Oh so sour...Making a sourdough starter is surprising easy to do. What we generally find bakers struggle with is the maintenance after it has been created. It takes time and commitment to keep your sourdough happy. After all, when you create a sourdough you are responsible for feeding your wild yeast and bacteria to ensure that they continue to flourish. There are many different methods for making a starter culture online, and all of them generally follow the same process as below:

A sourdough starter to call your own...

Sourdough Starter Recipe

Equipment You will need a suitable container to keep your sourdough starter in. Kilner jars work well although any container with a lid will also work.

Day 1 Mix 50g of flour and 50g of water by hand into a paste. Any type of bread flour can be used, but it must be the same flour each time you refresh. Leave the lid ajar and leave for 24 hours.

Day 2 Add 50g of flour and 50g of water to your starter and mix by hand. Seal the container and leave for 24 hours.

Day 3 Add 100g of flour and 100g of water to your starter and mix by hand. Seal the container and leave for 24 hours. You may start to see some bubbles appear on top of your starter from day 3 onwards.

Day 4 - 7 Throw half of your sourdough away and repeat the stages on day 3. Repeat this process for the next 3 days. On day 7 your starter should have bubbles on the surface and increase in size a few hours after refreshing.

How will I know when it is ready?Your starter should have a lactic aroma similar to yogurt and slightly acidic when tasted. It should also double in size within 6 - 10 hours after refreshing, however this will depend on the ambient temperature of your room and what flour you have used. You can then use you starter to start making bread. The longer you keep your starter the better. You should also ensure that you refresh your starter everyday if storing at ambient and this is especially important if you plan on making bread with it.

Storing it in the fridge?If you don't use your starter everyday, you can store it in the fridge. If you are doing this, we suggest that you refresh your starter at least once a week, and refresh it twice at ambient temperature before using it to make bread.

www.breaducating.co.uk Why not check out our website for other ideas on things to bake!