Creating a sourdough starter is an act of pure alchemy, transforming the simplest ingredients into a universe of complex microorganisms that if nurtured properly, can feed you for a lifetime. When flour is mixed into water and allowed to ferment, the mixture creates a symbiotic culture of yeast and healthy bacteria. With regular maintenance this culture develops a unique flavor and will leaven bread. Creating a starter from scratch is a simple but lengthy process. It takes about two weeks for a starter to fully mature, so patience is key. Although it is possible to buy a starter, or get some from a fellow baker, creating your own has rewards. You will understand how it reacts to stimuli and how to nurture it with the ideal environment. These skills are fundamental to becoming a better bread maker.
The Science Behind Sourdough Starters
How does a starter work?
The flour, water, even your hands and the air around you, contain a community of microbes that all become part of your sourdough culture. The starter you make in your kitchen will be unique to you, different from one made in a bakery in San Francisco or a café in France. In fact, a recent study of sourdough starters found that “different bakers had different microbial communities in their starters despite all bakers [in the study] using the same starter recipe and using the same flour source.” Even if you purchase a starter or get one from a friend, over time that starter will become unique to you. Starter is a living organism that needs to be fed with water and flour. Yeasts and beneficial bacteria multiply and eventually dominate your culture, beating out harmful microorganisms. After several weeks, your starter will have built a healthy, balanced community of microorganisms that can be relied upon to make delicious bread.
Humans have been nurturing sourdough starters for centuries, yet the majority of microbes in them are still largely unknown to scientists. We do know they contain multiple species of yeast and lactic acid bacteria, both of which are responsible for the unique characteristics of bread. As yeast metabolizes flour it produces carbon dioxide, the gas responsible for making dough rise and for giving bread its soft and airy texture. Meanwhile, lactic acid bacteria convert carbohydrates into organic acids, such as lactic acid and acetic acid, which gives sourdough its characteristic tangy flavor.
Understanding what’s happening inside your starter jar is one of the key steps to truly becoming a great baker. Sourdough starters respond to their environment, flour, water and slight temperature shifts. Learning how to manipulate these factors to control your starter is one of the keys to making great bread.
How do I feed my starter?
A few days after creating your starter, you’ll need to feed it. Simply retain a portion of your starter (discard the rest) and add fresh flour and water. For example, to 30g of starter add 60g of water and 60g of flour. Stir thoroughly to make sure all the flour is hydrated. While yeasts are voracious eaters, they can’t metabolize dry flour.
What do I feed my starter?
You can use any type of flour. This recipe uses all-purpose because it’s inexpensive and easily available. Because most recipes call for a starter that’s made with white flour, it also makes for the most versatile starter. When possible, try to support local producers who farm and process flour with methods that nurture the land and are kind to the environment. Only use unbleached flour, as bleached flour has been processed with chemicals that leave it devoid of beneficial nutrients. Some bakers maintain starters with whole wheat, freshly-milled or even gluten-free flours. Your starter is able to metabolize all these types of flour, but may behave and look differently from one made with white flour. You can also use different flour types to control the sourness of your bread.
When creating a starter, use filtered or bottled water. Local tap water is treated with chlorine, which can harm the microorganisms in your starter. Once you have an established culture, you may use tap water.
You’ll find starter is very forgiving. Although ingredients do make a huge difference, if you accidentally feed your starter a different type of flour or tap water, don’t worry! Just continue feeding it with the right type of flour and water and it will rebalance itself and continue to thrive. The same goes for missing a feeding day. Watery starter is usually an indication that you’ve gone too long without feeding your starter and it has thoroughly exhausted its food source. Simply feed it and it will spring back to life! If you go way too long without feeding your starter it may develop a layer of dark murky liquid on its surface. This is called hooch, an alcoholic byproduct of the fermentation process. Hooch is completely harmless. You can pour it out before feeding your starter or stir it in (this will add more acidity to your starter and make it develop a more sour flavor).
While your starter is very resilient, making great bread requires maintaining a regular feeding schedule. Yeast need nutrients from flour to thrive, without this they may grow too weak to fight off mold or harmful pathogens that are competing for dominance in your culture. Watch out for any fuzzy growth, or shades of beige and orange on the surface of your sourdough starter, this is mold. If your starter grows mold, throw it away and start over.
Starter Hooch
Do I really need to throw away my starter?
The concept of discarding a portion of your starter during feedings is perhaps one of the most bewildering for those new to sourdough. With each feeding, you’ll need to throw out a large amount of your starter. Remember that your starter is a community of yeast and bacteria, as you feed your starter these microbes go through their lifecycle, they multiply and die off. If you don't discard any of your starter you’ll have more than you can possibly maintain. You don’t need to throw your discarded starter in the garbage. Any portion of sourdough starter that's not kept back for feeding or used for baking is commonly referred to by bakers as “sourdough discard.” As the interest in sourdough has increased in recent years, so have the inventive recipes that use this discard as an added ingredient. Once your starter has matured, you can add your discard to pancakes, crackers, focaccia, or even pasta! After each feeding, keep your discarded starter in a separate container in the refrigerator. Your discard won’t have to be fed and can be kept indefinitely, as long as it does not grow mold or develop any strange aromas
Honey Sea Salt Focaccia made with Sourdough Discard
Sourdough Pasta Made Using Starter Discard
What equipment do I need?
- Wide mouth glass jar with lid (at least 16 oz / 0.5 l). Note: Keep jar loosely covered. If sealed tightly, pressure may build up in your jar and cause the lid to blow off.
- Spatula with narrow head and long handle.Ideal for stirring and getting into the bottom of your jar.
- Precision Kitchen Scale.Volume measurements of flour are very inaccurate,so using a scale is important.
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Temperature is the most significant parameter that dictates the activity of yeast. When exposed to cold temperatures, your yeast will be sluggish and may grow too weak, while excessively warm temperatures will make your yeast overactive and difficult to control. For this reason, it’s important to create an environment where fermentation can occur at an optimal level, about 75°F (24°C) to 78°F (26°C). The and the areable to maintain a stable temperature for long periods, preventing dramatic temperature swings which allows your starter to thrive.
Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer, Precision Scale, and other tools needed for creating a starter
Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home
How do I know if my starter is ready?
As you nurture your starter for two weeks, you’ll notice dramatic changes. It’s aroma and appearance will change, it may display a burst of activity and there may be a period of time when it appears stagnant with no signs of life at all. This is all part of the process. Your job is to keep feeding it and observing these changes. You’ll know your starter is ready when it begins to rise and fall reliably and predictably. This simply means that each time after you feed your starter it will rise, doubling or tripling in volume in a given amount of time (around 4 to 6 hours). If your starter does this every time you feed it, without fail, then it’s ready to use. You should also see an even distribution of tiny bubbles in your jar, and your starter should look thick with a webby structure. Do not try to use your starter in a bread recipe before it has reached this point as it will be too weak and unreliable. Using an immature starter will only lead to a failed bake, wasted ingredients and frustration. Remember the most important ingredient in breadmaking is patience! Unless your starter grows mold it remains alive and viable. Because temperature is vital in the development of your starter, housing it in the Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home or the Brod & Taylor Sourdough Folding Proofer will add to your chances of success.
