Sourdough- you’ve probably seen this trend taking the internet by storm- but is it really something new? Or a resurgence of times past, when commercial yeast wasn’t available down the road…. When matriarchs fed their families over a roaring fire with nothing but a cast iron Dutch oven?

 

History

Sourdough is defined as a bread made from naturally produced yeasts & bacteria.

Sourdough bread is produced with a natural leavening agent called a sourdough starter that is kept alive like a cute lil pet on your countertop (or fridge for extended storage).

Sourdough starter is portable, frugal & a relatively new “process” in the modern age with many different aspects becoming the focus of long, drawn out discussions on the internet. Our ancestors laugh at this part of the process for sure. “Just bake the damn bread” they say! 

In the past, sourdough starter may have looked different than it does today. Without modern tools, a starter might be kept in a semi dry dough form. A small piece of the dough would have been added to each new loaf, inoculating the flour with natural yeasts/bacteria.

Bread has been a staple of the human diet since grain was domesticated nearly 4,000 years ago. It’s arguable that sourdough has been around for at least this long as well. 

 

Why Sourdough?

Every sourdough starter is unique, especially those created from scratch in your own home.

A healthy sourdough starter can be used in place of commercial yeast. Why go to all of the effort?

Well for starters (lol) naturally harvested yeast & bacteria are far more compatible with the human body than commercial yeasts.

Commercial yeast can cause bloating, stomach upset & colonize certain intimate parts of your body (especially as a woman) with larger amounts of yeast than normal… causing unpleasant effects. This post isn’t here to demonize commercial yeast; it can be used safely without causing problems for most people.

But where’s the fun in that? Who ENJOYS depending on a commercial solution for everything?

Certainly not us in our little corner of the world in Northern Appalachia.

The bacteria in sourdough starter break down gluten proteins & ferment fructans, which can help with digestion. The longer sourdough ferments, the more time bacteria have to break down gluten into amino acids, which are easier to digest. Because of this, some people with gluten sensitivities can tolerate sourdough bread.

Glutenous flours like wheat, rye, einkorn, and spelt work best for sourdough starter creation. However, unbleached/unenriched flour from your local grocery store can also be used.

Bleaching & enrichment essentially remove most of the beneficial nutritional properties of flour, so do yourself a favor- stop using that stuff anywhere in your kitchen- not just with your sourdough starter.

Let’s learn a simple way to make sourdough starter from scratch- look at it this way- you are micro farming the beneficial yeast & bacteria from your own kitchen!

 

Process

This sourdough starter recipe is made from scratch with just flour & water. A mature starter can be used to make breads, cakes, cookies & so much more!

 

You will need:

Well water or filtered tap water

Flour of choice

Glass jar

Wooden mixing implement (metal tools can throw off the pH of your starter, do not use)

 

Day 1

Mix a 1:1 ratio of flour to water. Start with 35 grams of each, so that you aren’t constantly wasting large amounts of flour during this stage. Cover lightly with jar lid, tea towel or coffee filter. Place in a warm area of the home as sourdough starter thrives in 70-75° temperatures.

The key is to let the starter breathe, as co2 is being produced during fermentation.

Day 2

Discard half of the mixture & repeat the process, feeding in a 1:1:1 ratio. If you have 50 grams of starter left after discarding, feed the starter with 50 grams of water & 50 grams of flour. Incorporate fully & cover.

Why do you have to remove half the starter? By day four, you would have sourdough starter overflowing. Removing half of the starter during this phase ensures that the right amount of flour & water is feeding the growing colony of beneficial yeast/bacteria.

Day 3-5

Repeat the instructions for day 2 for days 3, 4 & 5. Ensure you are using a 1:1:1 ratio even if the weights are changing.

Day 6-7

Follow the same steps as above but feed your starter every 12 hours, instead of every 24.

By day seven, there should be enough beneficial yeast/bacteria present to bake sourdough goodies!

You will know your starter is working if it floats in a cup of water, bubbles & doubles in size in 4-6 hours after feeding each day.

Once your starter is at a mature, useable state- bake away!

 

Storage Options

You can store your starter on the counter in a warm space, which requires daily feeds to keep the yeast alive.

Another option for folks who don’t bake daily is to store the mature starter in your fridge to slow down the natural fermentation process which keeps yeast alive longer between feedings.

Sourdough starter can be safely kept in the fridge for days/weeks/sometimes months at a time with no feedings of flour!

Just remember that your starter will need time to wake up & might need a feeding or two out of the fridge to have enough mature starter to bake.

 

In Conclusion

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to making & maintaining a sourdough starter.

I am on a journey to create my own starter right along with you! So if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out on social media.

Don’t forget to join our free Instagram Sourdough Club Channel from our profile to meet & chat with other sourdough pioneers of all skill levels.

Thanks for stopping by, here’s to many years of happy commercial-free yeast baking with your sourdough starter!