The process for making a starter is fairly easy, but it can seem overwhelming. This guide will break it down for you!
Course: Bread
Yield: 1starter
Author: Jenni - The Gingered Whisk
Equipment
Food Scale
Glass Jar (I like mason jars like this)
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir with.
A scrap of clean fabric - like t-shirt material or fabric scrap that is wider than the mouth of the jar.
Materials
1bag whole wheat flour
1bag unbleached all purpose flour
Filtered or Tap waterif its chlorine and chloramine free!. Bottled water also works, but do not use distilled water.
Instructions
Day One: Start with a clean glass jar. I like to use a mason jar because its easy and cheap. Add 50 grams of water and 50 grams of whole wheat flour to your jar and stir well to combine. It should be like a thick paste. Cover it with a breathable top (like a clean old t-shirt or fabric scrap) and use the ring that came with the mason jar to screw it on. Place the jar in a place that is warm (70 - 75 degrees F) and leave it for 24 hours.
Day Two: After 24 hours, add an additional 50 grams of whole wheat flour and 50 grams of water. Stir it well, scrape down the sides of the jar, re-cover, and set aside.
Day Three: Add an additional 50 grams of whole wheat flour and 50 grams of water. Stir well, scrape down the sides, re-cover and set aside. You might see a few bubbles start to form in an hour or so, and that’s good! If not, that’s ok, too.
Day Four: Remove 25 grams of your starter mixer from the jar. The remaining starter needs to end up in the trash (do not put it down the sink, it will dry into a cement-like glob that will clog your drains). To that 25 grams, add 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Stir well, scrape the sides of the jar down, re-cover and set aside.
Day Five: Add an additional 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Stir well, scrape down the sides, re-cover and set aside.
Day Six: Add an additional 50 grams of flour and water. Stir well, scrape down the sides, re-cover and set aside.
Day Seven through Fourteen: Continue removing half of your discard and feeding it with 50 grams of flour and water. Stir well. At this point, your starter should start to have some good activity to it - you should be seeing bubbles, and it could even be doubling at this point. You now need to move to feeding it twice a day (every 12 hours)
Day Fourteen and beyond: Congratulations! You now have a sourdough starter that is ready to use! Give it a fun name, and start baking!