Ages ago I had a sourdough starter in the fridge that I would use often to make cakes and the most amazing bread. It had to be discarded when I moved here and I hadn't thought about it for some time until one day a few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to make those wonderful breads again. The taste and texture of breads made with a sourdough starter are complex and deeply satisfying. You can use a commercial starter or you can make your own. The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion has a detailed guide for creating your own starter.
Day 1
In a nonreactive container, combine the following
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 80 degree F water
- Generous 3/4 cup whole rye flour
- 1/8 teaspoon molasses
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, cover, and allow the mixture to rest for 24 hours at 80 degrees. A gas oven with a pilot light is just about the right temperature, or perhaps a heating pad, set on very low and set beneath your towel-wrapped bowl, will provide the right environment.
Day 2
Discard half the starter, and to the remainder add:
- 1/2 cup 80 degrees F water
- 3/4 whole rye flour
Mix thoroughly, cover and allow the mixture to ferment for 24 hours at 80 degrees F. This is known as feeding the starter.
Days 3,4,5 and 6
By day 3 some tiny bubbles will appear. This activity will increase day by day. From now on you will need to feed the starter with unbleached all-purpose flour instead of the whole rye flow used initially. You are literally giving the bacteria food to live on. Feed the starter twice a day on these days with at least 8 hours between feeedings.
To feed, remove and discard half the starter, and to the remainder add:
- 1/2 cup 80 degree water
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
Mix thoroughly, cover and allw the mixure to ferment for at least 8 hours at 80 degrees before the next feeding If you miss a feeding, just pick up the schedule and continue as before.
After a week the starter should taste and smell sour. It will be bubbly and active and strong enough to leaven bread. The volume of the starter will have increased by at least half and will taste sharply sour. Now that your starter is established, you need to increase its quantity so you'll have enough to use and some to keep.
Day 7, or as soon as your starter is established
Stir the mixture well. Pour off and discard all but 4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) of your starter, place it in a 2- to 4-quart nonreactive , wide-mouthed container and add:
- 1 cup 80 degree water
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Stir until the mixture is free of lumps. Scrape the walls of the container clean, cover and allow the starter to ferment for 6 to 8 hours.
At this point the starter should be active, with bubbles breaking on the surface. Touch it, and you will find that gluten has developed, it should feel somewhat eleastic. It is ready to be used or placed on a maintenance schedule.
Starter which is ready to use
Care and Feeding of an Established Starter
Unless you are a rabid bread baker who will need to replenish your starter daily, keeping your starter in the refrigerator and feeding it once a week is the way to go. Take the starter out of the fridge, stir well and pour off all but 1/2 up. Add 8 ounces of water and and 8 ounces of unbleached all-purpose flour, mix until smooth and cover. Allow the starter to work at room temperature for at least 2 hours before putting it back in the refrigerator.
Three days before you're planning to bake you will need to raise the activity of your starter. Take it our of the refrigerator in the morning, feed it as usual and let it ferment for 24 hours at room temperature. The nex day feed it twice, once in the morning, then again about 12 hours later. On the third morning, feed the starter early and allow it to ferment until it's ripe, about 6 hours. It should then be ready to use in your recipe. Pour off what you will need for the recipe and feed the remaining starter with 8 ounces of flour and 8 ounces of water. Mix until smooth and allow the starter to work for at least 2 hours at room temperature before putting it back in the refrigerator.
In the next post , I'll offer some easy bread recipes.
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