Search results
This is the tried-and-true method we use for making sourdough starter here at King Arthur, and we feel you'll have success with our sourdough starter recipe.
- (536)
- 440
- What Is A Sourdough Starter?
- A Few Tips Before We Begin
- Helpful Tools to Make A Sourdough Starter
- Starter Refreshment (Feeding)Schedule
- Daily Refreshment Process
- Sourdough Starter Recipe: Making An Incredible Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- What Is The Best Flour to Feed My Sourdough Starter?
- Next Steps For A Healthy Sourdough Starter
- What If I Need A Break from Maintaining My Starter?
- How Can I Save Sourdough Starter discard?
At a high level, a sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that hosts a stable blend of beneficial bacteria and wild yeasts. This mixture is continually maintained with regular refreshments (or feedings) and is used to leaven and flavor new bread dough. The starter is the cornerstone of successful sourdough baking, and especially for a ho...
Water that’s high in chlorine or chloramine (disinfectants used by some cities to clean tap water) can impede fermentation. The night before you want to make your starter, fill a large jug with tap water and let it sit out uncovered overnight to allow any chlorine to dissipate. If your city uses chloramine instead of chlorine, letting a jar sit out...
You can see a rundown of all the tools I use for baking sourdough, vetted over years of baking, over at myfavorite sourdough baking tools page. Here, I list what I consider the necessary tools to get started:
In the beginning, your starter refreshments will occur just once a day. As your culture becomes more active, you’ll increase this to twice a day. Because of the frequency of these feedings, one of my goals is to help you set things up so it’s quick and easy to do your feedings and move on with your day. Once you get the hang of things, you only nee...
At each refreshment, we will perform the following quick steps: 1. Stir your starter a little bit with your spatula 2. Place a clean jar on your scale and scoop in some portion (outlined below) from the jar you just stirred down 3. Add fresh flour and water; mix well to incorporate completely 4. Cover the jar loosely and let rest until the next fee...
Day One
I first like to weigh the jars I’m using (without the lids) to find their empty weight. Then, take a permanent marker and write the jar’s weight on the bottom. This way, we know the baseline weight of the jar so we can quickly figure out how much starter to keep during each refreshment. In the morning, place a clean, empty jar on the scale and tare (the “tare” button on your scale will zero it out after you place your jar on top. This will allow you to measure the flour and water your place i...
Day Two
You may or may not already see some fermentation activity. As mentioned above, this potential initial surge of activity is typical and should subside around Day 3. What you can see below is how my initial mixture expanded significantly (in fact it bubbled out of the jar; this is why setting the jar in a bowl is a good idea). Don’t be discouraged if the surge disappears by the third or fourth day. Stick to the schedule, and it will come back! Place a second, empty jar on the scale and tare so...
Day Three
In the morning, you may start to see more activity, or you may see none. You can see below that the initial surge of action I had on Day 2 disappeared. However, my mixture started to show the beginning signs of beneficial yeast and bacteria taking hold: some bubbles on the top and at the sides, rose to some degree, and it started to take on a sour aroma. Regardless of what signs your mixture is presenting, don’t fret and stick to the schedule. Remember, if it’s cold in your kitchen, warm your...
I get asked this question often. Once your starter is rising and falling predictably, it’s okay to switch your refreshment flour to suit your preference. You can continue with a mixture of rye and all-purpose, change to 100% all-purpose white flour, or even switch to using 100% whole wheat. Each flour will affect the starter in a different way, cha...
After your starter is rising and falling predictably, review my sourdough starter maintenance routine for all the steps I do to keep my starter healthy. You can adjust your feeding schedule based on your baking frequency. If you can bake almost every day, you’ll want to feed your starter once a day to keep it in ready-to-use shape. If you want to b...
Maintaining a sourdough starter should always be on our terms, not the other way around. Maintaining a starter indefinitely can be a daunting task, but there are ways to put it on pause if you need a break from baking for a while. Remember, the refrigerator is our friend to slowing fermentation, and there are even ways to stop all fermentation acti...
Once your starter is rising and falling predictably each day, and only then, to ensure you have the right mix of suitable bacteria and wild yeasts in the culture, you can save the discard. I keep a jar in my fridge where I collect all discards and keep them for up to 2 weeks. Then, when I want to make pancakes, waffles, or another discard recipe, I...
- (3)
- American
- Sourdough
Jul 28, 2024 · What to make with your sourdough starter once it’s ready. The obvious choice is a loaf of sourdough bread, but you can also find recipes online for everything from sourdough pancakes, to ...
- Freelance Writer
- 30 min
Jan 22, 2024 · Learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch with our recipe, which is adapted from Artisan Bryan. The starter is alive—it's an active colony of wild yeast formed by continuously combining flour and water until it is bubbly enough to create the leavening needed to bake a loaf of bread.
- (2)
- American
- Ingredient
4 days ago · This collection of guides, recipes, and walkthroughs will help you create your sourdough starter from scratch, maintain it with the right flour and feeding ratios, and learn how to use it to make a levain and bake bread.
May 7, 2024 · How to Make Sourdough Starter. Our step-by-step guide makes tackling this days-long process way less intimidating. Updated on May 07, 2024. By: Food Network Kitchen. Matt Armendariz. A homemade...
- By: Food Network Kitchen
People also ask
How do you make a good starter?
How do I choose a good starter container?
How do you make a bread starter?
Apr 5, 2012 · How to make your own sourdough starter: Day 1. Combine 113g (1 cup) whole rye flour ( pumpernickel) or whole wheat flour with 113g (1/2 cup) non-chlorinated cool water in a non-reactive container. Glass, crockery, stainless steel, or food-grade plastic all work fine for this.
