If you had told me many years ago that I could make enticingly crunchy, tender, and healthy bread at home with only a few elemental ingredients, I would not have believed you.
I would have claimed that baking bread requires a professional mixer, a specialized oven, and a list of ingredients so long your eyes start to glaze over. But now I perform this alchemy daily in my home kitchen: transforming three basic ingredients into wholesome sourdough bread. How does one begin the journey of making naturally leavened bread at home? It starts with, well, making a sourdough starter from scratch.
A healthy sourdough starter means great bread.
Despite all the mysticism and lore about creating the concoction, a sourdough starter is merely a naturally fermenting mixture of flour and water. Add water to dry flour, let it sit on the counter for a few days, and you’ll see nature weave life into a once lifeless lump: bubbles will appear and the mixture will rise.
This natural fermentation can be harnessed and (once it is stable) controlled to produce bread so flavorful and healthy that it’s hard to go back to anything else.
I created my sourdough starter years ago (using this sourdough starter recipe), and it’s the same one I use to this day. It’s a spoiled brat now, to be sure, thanks to all my coddling, but in exchange for my attention and flour, it stays on schedule. Besides, when I’m baking, it does the heaviest lifting (bread nerd joke, sorry). Initially, it was the quintessential rebellious child. Sometimes it wouldn’t show any fermentation activity, and at other times it was utterly unruly. Back then, I didn’t realize what it needed to thrive. I didn’t see how vital timely refreshments (also called feedings) were or how much temperature impacts fermentation.
The key to raising a well-adjusted starter is to observe its needs, give it space to grow, and adjust the refreshments to encourage maximum fermentation activity. And a healthy starter means great bread.
But first, let’s quickly look at what a sourdough starter is.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
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 home baker with changing environmental conditions in the kitchen, learning how to care for and use one is the key to bread with the best flavor, texture, and keeping qualities.
A Few Tips Before We Begin
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 overnight will not work. In this case, you’ll have to use bottled water or filtered water (if you are concerned, you can test your water with over-the-counter test kits to determine whether there are additives or other issues). Alternatively, you could use bottled spring water until you get your starter fermenting reliably, then try switching back to tap water with a portion of the starter to see if it’s able to handle the tap water (but don’t use all of it just in case it doesn’t work).
After you mix the flour and water in the jar, be sure to keep the jar lightly covered during the rest of the process. Either a porous cloth or a lid resting on top of the jar will work well. Use a container with enough headspace for the mixture to rise—I like to give at least 5-inches of headspace. Additionally, it’s a good idea to place your jar in a bowl while it’s resting in case the mixture overflows.
During the first couple of days, there’s often a surge in fermentation activity that then drops off dramatically; this situation is probably caused by other yeast and bacteria that are initially present but eventually die off. When this happens, many first-timers think that it has “died,” and they start over. Don’t be fooled by this lapse of activity; continue with the schedule and eventually, the desired yeast and bacteria will move in and stabilize the starter.
The entire process is exceptionally temperature-dependent. Instead of a typical cooler room temperature, I find a warm temperature of around 80°F (26°C) helps kickstart activity since this is near the temperature at which the bacteria and yeast are most active. A home dough proofer (which I highly recommend) and a yogurt maker are great tools for maintaining such an environment. If not, a home oven, turned off, with the light on the inside (and a thermometer to monitor the temperature), or a microwave with a bowl of warm water inside, will both work well.
For even more tips on this whole process and many things related to sourdough starters, check out my Sourdough Starter Frequently Asked Questions page →
Helpful Tools to Make a Sourdough Starter
You can see a rundown of all the tools I use for baking sourdough, vetted over years of baking, over at my favorite sourdough baking tools page. Here, I list what I consider the necessary tools to get started:
Weck glass jar
Have at least two clean jars on hand. I like these Weck jars (#743, 3/4 liter jars) best because they taper out towards the top, making it easy to stir, and they don’t have any hard-to-clean lips or edges. Also, using the glass lid without the provided rubber seal and clips provides just enough of a seal to keep moisture and heat trapped inside.
I recommend using glass jars because you can easily see the fermentation as it progresses. It can also help to place a rubber band around the jar at the height of your starter after mixing so you have a visual guide for how high it rises between refreshments. Two more reasons I like these jars: they’re high quality and very economical. They are canning jars, so you can use them for many other things around the kitchen (jam, homemade pesto, dried fruit, cereals, and so on).
Silicone spatula
I use a small, firm spatula to do my feedings. It’s sturdy and easy to clean with a sponge, and if things get messy, you can run it through the dishwasher.
Scale
A kitchen scale is indispensable and guarantees accuracy when measuring the amount of flour needed for each starter refreshment. Measuring flour by volume is inherently imprecise as the amount of flour packed into a measuring cup can vary. Further, it’s a good idea to get used to using a scale for weighing ingredients, as this method is essential for improving your baking consistency.
Rye flour
Using whole grain (“dark”) rye flour helps expedite the fermentation process. In comparison to white flour, rye flour is teeming with extra nutrients that help kickstart the entire process. If you don’t have rye flour, a good quality organic whole wheat will also work well.
Unbleached, all-purpose, white flour
With my starter of 10+ years, and outlined in my post on how I feed (refresh) my starter these days, I typically refresh it with 70% all-purpose flour (or bread flour) and 30% whole rye flour. I like this mix because you get the fermentation boost from the whole-grain flour and the white flour’s increased gas-trapping ability and gluten strength. This helps me spot the signs of fermentation throughout the day and is a good compromise, using just enough whole grains without my starter getting overly acidic too quickly.
Thermometer
An instant-read thermometer will help monitor the temperature of your starter and ensure that it’s in the optimal range for increasing fermentation activity.
My Free Sourdough Starter Quicksheet
My sourdough starter quicksheet is a free, one-page printable guide to feeding, maintaining, and using my sourdough starter. Download it, print it, and keep it in your baking notebook for quick reference!
Starter Refreshment (Feeding)Schedule
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 need about 5 to 10 minutes per day to keep your starter going–totally manageable.
A sourdough starter is very resilient. If you forget to feed it one day or feed it several hours after it needed a refreshment, don’t worry, in almost all cases it will spring back.
The following sourdough starter recipe schedule will provide you with a reliable and robust sourdough starter in 6 to 9 days. Once you have the culture stable, it will last indefinitely as long as you refresh it regularly. If you don’t plan to bake frequently, you can toss the starter in the fridge and feed it only once a week. (I’ll discuss this in more detail later in this post.)
Your schedule will follow the natural rise and fall of your starter. As soon as you feed it, the yeast and bacteria in your culture will begin to metabolize the sugars in the flour, creating gasses (among other things) as a byproduct. These gasses cause the starter to rise throughout the day as seen above. Once they subside, then the starter falls.
Daily Refreshment Process
At each refreshment, we will perform the following quick steps:
- Stir your starter a little bit with your spatula
- Place a clean jar on your scale and scoop in some portion (outlined below) from the jar you just stirred down
- Add fresh flour and water; mix well to incorporate completely
- Cover the jar loosely and let rest until the next feeding
That’s it! Once you get your process down, it should take no more than a few minutes each day.
Sourdough Starter Recipe: Making an Incredible Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Day One
Initially, I like to use two jars for this process: each time you refresh, swap in a clean jar. Starting on Day 4, you can use the same jar: discard down and add fresh flour and water.
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 in your jar and exclude the jar’s weight). To that jar, add 100 grams whole grain rye flour and 125 grams water and mix until all dry bits are incorporated. If it’s cool in your kitchen, warm the water to 80°F (26°C) before mixing. Lightly cover the jar and set it in a warm place–80°F to 85°F (26°C to 29°C) is ideal–and out of direct sunlight for 24 hours.
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 that it reads 0 grams. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that has been resting for 24 hours. Next, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams of water. Again, if it’s cold, warm the water to 80°F(26°C).
Mix well until all dry bits are incorporated, cover, and place in the same warm spot for 24 hours. Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.
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 water to 80°F (26°C) to help speed things along.
If a layer of clear liquid (“hooch”) forms on the top of your mixture just stir it back in and keep with the schedule.
Place a new, clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that rested overnight and add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams water. Stir until well incorporated. Cover the jar and let it rest for 24 hours.
Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.
Day Four
This day is the first day of the process that has two refreshments in a single day: one in the morning, and one approximately 12 hours later.
In the morning, you should start to see signs of fermentation activity if you haven’t already, and begin to see them again if you experienced the surge-and-drop that I described above. There will be bubbles scattered on the sides and top, and the level of the mixture might have risen and fallen a little (evidenced by streaks on the sides of the jar).
Refresh in the same way that you did on Day 3. Place a clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours.
Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar. From here on, simply use the same jar each day (no need to switch to a clean jar) by discarding the contents down and adding fresh flour and water as instructed.
After this 12-hour rest during the day, discard the contents to 75 grams and refresh again with the same ratio of ingredients. Let the new mixture rest for 12 hours (overnight).
Day Five and Six
For Days 5 and 6, continue to discard down the contents of the jar and then refresh with the same ratio of ingredients as you did on Day 4, twice a day. You will see fermentation activity increase more and more. If you’ve written the weight of the empty jar on the bottom as I indicated on Day 1, you should know exactly how much the resulting weight of the jar plus carried over starter will be—discard down to this weight.
Keep using the same jar for these refreshments.
Day Seven and Onward
In the morning on Day 7, discard what’s in the jar down to 20 grams of the mixture. To this, add 30 grams rye flour, 70 grams all-purpose flour, and 100 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours during the day. In the evening (after about 12 hours), discard the jar contents down to 20g, add the same ratio of ingredients as earlier in the day, and let rest 12 hours (overnight).
At this point, you should see the height of your starter rise and fall in the jar predictably each day. This periodic behavior is a good indicator that it is strong enough for you to use for your first loaf of bread. If your starter is still struggling to show activity, continue the refreshment schedule with the same ratio of ingredients for another day–or even several more days–until things pick up. The process of stabilization can sometimes take longer, depending on the flour used and the environment (especially if it’s cool in your kitchen). Be patient and stick to the schedule!
Once you get the hang of your starter and its feeding schedule, feel free to adjust the ratio of ingredients. For example, in warmer months I’ll reduce my mature starter carryover to 10g to 20g depending on the temperature. To read more about how I change these ratios and maintain my starter, check out my comprehensive sourdough starter guide page which includes my current feeding schedule, an in-depth FAQ, and more.
The starter will continue to develop flavor and strength over the next week and into the future. With an active starter, you can now use a portion of it when it is ripe. A starter is ripe when it has risen, is bubbly on the surface and at the sides, has a sour aroma, and has a looser consistency than when first refreshed.
Having issues? Check out my list of the 21 most common sourdough starter problems (with solutions) →
What is the Best Flour to Feed My Sourdough Starter?
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.
There is no right or wrong flour to use when feeding a starter.
Each flour will affect the starter in a different way, changing how fast it ferments, how acidic it becomes in the same timeframe, and eventually, the final flavor profile. There is no right or wrong flour to use when maintaining your starter; it’s up to you and your starter!
Next Steps For a Healthy Sourdough Starter
After your starter rises and falls 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 daily to keep it ready-to-use shape. If you want to bake only on the weekends, you can put your starter in the refrigerator to slow down its activity.
You can also scale down your starter and maintain a smaller one. Scaling down your starter will mean less flour and water needed for each refreshment (to save ingredients). See my guide to maintaining a smaller sourdough starter for a recipe and process.
What If I Need a Break From Maintaining My Starter?
Maintaining a sourdough starter should always be on our terms, not the other way around. Maintaining a starter indefinitely can be daunting, but there are ways to put your starter 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 activity altogether (and it can stay this year for years!).
How Can I Save Sourdough Starter Discard?
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 can use starter from my sourdough starter discard cache at a moment’s notice.
Final Thoughts
These days, refreshing my sourdough starter is a liturgical part of my day. It takes minutes to provide my starter with fresh flour and water. In return, my starter produces flavorful and healthy bread. I like to think it’s me making the bread; it’s me controlling fermentation, it’s my hands mixing and shaping the dough. But the reality is, I’m just a small cog in nature’s machinery. All I need to do is lend a helping hand and stay out of the way. Happy baking and buon appetito!
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Sourdough Starter Recipe
- Prep Time: 7 days
- Total Time: 168 hours
- Yield: 1 sourdough starter
- Category: Sourdough, Baking, Bread, Starter
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sourdough starter recipe will help you create your own sourdough starter from scratch at home in seven easy steps. Your starter is the cornerstone of great bread—once you have it showing consistent signs of fermentation each day, which takes on average 5 to 7 days, you’re ready to start baking sourdough bread!
Ingredients
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 400g whole-grain rye flour
- 800g water
Instructions
- Day One
To a clean jar, add 100g whole rye flour and 125g warm water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. - Day Two
To clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day One (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. - Day Three
To a clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day Two (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. - Day Four
On day four, you will give the mixture two feedings. In a clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day Three (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix and let rest for 12 hours. In the evening, after 12 hours, repeat the discarding and feeding you did in the morning. Let the mixture rest overnight. - Day Five and Six
For days five and six, continue to discard down the jar contents and then feed with the same ratio of ingredients as Day Four, twice a day. You can use the same jar for these feedings. - Day Seven and Onward
In the morning on Day Seven, discard the jar’s contents down to 20g of the mixture and add 30g whole rye flour, 70g all-purpose flour, and 100g water. Repeat this feeding twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, indefinitely.
Notes
You don’t have to use a new, clean jar each time you feed your starter, but I find it’s helpful to keep track of the weight of the jar so you know how much you’re carrying over.
If you use my method for creating a starter, tag @maurizio on Instagram and use the hashtag #theperfectloaf so I can take a look!
Sourdough Starter Creation FAQs
Why do you need a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a continually maintained mixture of wild yeast and suitable bacteria used to seed fermentation in new dough for bread, pastry, and more.
How long does it take for a sourdough starter to be ready?
In general, I’ve found it takes about 7 days from when you first mix flour and water to when a sourdough starter is ready to be used to bake bread.
Is a homemade sourdough starter safe?
A well-maintained sourdough starter can live virtually indefinitely. The high-acid environment of the sourdough starter helps stave off any unwanted pathogens. However, if you see any signs of traditional mold (pink, white fuzzy, green), it’s best to discard the entire starter and start a new one.
Should I make or buy a sourdough starter?
While buying a sourdough starter is very easy online, it’s a very easy process to do at home! Plus, creating your own starter exposes you to the signs of fermentation, what steps you need to perform to maintain your starter, and gives you a chance to get to know the feeding (refreshment) process.
How long does it take for a sourdough starter to peak?
Some bakers use the term “peak” to refer to either the point at which a starter is ready to be used or needs feeding, or it can refer to the physical peak height of the starter in the jar. I find judging a sourdough starter’s readiness based solely on the height it has risen to may lead to using it at an incorrect time. After all, the height of a starter is simply a display of the strength and other characteristics of the flour. To determine when your starter is ready to be fed (or used for baking), look for a combination of signs: some rise, bubbles on top and at the sides, a sour aroma, and a loose consistency (it should loosen the longer it ferments). From there, use the timeframe for fermentation as a guide: at about 72-78F (22-25C) with 30-50% whole grain flour and 20% ripe starter (the seed, or inoculation), it might be ready after 12-16 hours.
Why doesn’t my sourdough starter have big bubbles?
It’s okay if your starter doesn’t have big bubbles. Large bubbles can be the result of the flour you’re using and the hydration. What’s more important overall, is to see strong signs of consistent fermentation: some bubbles, consistent rise each day, a sour aroma, a loosening in texture.
Why is my sourdough starter not rising?
It’s worrisome if you don’t see any rise in your starter, you should see some. Usually, no rise is a sign it’s not fermenting properly and needs more time to establish. Continue with the feeding schedule outlined in my guide on how to make a sourdough starter and it should begin fermenting after a few days.
What’s Next?
If you’re looking for something to make with the discarded sourdough starter that you’re generating every day, have a look at my sourdough waffles, sourdough pancakes, and sourdough banana bread.
If you need a high-level look at each step of the bread-making process, read through our Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Bread.
2,657 Comments
I’m on day 8 (I’m doing double feedings), and I see lots of bubbles on the side and bottom of the glass, but nothing on the top. It smells sour to me. It has risen some, but hasn’t doubled in size like other sites have suggested. I am using 50/50 rye and AP and filtered water. The last 2-3 days has been very warm here, high 70 degrees. I’m not sure if I’m doing anything wrong.
If it’s sour it might be going too long between feedings. How much and how often are you feeding? Are you sure it’s not rising and then falling without you noticing? Look for smudge signs along the side of the glass.
It might also simply be that you need a bit more time. 7-8 days is average, but it will definitely depend on your environment. The bubbles you see on the sides is a really good sign! Keep with this and you’ll get a culture going.
Hello Maurizio, I’ve (I think) successfully finished the making of the sourdough starter with a 100% whole rye flour, but when I took
it out of the fridge I noticed a acetonic smell. So I decided to feed it and once again after 12 hours, the smell disappeared and I put it in de fridge again. Now two days later the smell appeared again! Does this mean I have to feed it more than one a week, or should I start all over again?
Thank you in advance,
Titia
Titia,
Great news! It’s a good sign you are getting that acetonic/alcohol smell from your starter, it means it’s alive and well. That result is normal and I get that every time I put mine in the fridge.
Out of curiosity, what’s your last feeding like right before you put it into the fridge? You can help slow down fermentation in there by adding a little less water so it’s very stiff, almost paste like. Or, add in a bit more flour and a little more water to give it some more food until next feeding.
You should not have to feed it every week, you can easily go 2 weeks, maybe even 3. I feed mine every 2 weeks on Saturday morning. By the second week I have the same clear liquid on top — totally normal.
Glad to hear things are going well, let me know if you have any more questions and I’ll try to help!
Hello Maurizio, I’ve (I think) successfully finished the making of the sourdough starter with a 100% whole rye flour, but when I took
it out of the fridge I noticed a acetonic smell. So I decided to feed it and once again after 12 hours, the smell disappeared and I put it in de fridge again. Now two days later the smell appeared again! Does this mean I have to feed it more than one a week, or should I start all over again?
Thank you in advance,
Titia
Titia,
Great news! It’s a good sign you are getting that acetonic/alcohol smell from your starter, it means it’s alive and well. That result is normal and I get that every time I put mine in the fridge.
Out of curiosity, what’s your last feeding like right before you put it into the fridge? You can help slow down fermentation in there by adding a little less water so it’s very stiff, almost paste like. Or, add in a bit more flour and a little more water to give it some more food until next feeding.
You should not have to feed it every week, you can easily go 2 weeks, maybe even 3. I feed mine every 2 weeks on Saturday morning. By the second week I have the same clear liquid on top — totally normal.
Glad to hear things are going well, let me know if you have any more questions and I’ll try to help!
What do u recommend if not seeing much bubble activity? I am on day 8 (still single day feedings) and it almost as if mine smells less acetic/lactic. I just have a mason jar covered lightly with foil.
Mike, what’s the temperature in your kitchen would you say? If you can find a slightly warmer area (around 75-80º F) this will ensure the highest yeast activity. Have you tried using filtered water, just until things get going? If you don’t have any on hand, let some tap water sit out for 12-24 hours before using it to help dissipate chlorine.
Also, if you’re not using rye flour it’s fine, it just make take things a bit longer. Whole wheat flour could be used as a substitute.
I think things will probably pick up for you, you might just have to give it some more time! Each environment is different.
Let me know how it’s progressing, it will happen!
What do u recommend if not seeing much bubble activity? I am on day 8 (still single day feedings) and it almost as if mine smells less acetic/lactic. I just have a mason jar covered lightly with foil.
Mike, what’s the temperature in your kitchen would you say? If you can find a slightly warmer area (around 75-80º F) this will ensure the highest yeast activity. Have you tried using filtered water, just until things get going? If you don’t have any on hand, let some tap water sit out for 12-24 hours before using it to help dissipate chlorine.
Also, if you’re not using rye flour it’s fine, it just make take things a bit longer. Whole wheat flour could be used as a substitute.
I think things will probably pick up for you, you might just have to give it some more time! Each environment is different.
Let me know how it’s progressing, it will happen!
Great info and comments. I keep two starters alive, one 100% rye and one 100% white bread flour. I like your idea of combining the two. Having one starter would simplify things and the addition of a bit of rye (even from the starter) will give subtle character to any loaf without changing the flavor.
Question – why do you use AP flour instead of bread flour?
Thanks.
The combination of rye and white flour makes for a very nice and reliable starter. The white flour slows down the insane fermentation that 100% rye would produce, but like you said, you still get that subtle rye flavor in your breads — which is very faint but I like it.
I actually fluctuate between AP flour and bread flour from time to time, depending on what I have on hand. Usually it’s bread flour as that’s what I primarily use for baking, but sometimes I get caught with only AP in the pantry. Since writing this post I’ve started using a local flour (Sangre de Cristo) that is higher protein and closer to bread flour than AP…
Hope that helps, happy baking and thanks for the comments!
Great info and comments. I keep two starters alive, one 100% rye and one 100% white bread flour. I like your idea of combining the two. Having one starter would simplify things and the addition of a bit of rye (even from the starter) will give subtle character to any loaf without changing the flavor.
Question – why do you use AP flour instead of bread flour?
Thanks.
The combination of rye and white flour makes for a very nice and reliable starter. The white flour slows down the insane fermentation that 100% rye would produce, but like you said, you still get that subtle rye flavor in your breads — which is very faint but I like it.
I actually fluctuate between AP flour and bread flour from time to time, depending on what I have on hand. Usually it’s bread flour as that’s what I primarily use for baking, but sometimes I get caught with only AP in the pantry. Since writing this post I’ve started using a local flour (Sangre de Cristo) that is higher protein and closer to bread flour than AP…
Hope that helps, happy baking and thanks for the comments!
Maurizio, my starter is now 7 days old, and I stumbled onto your site today. Thanks for your comprehensive description of how to start and maintain the starter! It’s the best explanation I’ve seen. I really like the idea of setting aside a pre-measured mix of rye/apw flour, as it saves having to lug out those big canisters of flour several times a day. It’s a small thing, but makes a lot of sense. BTW, I’ve been making pancakes every morning with the discard. I just mix the starter with about 1 tbsp of yogurt and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Easy tasty breakfast, and no waste. When I want a savoury breakfast, I first fry a bit of garlic & chilli pepper in the pan before adding the batter. Looking forward to trying out your recipes.
Thank you, I’m glad my entry has helped you out! Creating your own sourdough starter can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be with a few steps to make things easy. It requires some care and attention just like anything, but that attention shouldn’t detract too much from the million other things we all have to do each day.
I’ve made sourdough pancakes before with my starter but haven’t in a while. I’m going to try your more straightforward recipe, it sounds like something I could easily do every morning. In fact, I think you’ve helped me decide what to have for breakfast tomorrow. Yogurt, that’s a great addition and it just so happens I have some Greek yogurt on hand!
Thanks for the comments and I look forward to what you think of my other recipes throughout the site — happy baking!
Hi Megan,
Just saw your mail on using the discarded starter for Pancakes, brilliant idea. Could you post the full recipe please. What do you serve with them ?
Thanks
Brian
Hi Brian. I can’t say I really have a recipe, since I just add ingredients until it looks right. I originally said baking soda, but it’s been more reliable with double action baking piwder. The recipe is something like the following:
Pancakes (enough for 1-2 people)
– 80g discarded starter (or multiples of this, if it’s from several feedings)
– 1 tbsp yogurt
– 1/4 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 cup white flour
Thin to desired consistency with water or whey. I like the batter to be pretty runny. Usually I let it sit for 15-30 minutes before cooking, to get some yeast action. Cook in lightly oiled pan. Serve with maple syrup and yogurt. Pomegranate syrup is also good, as is stewed rhubarb (microwave sliced rhubarb and sugar until runny).
Savoury fry bread
– Same batter as above, but much thicker. Sometimes I add 1 tsp oil or melted butter to the batter.
Lightly fry aromatics in a generous amount of oil (at least 1 tbsp). Such as: a few thin slices of onion or garlic, a light dusting of hot chilli pepper, a few cumin or nigella seeds, a few grains of sea salt. The pan should be hot enough to allow the chilli pepper to bloom, but not enough to burn the spices.
After about 30 seconds, spread the batter on top of the spices. I usually do just one large cake that fills most of the pan. Flip when nicely toasted, being careful that the spices don’t burn. Serve as is.
Megan & Brian,
That pancake recipe is very close to the one I used with my starter. I’ve been collecting all my recipes where I use “leftover” starter and hope to have an entry here with a bunch of them. A sourdough starter adds an awesome subtle flavor to all of these things!
I was wondering what to do with the excess starter… to discard seems like such a waste. I like the idea of making pancakes. Thanks for your input and telling what to mix with the excess starter… yogurt and baking soda.
You shouldn’t think of it as a waste! Think of it as food that gets consumed and then the rest is just discarded (much like discarding the core of an apple, or the skin of an orange) as the nutrients for your starter have eaten all they can. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t use that excess in many other ways. I will use that leftover in pancakes, waffles, teacakes, and many other baked goods where I want a little sour flavor added in. It’s surprisingly versatile.
I have a post I’ve been working on for a little while now and I hope to have it out sometime soon — it has recipes for various foods I’ll make with excess starter. I’m sad it’s not quite out yet but it will be soon!
Maurizio, my starter is now 7 days old, and I stumbled onto your site today. Thanks for your comprehensive description of how to start and maintain the starter! It’s the best explanation I’ve seen. I really like the idea of setting aside a pre-measured mix of rye/apw flour, as it saves having to lug out those big canisters of flour several times a day. It’s a small thing, but makes a lot of sense. BTW, I’ve been making pancakes every morning with the discard. I just mix the starter with about 1 tbsp of yogurt and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Easy tasty breakfast, and no waste. When I want a savoury breakfast, I first fry a bit of garlic & chilli pepper in the pan before adding the batter. Looking forward to trying out your recipes.
Thank you, I’m glad my entry has helped you out! Creating your own sourdough starter can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be with a few steps to make things easy. It requires some care and attention just like anything, but that attention shouldn’t detract too much from the million other things we all have to do each day.
I’ve made sourdough pancakes before with my starter but haven’t in a while. I’m going to try your more straightforward recipe, it sounds like something I could easily do every morning. In fact, I think you’ve helped me decide what to have for breakfast tomorrow. Yogurt, that’s a great addition and it just so happens I have some Greek yogurt on hand!
Thanks for the comments and I look forward to what you think of my other recipes throughout the site — happy baking!
Hi Megan,
Just saw your mail on using the discarded starter for Pancakes, brilliant idea. Could you post the full recipe please. What do you serve with them ?
Thanks
Brian
Hi Brian. I can’t say I really have a recipe, since I just add ingredients until it looks right. I originally said baking soda, but it’s been more reliable with double action baking piwder. The recipe is something like the following:
Pancakes (enough for 1-2 people)
– 80g discarded starter (or multiples of this, if it’s from several feedings)
– 1 tbsp yogurt
– 1/4 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 cup white flour
Thin to desired consistency with water or whey. I like the batter to be pretty runny. Usually I let it sit for 15-30 minutes before cooking, to get some yeast action. Cook in lightly oiled pan. Serve with maple syrup and yogurt. Pomegranate syrup is also good, as is stewed rhubarb (microwave sliced rhubarb and sugar until runny).
Savoury fry bread
– Same batter as above, but much thicker. Sometimes I add 1 tsp oil or melted butter to the batter.
Lightly fry aromatics in a generous amount of oil (at least 1 tbsp). Such as: a few thin slices of onion or garlic, a light dusting of hot chilli pepper, a few cumin or nigella seeds, a few grains of sea salt. The pan should be hot enough to allow the chilli pepper to bloom, but not enough to burn the spices.
After about 30 seconds, spread the batter on top of the spices. I usually do just one large cake that fills most of the pan. Flip when nicely toasted, being careful that the spices don’t burn. Serve as is.
Megan & Brian,
That pancake recipe is very close to the one I used with my starter. I’ve been collecting all my recipes where I use “leftover” starter and hope to have an entry here with a bunch of them. A sourdough starter adds an awesome subtle flavor to all of these things!
I was wondering what to do with the excess starter… to discard seems like such a waste. I like the idea of making pancakes. Thanks for your input and telling what to mix with the excess starter… yogurt and baking soda.
You shouldn’t think of it as a waste! Think of it as food that gets consumed and then the rest is just discarded (much like discarding the core of an apple, or the skin of an orange) as the nutrients for your starter have eaten all they can. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t use that excess in many other ways. I will use that leftover in pancakes, waffles, teacakes, and many other baked goods where I want a little sour flavor added in. It’s surprisingly versatile.
I have a post I’ve been working on for a little while now and I hope to have it out sometime soon — it has recipes for various foods I’ll make with excess starter. I’m sad it’s not quite out yet but it will be soon!
Hello Maurizio. I’m really enjoying your blog and finding it very helpful. My question is about whether or not it’s important to match the type of flour used in the starter with the type used in the bread you bake. Do you use the 50/50 rye/apw to feed your starter no matter what kind of bread you plan to use it in?
Thanks, glad I could help out!
I personally haven’t noticed much difference between using my rye/apw and ww/apw starters when baking. I do think they will impart a small difference in the final product, though. Each flour has its own characteristics and because you will be using some of your starter (usually around 250g in my case) the small percentage of flour will leave its mark even if in a small way (fermentation time, dough strength, flavor, …).
In the end though I don’t pay much attention to that. If I were baking professionally I might have a different answer, but for my purposes as a home baker things turn out just nicely with both of my starters!
Thanks for the ultra-quick response! My follow-up question, then, is: How do you determine which starter you will use for a given loaf?
Anne,
Right now I’m just doing some testing with the two different starters to see if I’ve noticed a difference over the long term so I’d use whichever starter is on the right schedule and ready to go. I’ve been using my apw/ww a lot more lately just because I’ve run out of rye flour and have had the rye starter in the fridge…
I have come to realize as I’ve been baking that starter preference comes down to a personal preference based on your location, environment, flours available, and taste. Rye flour definitely helps your starter get going, and I 100% recommend going that route, but once it’s established it’s fun to play with other flours, and ratios of flours, until your starter performs how you’d like. Like I discuss in my posts, whole grain flours do ferment much faster and you’ll get much more vigorous starter activity with them, but maybe this isn’t what someone would want (perhaps their schedule only allows them to feed once a day when not baking, etc.). Also the flavor profiles can be subtly different.
Sorry for the drawn out answer, but in a nutshell I use whichever I’m currently focusing my attention on!
Hello Maurizio. I’m really enjoying your blog and finding it very helpful. My question is about whether or not it’s important to match the type of flour used in the starter with the type used in the bread you bake. Do you use the 50/50 rye/apw to feed your starter no matter what kind of bread you plan to use it in?
Thanks, glad I could help out!
I personally haven’t noticed much difference between using my rye/apw and ww/apw starters when baking. I do think they will impart a small difference in the final product, though. Each flour has its own characteristics and because you will be using some of your starter (usually around 250g in my case) the small percentage of flour will leave its mark even if in a small way (fermentation time, dough strength, flavor, …).
In the end though I don’t pay much attention to that. If I were baking professionally I might have a different answer, but for my purposes as a home baker things turn out just nicely with both of my starters!
Thanks for the ultra-quick response! My follow-up question, then, is: How do you determine which starter you will use for a given loaf?
Anne,
Right now I’m just doing some testing with the two different starters to see if I’ve noticed a difference over the long term so I’d use whichever starter is on the right schedule and ready to go. I’ve been using my apw/ww a lot more lately just because I’ve run out of rye flour and have had the rye starter in the fridge…
I have come to realize as I’ve been baking that starter preference comes down to a personal preference based on your location, environment, flours available, and taste. Rye flour definitely helps your starter get going, and I 100% recommend going that route, but once it’s established it’s fun to play with other flours, and ratios of flours, until your starter performs how you’d like. Like I discuss in my posts, whole grain flours do ferment much faster and you’ll get much more vigorous starter activity with them, but maybe this isn’t what someone would want (perhaps their schedule only allows them to feed once a day when not baking, etc.). Also the flavor profiles can be subtly different.
Sorry for the drawn out answer, but in a nutshell I use whichever I’m currently focusing my attention on!
Hello, it’s a pleasure to both look and read about your baking of sourdough bread. I’m from the scandinavian part of world and when I’m making sourdoughs I’ve learned to always grate an apple with skin on into the sourdough starter in day 1. This helps the sourdough starting and I use it in both in rye- and wheat sourdough. If the sourdough is slackening down at a point, then it can help to grate in some apple and feed several times. Best regards 🙂
Thanks! I’ve not read about the apple method. I think perhaps I’ll spin off a little bit of my starter and give that a try. I wonder if it’s the extra sugars giving that spike in activity.
Thanks for the tip and happy baking!
Hello, it’s a pleasure to both look and read about your baking of sourdough bread. I’m from the scandinavian part of world and when I’m making sourdoughs I’ve learned to always grate an apple with skin on into the sourdough starter in day 1. This helps the sourdough starting and I use it in both in rye- and wheat sourdough. If the sourdough is slackening down at a point, then it can help to grate in some apple and feed several times. Best regards 🙂
Thanks! I’ve not read about the apple method. I think perhaps I’ll spin off a little bit of my starter and give that a try. I wonder if it’s the extra sugars giving that spike in activity.
Thanks for the tip and happy baking!
One last question(I hope): do I cover the starter with the weck lid or do I use a fabric cover?
Julie — no problem ask away! I cover the Weck jar with its lid, but I do *not* use the clamps or rubber seal. I simply place the glass lid on top. This will let gasses escape if necessary.
One last question(I hope): do I cover the starter with the weck lid or do I use a fabric cover?
Julie — no problem ask away! I cover the Weck jar with its lid, but I do *not* use the clamps or rubber seal. I simply place the glass lid on top. This will let gasses escape if necessary.
What size weck jar do you use for your starter?
Julie,
I use these 580ml Weck jars.
What size weck jar do you use for your starter?
Julie,
I use these 580ml Weck jars.
I am in love with your revamp of the Tartine breads. My favorite being the walnut sourdough.I really like the results using Rye flour for the starter also.
One question about multiple feeding days (day 6 and 7). Do you discard starter, down to the 40 grams, with each of the 2 or 3 feeding per day? Or do you add to each feeding?
Thank you,
Debby
Thanks! Rye flour really helps get things going in the beginning, so much so I don’t know why anyone would start things any other way. I’ve created many a starter for myself, and for friends, using rye flour with very high success rates.
I always discard part of the starter, down to 40g. If you leave too much the overall acid load will be very high, leading to very sour bread.
Happy baking!
Thank you so much for your reply. I look forward to using the starter for many years to come.
One more question out of curiosity, where do you live? I noticed you changed oven temperature and time which was necessary due to your elevation and climate.
I live in Vernal, Utah which is at about 5500 ft. in elevation. I sometimes have to adjust cooking times and temperature.
I live in Albuquerque, NM (about 5280 ft. up). I always have to adjust my cook times and sometimes oven temperatures to adjust for my elevation. In addition, because it’s so dry here I have to also take that into account by keeping my dough always covered and in plastic wrap when in the fridge proofing.
Pretty comparable here. We are extremely dry much of the time. Your directions ought to work well for me. Thank you so much for your time and kind replies.
You’re very welcome. Good luck and I’d love to hear how things turn out!
I am in love with your revamp of the Tartine breads. My favorite being the walnut sourdough.I really like the results using Rye flour for the starter also.
One question about multiple feeding days (day 6 and 7). Do you discard starter, down to the 40 grams, with each of the 2 or 3 feeding per day? Or do you add to each feeding?
Thank you,
Debby
Thanks! Rye flour really helps get things going in the beginning, so much so I don’t know why anyone would start things any other way. I’ve created many a starter for myself, and for friends, using rye flour with very high success rates.
I always discard part of the starter, down to 40g. If you leave too much the overall acid load will be very high, leading to very sour bread.
Happy baking!
Thank you so much for your reply. I look forward to using the starter for many years to come.
One more question out of curiosity, where do you live? I noticed you changed oven temperature and time which was necessary due to your elevation and climate.
I live in Vernal, Utah which is at about 5500 ft. in elevation. I sometimes have to adjust cooking times and temperature.
I live in Albuquerque, NM (about 5280 ft. up). I always have to adjust my cook times and sometimes oven temperatures to adjust for my elevation. In addition, because it’s so dry here I have to also take that into account by keeping my dough always covered and in plastic wrap when in the fridge proofing.
Pretty comparable here. We are extremely dry much of the time. Your directions ought to work well for me. Thank you so much for your time and kind replies.
You’re very welcome. Good luck and I’d love to hear how things turn out!
Hi Maurizio,
I’m a sourdough neophyte struggling with my first starter, and I was hoping you could clarify one detail for me. In the post above, you state that you use 50/50 AP/rye, but in your post from August 6 (Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf Bread Recipe #33), you state that you feed your starter with 100% rye flour. Do you recommend feeding the starter with 100% rye only once the starter has matured, or do you now recommend using 50/50 AP/rye exclusively?
I’d also like to add that I am very grateful that you have taken the time to share your knowledge and experiences. Your blog is a pleasure to read and inspires me to bake bread.
Elie,
Thanks for the kind words about my site, I’m glad it’s helping! Welcome to the world of artisan sourdough bread, it’s going to be an enjoyable ride.
Sorry for the inconsistency, I am constantly working on things to try and improve and my starter has been a challenge for a while. In my experience even the 50/50 rye/apw (all purpose white unbleached) mix will be enough to get a new starter off it’s feet and going. I recommend using this exclusively, even after your starter has taken hold and is reliable. There are many formulas out there for flour mixtures for feeding your starter and I think in the end it’s a personal preference thing (taste, consistency, reliability, etc.).
I had previously been feeding with 100% rye flour and it works just fine, you can go this route if you’d like. Now though I exclusively do a 50/50 mix as I like a little more apw in the leaven and also because rye flour can be on the expensive side. I’ve had very good results with this 50/50 mix and plan to stick to this from here on out.
Happy baking!
Thanks for your reply, Maurizio. I have a couple of questions about feeding frequency. I found that if I feed a new starter once per day, by Day 5 it smells like acetone. I tried another starter which I fed twice per day from the beginning (following advice that I came across online), but I never saw much activity even after seven days (a few bubbles, a maximum of 20% growth after feedings). Both of these starters were 100% hydration using 50/50 whole wheat bread flour and AP white unbleached, with a ratio of 1:1:1 starter:flour:filtered water. My questions are:
1. Once a starter smells like acetone, is it ruined?
2. Is the starter that is fed twice per day from the start stunted because it hasn’t been left alone for long enough?
3. Is it possible that both of the issues that I have encountered are the result of my choice of flour?
Elie,
1. No, it’s not ruined if it smells like acetone. In my experience its going to smell kinda bad by day 5 if it has not progressed far enough. It will go through a person of smelling like vinegar or acetone before it finally takes hold and you’re seeing good fermentation. In my post that was around day 4/5.
2. I would say that yes feeding it twice per day before your culture has taken hold will just make things take longer. There will not be enough of a stable yeast culture to keep things going.
3. I strongly recommend using at least 50% rye flour for your feedings. Wheat flour is good but there are even more nutrients in rye.
Let me know how it goes, good luck!
Hi Maurizio,
I’m a sourdough neophyte struggling with my first starter, and I was hoping you could clarify one detail for me. In the post above, you state that you use 50/50 AP/rye, but in your post from August 6 (Tartine Sourdough Country Loaf Bread Recipe #33), you state that you feed your starter with 100% rye flour. Do you recommend feeding the starter with 100% rye only once the starter has matured, or do you now recommend using 50/50 AP/rye exclusively?
I’d also like to add that I am very grateful that you have taken the time to share your knowledge and experiences. Your blog is a pleasure to read and inspires me to bake bread.
Elie,
Thanks for the kind words about my site, I’m glad it’s helping! Welcome to the world of artisan sourdough bread, it’s going to be an enjoyable ride.
Sorry for the inconsistency, I am constantly working on things to try and improve and my starter has been a challenge for a while. In my experience even the 50/50 rye/apw (all purpose white unbleached) mix will be enough to get a new starter off it’s feet and going. I recommend using this exclusively, even after your starter has taken hold and is reliable. There are many formulas out there for flour mixtures for feeding your starter and I think in the end it’s a personal preference thing (taste, consistency, reliability, etc.).
I had previously been feeding with 100% rye flour and it works just fine, you can go this route if you’d like. Now though I exclusively do a 50/50 mix as I like a little more apw in the leaven and also because rye flour can be on the expensive side. I’ve had very good results with this 50/50 mix and plan to stick to this from here on out.
Happy baking!
Thanks for your reply, Maurizio. I have a couple of questions about feeding frequency. I found that if I feed a new starter once per day, by Day 5 it smells like acetone. I tried another starter which I fed twice per day from the beginning (following advice that I came across online), but I never saw much activity even after seven days (a few bubbles, a maximum of 20% growth after feedings). Both of these starters were 100% hydration using 50/50 whole wheat bread flour and AP white unbleached, with a ratio of 1:1:1 starter:flour:filtered water. My questions are:
1. Once a starter smells like acetone, is it ruined?
2. Is the starter that is fed twice per day from the start stunted because it hasn’t been left alone for long enough?
3. Is it possible that both of the issues that I have encountered are the result of my choice of flour?
Elie,
1. No, it’s not ruined if it smells like acetone. In my experience its going to smell kinda bad by day 5 if it has not progressed far enough. It will go through a person of smelling like vinegar or acetone before it finally takes hold and you’re seeing good fermentation. In my post that was around day 4/5.
2. I would say that yes feeding it twice per day before your culture has taken hold will just make things take longer. There will not be enough of a stable yeast culture to keep things going.
3. I strongly recommend using at least 50% rye flour for your feedings. Wheat flour is good but there are even more nutrients in rye.
Let me know how it goes, good luck!
You are very generous to give out such a detailed step by step instruction. I really appreciate the timeline, sometimes figuring out when to begin the process can be the tricky part for me. I just started my own starter using a formula from King Arthur flour. Could I switch over to your method of maintenance or would I be better off starting over with your starter recipe?
Julie,
No problem! I spent quite a bit of time over the years trying to get a strong, successful starter going. Once I found a method that worked reliably I felt I aught to share it with others.
Sure, you can use King Arthur or any other brand of flour. However, I highly recommend using rye flour in some quantity. I’ve found that using rye is almost guaranteed to get your starter going in about 7 days.
Once you get your starter going you can switch to white, wheat, rye, whatever flour you wish (you might want to do this gradually over the course of a few days).
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
You are very generous to give out such a detailed step by step instruction. I really appreciate the timeline, sometimes figuring out when to begin the process can be the tricky part for me. I just started my own starter using a formula from King Arthur flour. Could I switch over to your method of maintenance or would I be better off starting over with your starter recipe?
Julie,
No problem! I spent quite a bit of time over the years trying to get a strong, successful starter going. Once I found a method that worked reliably I felt I aught to share it with others.
Sure, you can use King Arthur or any other brand of flour. However, I highly recommend using rye flour in some quantity. I’ve found that using rye is almost guaranteed to get your starter going in about 7 days.
Once you get your starter going you can switch to white, wheat, rye, whatever flour you wish (you might want to do this gradually over the course of a few days).
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Hi,
I noticed that your rye flour is a blend of bread flour and rye. I am using bob’s red mill organic dark rye and my starter is very stiff and stays as a mount on the bottom of the container. Should i increase the amount of water or just change the percentage of rye to white AP?
Jay,
Right, my rye flour is a blend. I’d change the amount of water to suit your desired stiffness. If it is impossibly dry and hard to stir just add a few more grams of water until it is still stiff, but not impossible to incorporate.
I decided make a different starter using a 1:1:2:4 blend of dark rye, AP, and bread flour and water. The consistency and color looks close to what you have. I will compare this to the other “stiffer” version and see how it turns out. Thanks for the quick reply.
Sounds like a good plan. Would love to hear how it turns out!
Here’s the update. I had both starters going for about 3 dyas, but it was taking to much time to feed em. I had 3 others starters that also trying out. So after the third day, the with just rye and AP flour looked more active and smelled better. So that is the one i’ll keep. I think the smell is really interesting and it reminds of mushrooms. This is really different from the nail polish/green apple smells i’m getting from my 2 week old 100% rye starter.
Excellent, it sounds like you’re on your way. I know what you’re talking about with the nail polish smell, that just makes me cringe thinking about it. Your “mushroom” starter, as we’ll call it, will probably change scent after the culture becomes stable. Now a days mine actually smells pretty good almost all the time, rarely vinegary or like nail polish.
Keep me posted!
Here the loaf I made with the mushroom starter. . http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/35785/second-loaf-tartine
Hey looking pretty good! Nice rise on that one. Are you going to try to tweak anything for the next go around? How long did you bake this for?
I would like my bread to have less tang, so I will try to use less starter in my levain next time. I used 50g as supposed to the 1 tbs suggested in the original recipe. I baked it for 20mins @550F covered, and 20 mins @ 500F uncovered.
Another thing that can be done here is to make sure you feed your stater leading up to your bake a little more often. That’s one reason I feed it 3x leading up to the bake. Feeding often removes more of the acidity in your starter.
You will feed your starter with enough food (flour & water) to have enough to use for your “levain”. When making two loaves of bread, which is what I always write about here, you only need a small amount of starter when creating your levain (around 25grams).
Your starter is only ever really a small amount, enough to keep your yeast fed and surviving. Your levain is what you build up before you bake, this is how you scale up your yeast to the required amount for your recipe.
Hope that helps!
Hi,
I noticed that your rye flour is a blend of bread flour and rye. I am using bob’s red mill organic dark rye and my starter is very stiff and stays as a mount on the bottom of the container. Should i increase the amount of water or just change the percentage of rye to white AP?
Jay,
Right, my rye flour is a blend. I’d change the amount of water to suit your desired stiffness. If it is impossibly dry and hard to stir just add a few more grams of water until it is still stiff, but not impossible to incorporate.
I decided make a different starter using a 1:1:2:4 blend of dark rye, AP, and bread flour and water. The consistency and color looks close to what you have. I will compare this to the other “stiffer” version and see how it turns out. Thanks for the quick reply.
Sounds like a good plan. Would love to hear how it turns out!
Here’s the update. I had both starters going for about 3 dyas, but it was taking to much time to feed em. I had 3 others starters that also trying out. So after the third day, the with just rye and AP flour looked more active and smelled better. So that is the one i’ll keep. I think the smell is really interesting and it reminds of mushrooms. This is really different from the nail polish/green apple smells i’m getting from my 2 week old 100% rye starter.
Excellent, it sounds like you’re on your way. I know what you’re talking about with the nail polish smell, that just makes me cringe thinking about it. Your “mushroom” starter, as we’ll call it, will probably change scent after the culture becomes stable. Now a days mine actually smells pretty good almost all the time, rarely vinegary or like nail polish.
Keep me posted!
Here the loaf I made with the mushroom starter. . http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/35785/second-loaf-tartine
Hey looking pretty good! Nice rise on that one. Are you going to try to tweak anything for the next go around? How long did you bake this for?
I would like my bread to have less tang, so I will try to use less starter in my levain next time. I used 50g as supposed to the 1 tbs suggested in the original recipe. I baked it for 20mins @550F covered, and 20 mins @ 500F uncovered.
Another thing that can be done here is to make sure you feed your stater leading up to your bake a little more often. That’s one reason I feed it 3x leading up to the bake. Feeding often removes more of the acidity in your starter.
You will feed your starter with enough food (flour & water) to have enough to use for your “levain”. When making two loaves of bread, which is what I always write about here, you only need a small amount of starter when creating your levain (around 25grams).
Your starter is only ever really a small amount, enough to keep your yeast fed and surviving. Your levain is what you build up before you bake, this is how you scale up your yeast to the required amount for your recipe.
Hope that helps!