Recipe for easy and simple sourdough starter
I have long wanted to start baking with sourdough—and until now with very little success, unfortunately.
I’ve always found it difficult to keep my own sourdough alive, so I have several failed attempts under my belt.
BUT—now I have finally found a sourdough that actually works for me.
Starting your own sourdough is quite the project. It can almost be compared to getting a new family member that needs to be cared for, fed, and monitored.
– And this project goes on for as long as you want to keep your sourdough alive ?
It is my plan to continue with my sourdough for as long as possible. Sourdough is a wonderful tool to have at your disposal: This way, you can bake delicious sourdough bread more often, with a crispy crust and a chewy crumb full of delightful large air pockets!
Easy and Simple Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- Deciliter Measure
- Canning Jar
Ingredients
Start of sourdough
- 80 gram Wheat Flour
- 75 gram Rye Flour
- 300 gram Water cold
Sourdough day 3
- 16 gram Flour
- 30 gram Water
Freshening of sourdough
- 27 gram Wheat Flour
- 25 gram Rye Flour
- 100 gram Water
Instructions
Starting the Sourdough
- On the first day, mix flour and water into a homogeneous mass without lumps. I mixed it in a canning jar from IKEA, but it just needs to be a large jar where the lid can sit loosely on top.
- Let the sourdough sit at room temperature in the jar. It must not be in the sun—this is important in this part.
Sourdough Day 3
- On the third day, your sourdough needs to be fed, and it's quickly done: Add 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of cold water to your sourdough and mix it all well again so there are no lumps in the dough.
- Now let your sourdough sit and do the work for you.
Sourdough Day 4-5
- Look at and smell your sourdough on the 4th-5th day. When it starts to smell sour, it is getting ready for use. If you are brave, you can also taste the sourdough: It should be sour and taste a bit like beer.
Refreshing the Sourdough
- From now on, you need to keep your sourdough alive.
- If you are not going to use the sourdough immediately, put the sourdough in the fridge with a loose lid. The sourdough can keep for about a week in the fridge without being fed.
- When the sourdough is to be used, take it out of the fridge and feed it. Let the sourdough wake up - this takes anywhere from 10-24 hours at room temperature.
- When the sourdough is ready, take the desired amount of sourdough, and refresh the remaining sourdough: Mix 1/2 deciliter of wheat flour, 1/2 deciliter of rye flour, and 1 deciliter of cold water into the jar with the sourdough. There should be no lumps.
- Put the sourdough back in the fridge with a loose lid until you need to bake again.
My Experiences and Good Advice
- I've made a small list with some good advice for keeping the sourdough going:a) If your sourdough separates, so a brown liquid forms on top, just stir your sourdough well a few times a day. It will come together again.b) If a crust forms on the sourdough, remove and discard the crust. Stir the sourdough through and let it sit again with a loose lid.