdough Starter and Sourdough Bread

How to Create a Sourdough Starter

Creating a sourdough starter is a simple process that involves cultivating wild yeast and bacteria from your environment. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Ingredients

• Bread Flour, I use Bakex Bread Flour

• Water (preferably filtered or bottled, not tap)

Equipment

• 2 clean glass jars (about 250gm)

• A silicon spatula for mixing

• A kitchen scale (optional but recommended)

• A breathable cover (like a kitchen paper towel or shower cap)

Instructions

Day 1

1. In your glass jar, combine 50 grams of flour with 50 grams of water.

2. Mix until there are no dry spots and the mixture is well combined.

3. Cover the jar with a breathable material and secure it with a rubber band or string.

4. Leave the jar at room temperature (ideally between 20°C to 24°C) for 24 hours.

Day 2

1. Check for any bubbles. If you see some, that’s a good sign!

2. Stir once in the morning and once in the evening. Do not add any thing yet,

3. Cover and let it sit for another 24 hours.

Days 3-14

1. In a new jar, add 50 grams water and 50 grams flour, and 50 grams of the discard from day 2. Discard the remaining mixture that remains.

2. Repeat the feeding process every 24 hours: once again, use 50 grams of the starter, then add 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water.

3. By day 4 or 5, you should start to notice more bubbles and a tangy smell. This indicates that your starter is becoming active. The smell sometimes varies from nail polish remover to paint at this stage. (It's not ready yet)

4. Continue this process until your starter doubles in size within 4 to 6 hours after feeding, which typically occurs around day 11-14. It should smell more sweet and breadlike at this stage.

Days 15-17

1. After your starter has doubled in size within 4-6 hours on day 14, it's important we continue to strengthen the starter before using.

2. On day 15, repeat the process of adding 50 grams starter, 50 grams flour and 50 grams water to a clean jar. Watch as it should double or triple in size.

3. Continue doing this till day 17.

4. On day 17, change the ratio of the feeding. Now feed a 1:2:2 ratio. So feed, 30 grams of starter, 60 grams of flour and 60 grams of water in a new jar. It should double or triple within 4-6 hours.

Day 18

1. We are now ready to bake with this starter. If you don't have time or aren't ready just yet, continue to feed a 1:2:2 ratio till you're ready. The starter should be very active, bubbly, have a pleasant sweet, yeasty smell once it rises in 4-6 hours.

Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter

• Once your starter is active, you can store it in the refrigerator to slow down its activity.

• Feed it once a week if kept in the fridge, or every day if kept at room temperature.

• Always remember to discard half before feeding to maintain the right balance of flour and water.

Using Your Starter

When your sourdough starter is bubbly and has a pleasant sour, yeasty smell, it is ready to be used for baking delicious sourdough bread!

I use the following recipe for a beginners sourdough bread. This is a low hydration recipe

Ingredients

• 320 ml water

• 100 grams of sourdough starter that peaked between 4-6 hours

• 500 grams Bread flour

• 10 grams of salt

  
  

  1. Mix the water and starter in a bowl, and stir to dissolve the starter completely.

  2. Add the flour and salt, and mix to combine. Make sure no dry flour spots remain. Cover and leave for 30 minutes.

  3. After 30 minutes, wet your hands and begin stretch and folding the dough. grab a portion of dough, stretch it in the air and fold back down towards you. Rotate the bowl and complete this 4 times. This is your first set of stretch and folds. Cover and leave for 30 minutes.

  4. After 30 minutes, repeat the same process. We need 4 sets of stretch and folds. this should take 2 hours to complete.

  5. After your last set of stretch and folds, cover and leave to double in size. This is very temperature dependant and could take upto 5-6 hours to complete.

  6. Once complete, remove the dough from the bowl onto a flat surface, begin by flattening the dough and shaping it into a round boule. Place in a banneton or another bowl dusted with rice flour and place it in the fridge overnight.

  7. The next morning, pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees C, remove the dough onto floured parchment paper, score the center and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes while the oven is pre heating.

  8. Once done, place the parchment paper in a dutch oven, and bake for 35 minutes, lid closed. Throw some ice cubes into the oven to create steam.

  9. After 35 minutes, remove the lid and bake another 10-15 minutes for a beautiful dark brown, crispy crust.

  10. Remove from the oven, and leave to cool for one hour till the loaf cools down completely. Do not cut into a hot loaf, it will turn gummy.