Instructions
Once we have adquired a sample of sourdough starter, we’ll want to keep it healthy with regular feedings. If we bake a lot of sourdough breads we may choose to keep your starter on the counter, at room temperature. While this means feeding it twice a day, it also means our starter is always ready to go when you are. If we are a more casual sourdough baker , we will keep our starter in the fridge, where we’ll need to feed it just once a week.
Starter at room temperature
- Stir the starter thoroughly. Spoon 70g starter into a bowl; either discard the remaining starter or use it in another recipe (tips to follow in future articles). Add 70g of flour and 70g lukewarm water to the 70g starter in the bowl. Mix until smooth, return to its jar and cover.
- Repeat this process every 12 hours, feeding the starter twice a day (or once at least). Take the starter to bake with as soon as it’s expanded and bubbly, then feed the remaining starter immediately; and back to step 1.
Starter in the refrigerator:
- Take the starter out of the fridge; there may be a bit of liquid on top. Our recommendation is to drain it, although mixing it up is also possible. Allow the starter to rest at room temperature (about 22°C) for at least 2 hours; this gives the yeast a chance to warm up and get fed.
- Spoon 70g of starter into a bowl; either discard the remaining starter or use it in another recipe (tips to follow in future articles). Add 70g flour and 70g lukewarm water to the 70g starter in the bowl. Mix until smooth and cover, return to its jar, and cover.
- Depending on its health and how recently you have fed it, it will start to bubble and expand quickly, or may take up to 12 hours to show signs of life. Feed the starter every 12 hours until you see it expands considerably within 6 to 8 hours; this means it’s ready to bake with.
- To maintain your starter’s health (and for best baking results), repeat this process about once a week.
