Sourdough Starter – Everything You Need to Know

A sourdough starter is an amazing way to make delicious baked treats and can really become a part of the family. I put together a guide to all things sourdough starter.

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These times sure are interesting. We are being asked to stay home and distance ourselves from each other. For the first time in my life, I am happy to be an introvert. Months at home hasn’t seemed to affect me as it has others, in fact, I kind of enjoy it.

Now, the circumstances as to why I am home, not so much. The anxieties and uncertainties of what we are going through are real. The important thing to remember is that we are in this together, even though we feel so far apart. If there is one thing to say about this forced time at home, it seems to have taken us back to the basics. Living a more simple and sustainable life.

One of the things I have noticed people getting into is sourdough and I am 100% on board! The sourdough starter in my fridge right now has been in my family for years. It has been passed down from generation to generation. How cool is that!? I think this is why sourdough is making such a comeback. It is something you can grow, share and use to feed your family. It is sustainable.

Sourdough starters can be a little intimidating. I will be honest, I avoided getting a sourdough start from my mom because I didn’t want to screw it up.

I’ll be even more honest, the first time I got a starter from my mom, I forgot about it in the back of my fridge and did screw it up. Whoops.

After asking my mom and my husband, who works in a bakery all the questions it turns out, it is really pretty easy and there are ways to save a sourdough starter even if you do “screw” it up. I wish I would have known that with my first starter!

To help you on your sourdough journey, I have put together everything you need to know to have and use a sourdough starter.

Where to get a sourdough starter

There are two options to get a sourdough starter. You can either get a sourdough starter from someone else or make your own. Good thing is, both options are pretty easy.

If someone in your life is nice enough to give you a sourdough starter, take it! All they have to do is split it in separate jars feeding them equal parts water and flour. Store them in the fridge until ready to be given.

Making your own starter is an easy process also, it only takes two ingredients; flour and water. The process is pretty amazing and just takes a little time. When the flour and water are mixed the bacteria and wild yeast in the flour and your surroundings work together to create magic, a.k.a gas bubbles that make bread rise.

The thing about creating a sourdough starter is there are several methods out there. From rye flour only, pineapple juice instead of water, heck, my great-grandfather used potato water because it made it really sour. It’s all about experimenting and finding a process that works for you.

If you are ready to create your own start, King Arthur Flour has a great starter recipe among some other great sourdough resources.

Where to store a sourdough starter

Store your sourdough starter in a non-reactive container like a glass jar, stoneware crock or stainless steel with a loose-fitting lid, cloth or plastic wrap. A starter should not have a tight-fitting lid because the natural yeast from the air can’t get in.

If you plan to use your starter a lot, meaning you will be using it at least once a day you can leave it on the counter. Otherwise, store it in the fridge. Make sure it doesn’t get too cold, I store mine in the front part of my fridge so it isn’t next to the cooling unit.

Feeding and maintaining a sourdough starter

Feeding your starter is important to sustain it. When creating a sourdough starter from scratch you will be feeding it about twice a day. In this feeding process, you will discard some of the sourdough to build the starter up, don’t worry though you can use the discarded sourdough for baking. Check out this starter recipe for all the detail on how to make a starter from scratch.

Once your starter is established, you will maintain the starter by feeding it to ready it for baking. This will keep the starter sustained and you will make some yummy sourdough treats.

The method for feeding and maintaining a sourdough starter can be different just like the way to create one. The method your grandmother used could be different from the one my grandmother used.

This is the beautiful thing about sourdough, it’s not an exact science and that’s okay. It makes it so personal. Below is my grandmother’s method, try it and if you like it great! If you want to try another and compare, do it!

Cardinal Rule: Always save 1 1/2 cups of starter before proceeding with any recipe.

• The day before you want to use the sourdough, take the starter out of the refrigerator let sit at room temperature during the day.
• In the evening pour the starter into a largish bowl and add 2 1/2 cups of barely lukewarm water and three overflowing cups of flour. Beat until combined, but don’t worry about lumps.
• Cover and place in a warm place and allow to sit overnight.
• Follow the cardinal rule and remove 1 1/2 cups of the starter and put it back into the container. Do not clean your starter container before adding it back in. Allow too sit on the counter for 1-2 hours and then place back in the refrigerator.

Quick Tip: If your sourdough is coming through very sour, sprinkle a few grains of sugar before putting it back in the refrigerator

Now you are ready to create your sourdough recipe. Use as much of the sourdough starter as the recipe calls for. If you are looking for some delicious sourdough recipes, scroll to the bottom.

How often does it need to be used?

Okay, so you have an established starter and you have baked with it a couple of times. You do have to either use it as instructed above or feed it.

My family has always used the starter to maintain it. It is best to use it once a week, but least you should use it is once a month to prevent it from molding or dying.

If you know you won’t be able to use it for a little bit you can feed it. Feeding it requires you to discard some of the starter, once of the reasons I just prefer to ready it for baking and make something.

If feeding it is the only way and you just need to feed it really quick remove 1/2 cup of the starter and discard the rest. Add 1/2 cup of water and flour. Cover it and let it sit on the counter for about 1-2 hours until it starts bubbling. Put it back into the refrigerator.

What to do if it gets mold or “dies”

A sourdough starter that sits in the refrigerator too long between being used or fed it can produce mold or become liquidy or sluggish. Don’t fret! You can bring it back to life.

• Scrape out all the mold and hard crusty pieces. There should be something viable at the bottom.
• Take the viable or “healthy” portion out and put it in a new jar or container.
• Feed it with a 1/4 cup lukewarm water and 1/4 flour and lightly mix.
• Cover loosely and store it on the counter. If the starter is still alive, it should start bubbling after 1-2 hours.
• For the next couple of days add about a tablespoon flour and water every day and mix.
• Put back in the refrigerator and leave for a few days.
• Take it out as if you were going to use it and set it on the counter. Just allow it to come up to room temperature and then put it back in the fridge.
• When the starter has grown and is bubbly it is ready to use again.

Quick Tip: If you had mold and are using crockery, get a new crock. There can be cracks in the crockery that mold can hide in.

Sourdough recipes

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES
the best pancakes you will ever have

SOURDOUGH WAFFLES
with maples glazed strawberries

ARTISAN SOURDOUGH BREAD
from a beautiful plate