Start Your Starters!
Written by joythebaker on September 9, 2008 – 1:57 pm -
I’m off on a baking adventure and I want you to come along.
All you’ll need is a cup of flour and a cup of water.
Want to play?
We’re making sourdough starters. All they needs is a little attention and feeding and we’ve got starter enough for loaves, pancakes and rolls week after week.
I already have dreams of Saturday morning Sourdough Pancakes trotting through my head. While the endless possibilities of loaves and rolls is enticing, we all know that I’m really just doing this for the pancakes.
Jump on over and we’ll get started!
But wait!
If you’re not interested in making a sourdough starter (gasp!) or you already happen to have one in your fridge (applause!), then check out my musings on Mocha Pots de Creme over at FoodProof. What are these Pots de Creme I speak of? Only like the most deliciously rich and flavorful chocolate pudding you’ll ever have. Go on… I know you’re curious!
There is an awful lot of information online about sourdough starters. Ultimately, creating a starter is a very simple process, so I’m going to keep it simple here.
Let’s go over the basics. If you have anything to share, say it loud in the comment section. I am, by no means, the authority on sourdough bread baking.
Sourdough bread is usually made without the addition of store bought yeast. Instead, a “starter” is used to flavor and leaven the bread. The starter is a bubbly dough composed of flour and water that fills with live yeast and bacteria over time. This starter is cultivated over a period of days at room temperature, then kept in the refrigerator to be used and fed on a weekly basis.
I’ve seen several recipes for starters. Some use a simple combination of flour and water, while others use pineapple juice and flour, or even milk and flour. I’m sticking to the simple flour and water starter.
After searching high and low, I found Sourdough Baking: The Basics by S. John Ross to be the most straight forward.
Below is a picture of my starter just after I made it. I’ll have equally exciting pictures as the process progresses.
Here’s what S. John Ross has to say about throwing a starter together:
Creating Your Starter
The novel thing about sourdough baking is that it requires that you keep something alive in your fridge. I think of my starter as a pet, kept and fed so that I will have all the bread we need. Sourdough “starter” is a batter of flour and water, filled with living yeast and bacteria. The yeast and bacteria form a stable symbiotic relationship, and (as long as you keep the starter fed) can live for centuries, a thriving colony of microorganisms. To make sourdough bread, you blend the starter with some flour and make dough. The yeast propogates, and leavens your bread. This is how you make your starter:
- Select a container that your “pet” will live in. A wide-mouthed glass jar is best. I use a glass jar with a rubber and wireframe seal; you can find these for $2-$4 in any antique or junk shop. A small crock with a loose lid is also great; these can be bought in cheap sets for serving soup. You can also use a rubbermaid or tupperware container. I’ve begun starters using the plastic containers that take-out Chinese soup comes in, and then transferred them to jars later! A wide-mouthed mayonnaise or pickle jar will also do just fine. Metallic containers are a bad idea; some of them are reactive and can ruin your starter (for the same reason, avoid using metal utensils to stir your starter).
- Blend a cup of warm water and a cup of flour, and pour it into the jar. That’s the whole recipe! I use plain, unbleached bread flour most of the time, but I’ve had good results with all-purpose and whole-wheat flour, too. If you want, you can add a little commercial yeast to a starter to “boost” it. If you do this, sourdough snobs will look down their nose at you – but who cares about snobs? I personally find that (at least here where I live) no yeast “boost” is necessary, and I can make “real” sourdough with no trouble. But if you are having trouble, go ahead and cheat. I won’t tell. Note that starter made with commercial yeast often produces a bread with less distinctive sour flavor than the real thing.
- Every 24 Hours, Feed the Starter. You should keep the starter in a warm place; 70-80 degrees Farenheit is perfect. This allows the yeast already present in the flour (and in the air) to grow rapidly. Temperatures hotter than 100 degrees or so will kill it. You can take comfort from the fact that almost nothing else will do so. The way you feed the starter is to(A) throw away half of it and then (B) add a half-cup of flour and a half-cup of water. Do this every 24 hours. Within three or four days (it can take longer, a week or more, and it can happen more quickly) you should start getting lots of bubbles throughought, and a pleasant sour or beery smell. The starter may start to puff up, too. This is good. Here’s the gist: When your starter develops a bubbly froth, it is done. You have succeeded. If this sounds brain-dead simple, that’s because it is. People who didn’t believe the Earth was round did this for millenia.
- Refrigerate the Starter. Keep the starter in your fridge, with a lid on it. Allow a little breathing space in the lid. If you’re using a mayo or pickle jar, punch a hole in the lid with a nail, that kind of thing. Once the starter is chilled, it needs to be fed only once a week. Realistically, you can get away with less; it’s important to remember that your starter is a colony of life-forms that are almost impossible to kill (except with extreme heat). Even starving them is difficult.
Tags: baking, Bread, sourdough, tips and techniques
Posted in Bread, Recipes, Thoughts, Tips and Tricks | 48 Comments »
I just created my first starter, and baked my first loaf of sourdough bread a couple of days ago. One tip that I’ve heard (and that I used) is to weigh your starter ingredients, instead of measuring them by volume. This makes things more consistent. Also, after feeding my starter once a day for a few days, I started moving to twice a day, which ensured that my starter was well-fed. You’ll know your starter is working if it can at least double itself in volume between feedings. Yay for sourdough!
Im in. On my way to soccer now, Ill get ‘er started tonight.
My hubby has a yogurt based starter in the fridge for his special sour dough pancakes. But I think I’ll try this one for a bread test. (It’s getting cool enough again to bake bread! Yay!)
This is so funny! I just found this website two days ago and started my starter too!!
Good Luck to us!! I can’t wait to try my first taste!
Mia- Thanks for the tips! I may start to double my feedings tomorrow.
Laurie- Yay Soccer Mom!
Avlor- Yogurt based starter sounds interesting! The more I read about starters the more interesting kinds I discover. I think I saw one with blueberries in it!
Amy- Yay! I’m glad you’re here. What day is your starter on?
I keep two starters in the fridge, all-purpose and whole wheat, both come from a woman who baked bread EVERY day for 25 years for her family with six kids. Whoa, that’s a lot of bread. For the longest time, I fed my starters every few days, being oh-so-careful with measuring / weighing / timing. Now I only feed them the day before I’m going to use them — throwing in some flour, stirring in some water — then leave out on the counter to revive. They’re resilient — more like an independent ‘cat’ than a needy ‘dog’. Or maybe mostly, like a pet rock.
OK. I’m in. I just started my starter!!
I am totally casual about feeding our starter. We’ve had it for many years and it thrives on neglect. Three weeks ignored? No problem. We add flour and water the night before we want pancakes- equal parts with some interesting combination of flours (often use oatmeal in place of flour) and it seems happy. If it looks too thin, we add flour, if too thick, we add water- all corrections in the morning. The hardest part of keeping it alive is keeping it- remembering to save a dollop before cooking. Any amount will do- that we never measure. Pet rock- good description!
What I need are some good bread recipes- my kids want bread sticks.
OK, I’m in. Your timing couldn’t be more perfect because just this last weekend I was thinking that I needed to get a new starter going (just didn’t like the last version enough). Anyway, I will get this one, well, started!
I find sourdough starters to be intriguing. I had to make one for my bread class in pastry school, but threw it out as soon as class was finished. I wasn’t interested in breads at the time. What I find kind of cool is that the flavor of the starters varies by region depending on the air. A sourdough bread made in my kitchen might not taste the same as one made in the next state over.
I worked with a chef who has had a starter for years and years. I hear those things can really get out of control!
I’ve been wanting to start baking bread lately but I’ve been a bit yeast shy. Well no more! I’m starting my starter tomorrow!
So excited to try this… and I’m hoping you’ll share your pancake recipe. Do you have a sourdough french toast recipe?
i’m one of those (gasp) who doesn’t like sour dough bread! but love love love sourdough pancakes! lol!
do you have a recipe for using the starter in pancakes?
gonna get my pet rock going tonight.
I’m in! Thanks Joy, I’ve been wanting to make my own sourdough for quite a while now!
I tried making starter last year and failed miserably, but I think I’ll give it another try. Thanks for the inspiration!
Alanna- baking bread for your family everyday for 25 years sounds amazing! And you have two starters in your fridge!? That’s so cool!
Theresa- Yay! Thanks for playing.
Holly- Super! What didn’t you like about your last starter?
Tanya- Yea! The flavors of starters in different areas is different. How cool is that? Something about the air in San Francisco makes some seriously delicious bread!
Holly- Don’t be scared! I’m so glad you’re in!
Mandee- Of course I’ll share my pancake recipe! Oh yes!
Arundathi- I’m have a few sourdough pancake recipes that I have my eye on! It’s going to be a serious pancake adventure
Miri- I’m glad you’re in!
Mari- Oh no! How did your last starter fail?
Wow, I never knew it was so easy! I’m definitely going to try this one. (but I’ll probably start in a week or so)
Good lord – and I thought bread making was scary enough all on its own! Might have to try this one when I’m feeling a little more brave!
I had a starter going several years ago. It always had a layer of yellowish liquid on the top of it–I was never sure whether to stir that back in, or pour it off. I think I tried both. Also, the starter got very gluey after a couple of weeks–kind of tough to stir, like a yeast dough full of gluten after being kneaded (and when I added the extra flour and water, there would be a lump of gluten-y dough floating in watery paste). Is this normal, or did I do somethign wrong?
I remember chucking the starter after reaching the glue/yellow-liquid stage, and not having a chance to bake for nearly a month. Decided that I would just go back to plain old dry yeast.
I wouldn’t mind trying again, though, if I could be sure that I was doing it right!
I really want to try a starter but then what? maybe I need to research recipes to convince myself. I bake A LOT of homemade bread for my family, about 2 loaves a week.
Regarding weird looking starter: My mother-in-law used to tell me that you only had to throw out the sour dough starter if it turned orange or black (i.e. mold) on top. The yellow is just the starter separating.
Here’s another bit I found –
# A healthy starter should be bubbly and foamy about two hours after each feeding.
# Hooch is the liquid that forms on top of starters between feedings. This liquid is slightly alcoholic and is the ‘waste product’ of the yeast after feeding on the flour. There are two camps about hooch in the world of sourdough. Some people say it is bad and a sign your starter is starving. Others say, it doesn’t mean a thing other than your yeast ate and you should just stir it back in and go forward. I happen to be in the later camp and unless your hooch is some strange color or has mold or something else weird about it, just stir it back in and feed away!
# If at any time you notice the following, throw out your starter and start over:
-Strange colors other than gray
-Strange smells other than sour or vinegar (i.e. wet gym sock, bad chicken)
-Mold
from http://breadchick.com/?p=348
hope that helps. (Hubby and I have kept starter for years, sometimes neglecting it for a long time in the fridge.)
Starters are always fun. Thanks for sharing!
Just FYI, the recipe for mocha pot de creme is missing the egg yolks.
Oh, just the right thing for me! I actually started a starter a few months ago and baked one loaf of bead with it – after that, I was too afraid to kill it with a second attempt and have kept it in the fridge since! Like, since April, hehum … I guess it has died by now. Anyhow, I’m still scared of that second loaf … (I used a recipe for a starter from my Jamie Oliver cookbook and it was VERY basic – so I thought I might have missed something, researched online and got all confused.) I just read Avlor’s comment and wondered – how could I tell if my starter is still alive? Any ideas … anyone?
I just started one last night!! What a coincidence. I’m so excited too, when I said sourdough pancakes to my family last night they thought it was a little weird, but just they wait… I also ordered a starter from King Arthur because I wanted to do a comparison. Theirs has been living in New England since the 1700s. Yum yum.
Jaina- I’d love to have you play along!
Culinarywannabe- Aw… don’t be scared! You’re among friends! Who cares if you mess up a little flour and water!?
Kristi- That yellowish liquid is called the Hooch. I stirred my back in. But I don’t know about the gluey consistency. Maybe you needed more water? I don’t know. I’m not an expert… yet.
Libby- I hope you’ll join us!
Johanna- I don’t know how to tell whether or not your starter is still alive. It’s certainly easy enough to start a new one thought!
Zoe- Crazy coincidence! And I’d love to hear what you think about the King Arthur starter!
Avlor- Thank you so much for your helpful tips and information! You’re awesome!
Karen- Oh My! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
[...] 11, 2008 in Cooking, Personal | Tags: near disaster, sour dough, trees | On the 9th I joined Joy the Baker in making sour dough starter with just water and flour. The first day it smelled great and was so [...]
[...] Joy the Baker has a post encouraging everyone to try their hand at making their very own starter. [...]
I’m a little late getting started but I’m making the starter today!
i made a starter and failed miserably (or thought i did because i had never made one before lol-it actually looked a lot like yours…oops!) but i was wondering, do you cover it before you refrigerate it? like with a lid or cheesecloth or anything? or just let it open air breath?
Oh No, last night was my second day of feeding and I over fed it. I just looked and I should of only gave it 1/2 cup each of flour and water. I gave it a CUP of each! Do I start over or keep going? It kind of looks like day #1 Should I just feed it tonight and keep going? What would you do?
[...] reading this post on Joy the Baker, I decided to give it a whirl. This is day 7 on my sour dough starter. Its looked about the same [...]
I tried to make my own starter but failed. With your detailed illustration, I should give another attempt : )
[...] making books at home cannot fulfill your desire, come to visit this site for more ideas. Joy from Joy the Baker: Joy has great baking recipes that start from scratch. If you would like make your own starter, [...]
Hi Joy, I have pass an award to you, I like your blog very much, your post on making your starter has drawn my attention to your blog. Check out in my blog and hope you can pass on to the others.
I have had my starter for over 31 years and it smells GREAT. So yeasty. It makes the best sourdough bread and waffles. Joy, your site is awesome, I got on to try your Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They sound yummy, my favorite cookie in the fall.
I’m attempting my first starter. Today’s day one – we’ll see what issues arise! It’s really cold in Seattle, so I’m thinking it’s gonna take either a lot of time, or a lot of having the heat on to make it work!
I found the perfect place to help my starter grow. I put it on top of my cable box, which always stays on, and is slightly warm on top, so it keeps the starter at a warmer temperature than just the room. Thing grew like crazy the first 12 hours, doubling in size. Appropriate hooch appeared the next day, it already smells like sourdough. Mmm.
How do I know if my starter has failed?
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[...] clear instructions on Joy the Baker’s blog to make the sourdough. She has written a great step by step guide to preparing and maintaining sourdough, photos [...]
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I cannot keep my starter going. It is not bubbly and the bread does not rise as much as it should. I have been on and off with sourdough bread starters for over 15 years. For some reason, I cannot keep my starter going. Can you help?
[...] from Joy the Baker: Joy has great baking recipes that start from scratch. If you would like make your own starter, [...]
Well this is a late response to your post on sourdough but I thought I would say “Thanks”. I have summer off this year (every three years need it or not) and have devoted myself to becoming a kitchen goddess. One sub-goal has been to try new bread recipes, and in the process I have discovered many bread blogs. however you move into the arcane realms of sourdough and levels of saturation and seed vs sourdough vs barm and NOBODY puts up recipes (unless they are formulae that failed) and EVERYBODY seems to want you to buy their faffing cookbooks instead of just delivering simple information…
Ah. I feel better already. I am trying your simple simple simple approach to sourdough and here on Day 2 of a hot Vancouver summer, I already have Bubbles. Let’s see what explodes by Day 4–and who knows, maybe it will be cool enough to bake bread. Or make pancakes. Or…bake those choc chip cookies now in the freezer…
happy summer!
Just tried my first sourdough starter and failed miserably. The starter was rising like a phoenix for the first few days, was beginning to have a nice yeasty smell, and then after a feeding the whole thing died. I can’t seem to revive it. I tried making a loaf of bread to see what would happen, couldn’t get it to bubble in the proofing phase, and would not rise. Ended up like a brick. Any suggestions?
[...] Sourdough Starter: the beginning [...]