Sourdough, let’s go!

by Brittany Albert

January 30, 2024

Congratulations! You bought sourdough starter and you’re on your baking journey!

I have no claims of being a sourdough expert, but I am a baking lover who has taught a few classes and am here to help you on your journey. Sourdough has been around for centuries and is the process of fermenting flour and water to give a more nutritious bread. This is why some people with gluten intolerances have found sourdough bread to be more appetizing.

Sourdough can be very forgiving! But just like a baby, it likes to be fed, warm and tucked in nightly. Below are a few care instructions I have found to benefit. I have added links to tools I love, I also included a links to other sourdough “influencers” that have helped me on my sourdough journey.

What you are working with:

—Jar with active sourdough starter

The best tip is to feed your sourdough starter the night before you are planning on baking with it. This should insure an active, bubbly starter for baking.

Starter will grow, sometimes more than double in size, in its 24 hour life cycle and then fall back down. At all stages this is an active sourdough starter and usable. Unfortunately with our busy lives, we don’t get to sit and watch the sourdough at every life cycle, so if you miss it rising, don’t feel like it isn’t working.

Feeding your starter:

Step 1: Add 1/2 Cup of Warm Water to your starter and mix to create a slurry (a cloudy water)

Step 2: Add 1/2 cup of flour and stir to create a thick mixture.

Step 3: Cover loosely with fabric or an open zip lock, and place in warm place to sleep!

Over the next 24 hours you will have active starter!! Starters like to be fed daily, but can go a few days between feedings. If you are not wanting to maintain a large amount of starter you will pour the “discard,” ie extra, into the trash but do NOT scrape the jar. Refeed the leftover starter with 1/2 cup each of water and flour, and you continue this process as you long as you desire active starter.

Long Term Storage:

If you want to keep starter but not use daily. You can feed the starter and 4-12 hours place lid on tightly and store in fridge. Feed every 2-4 weeks. Once you are ready to start baking again, pour off any hooch or hard areas and you will need to feed the starter for 2-3 days for active bubbles and it will be ready to bake with again.

Tips for your Sourdough Starter:

-Starters do NOT like stone counter tops. They can’t compete with the cool nature of stone. Place a wood trivet or towel between starter and stone. You can also add a zip lock back open and over the jar to create a greenhouse effect.

-“Hooch.” Hooch is a liquid that can form on top of your starter. It can be clear to grey in color and perfectly acceptable. This is a bigger possibility if you stretch your feedings over a few days or long term storming in fridge. Simply pour hooch into trash, but again do not scrap starter jar. Re feed starter and what your sourdough grow! The only time I have known to through the starter out completely is when mold is visible.

- Starter and Discard are synonymous in the sourdough world. The more starter you have, you can pour out and call discard. If a recipe calls for discard, it is simply the starter you have created.

- Some choose to use the same jar for starter and never clean. Some mix sourdough starter in a bowl and then add to a jar. Some change the starter jar out weekly to a new jar. The options are your choice. I personally change my starter out to a new jar weekly (ish).

- If you feel like over time you’re not getting as many bubbles as you want, grab a small amount of starter (1oz) and add 3/4 cup of water and flour and try again. Starters like fresh food, oxygen, and warmth to thrive. You can also try out different flours to see if this helps I use an organic, all purpose flour!

Tool Links:

Danish Wisks

https://amzn.to/3NVdZ97

Prefered Salt

https://amzn.to/3tJHkwo

Banneton Proofing Baskets

https://amzn.to/3NSHRTM

Cheese Cloth

https://amzn.to/48zGAsy

Kitchen Twine

https://amzn.to/3NRCbcu

Bread Lame