Sourdough Starter

Sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that with time becomes a living culture of bacteria called Lactobacillus. It is being used to naturally leaven different kinds of breads.

Sourdough bread consists of the following basic ingredients: Flour, water and salt. You can use any unbleached flour, preferably whole wheat. Use cold water if your room temperature is warm or lukewarm water if it’s cool.

Making your own Sourdough Starter

Day 1
Mix one cup of flour with 3/4 cup of water

Day 2
Mix another cup of flour with 3/4 cup of water

Day 3
Discard half of the mixture, you can make great pancakes or give it to a friend to continue growing his own sourdough. The reason we do this is to balance the acidity of the mixture and help bacteria grow with less competition, as well as control the quantity of our sourdough.
Mix another cup of flour with 3/4 cup of water

Day 4
Mix another cup of flour with 3/4 cup of water

Day 5
Mix another cup of flour with 3/4 cup of water

When do we know if our sourdough is ready?

We want to use the sourdough while it’s fully “ripe”, meaning in it’s top growth. This happens usually when the height of the mixture triples itself when using a high container (about 5″-6″ diameter). Another way to test it is to put a spoon of it in a bowl of water and see if it floats.

Sourdough Maintenance

We want to feed our “mother” sourdough on a regular basis that fits our baking schedule. Sourdough can stay outside in room temperature for about 2-3 days (mostly depends on the weather, winter or summer)