This will ensure the starter is active to use for making the dough. When planning to prepare bread dough, take the starter out of the fridge 8 to 10 hours beforehand (allowing for 1 to 2 hours to come to room temperature) and feed straight from the fridge with ¼ cup flour and 3 tablespoons water, and stir. Loosely screw on the lid and place in the fridge. Feed the starter with ¼ cup flour and 3 tablespoons water.Leave at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours until small bubbles appear. This method will keep the starter “dormant” in between feeds so it only needs to be fed with equal quantities of flour and water at a maximum of every 7 days to keep it active.Īfter preparing bread dough, there should ideally be 1 to 2 tablespoons of starter remaining in the jar. Always remember that the last preparatory feed needs to be 6 to 8 hours before preparing the dough. It is better to keep the starter minimal so it is refreshed after each use, rather than have a large quantity where the yeast can be starved of food (flour). When baking every 1 to 2 days, feed with these quantities every 24 hours. If baking bread daily, a good quantity for feeding is ¼ cup flour and 3 tablespoons water every 12 hours. The amount of flour and water will depend on how often bread is made and how much starter is required. Continue to feed the starter every 12 to 24 hours with equal quantities of flour and water and keep covered loosely with a lid. Keep the starter at room temperature in a place where the temperature is relatively consistent – between 18 and 22☌ is ideal. READ MORE Recipe: Wheat-free 5 Seed SourdoughīE A GOOD MOTHER: LOOKING AFTER THE STARTER READ MORE Recipe: Sourdough Skillet Focaccia READ MORE Recipe: Everyday Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread Either use water through a carbon filter, boiled and cooled water, rainwater, or bottled water. It’s important to use non-chlorinated water as the antibacterial quality of chlorine can create an imbalance in the microbes. The starter is ready to use once it noticeably rises in the jar, doubling in height after 5 to 6 hours (make a mark on the jar after feeding to compare), with small bubbles visible throughout the mix. In cooler months, it may take 1 to 2 days extra to start bubbling. There should be small bubbles throughout and the starter should smell sweetly sour and yeasty (but not at all offensive). During this time you will notice the starter will begin to “breathe” – rise and fall in the jar. Mix well with each addition and continue to sit in a warm position. NZ Champions of Cheese Awards medal winners announcedĭays 2 and 4: For the next 3 days, feed the starter once every 24 hours (ideally at about the same time each day) with 1 rounded tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon water. Leave in a warm place – during summer the kitchen bench will be fine in winter position the jar somewhere warm such as a sunny table, on top of the fridge or by the heater/ fire. This incorporates oxygen into the mixture to assist with the fermentation.Ĭover loosely with the lid – don’t screw on – to allow the starter to breathe while not forming a crust on the surface. Warm non-chlorinated water at about 40☌ (see tip)ĭay 1: In a clean 400ml glass jar, combine 1 rounded tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of warm water. However, it’s more difficult for beginners as the yeasts expire more quickly than when using wheat flour and the starter is harder to keep alive.
Rye can create a starter that is very active (which is a good thing). Stoneground wholemeal wheat flour is a good option or use a combination of 50 per cent wholemeal rye flour and 50 per cent organic white wheat flour. A healthy starter contains wild yeast (for rising) and lactic-acid-producing bacteria (for flavour and starch conversion).
The more yeasts the better rise in the bread. Use quality flour, preferably organic, as it contains more natural yeasts than non-organic flour. The natural wild yeast needed to make a sourdough starter is predominantly found on flour, although it can be captured from the air.
Without an active starter, the bread won’t rise well. The starter (sometimes called a “pre-ferment” or a “mother”) is the product of the relationship between lactobacilli bacteria and yeast. The term “sourdough” refers to both the delicious slightly sour bread as well as the starter, the culture that is used to kickstart the chemical reaction in breadmaking.
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