How to Make a Foolproof Sourdough Starter
Making a Sourdough Starter is easier than you think. The secret is to start with rye flour. You can use freshly ground rye grain for best results. Or, if rye grain isn't available to you, use rye flour, but make sure it's fresh and not passed its expiration date.
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp Rye flour preferably freshly milled
- 4 tbsp Filtered water preferably filtered, chlorine-free
Instructions
- Day 1: Mix 1 tbsp rye flour and 2 tbsp room temp/lukewarm water (preferably filtered chlorine-free water) in a small jar or bowl that holds approximately no more than 1 cup. Mix the two ingredients well, incorporating lots of air. Cover the jar or bowl loosely. Place in a warm spot in your kitchen at about 75°F (24°C) where it can rest undisturbed.
- Day 2: Do nothing. The starter in the making will probably smell a little sweet—some say like honey. But if not, don’t worry.
- Day 3: Now stir in 1 tbsp rye flour (no water) into your mixture and stir well, incorporating a lot of air. You may see a few bubbles starting but if not, don’t worry. Re-cover loosely and re-place in its undisturbed warm spot.
- Day 4: Add 2 tbsp room temp/lukewarm water and 2 tbsp rye flour into your mixture and stir well, incorporating a lot of air. Re-cover loosely and re-place it back in its undisturbed warm spot.
- Day 4 1/2: After 8 hours or up to 12 hours later check on your starter. It should be bubbly and foamy. If not, don’t worry. If it has not bubbled up and there is no foam, leave it for another 12 hours. Then repeat Day 4—which is now Day 5 for you. Check it halfway through after 12 hours on Day 5. At this point, it should be ready. If not, rye grain/rye flour was probably very old. The key to success here is to have fresh rye flour.
- If everything has gone well, and you have a thriving starter, you are now ready to make sourdough bread. Using your rye starter, you will first want to make a "sponge" which you will use to make your sourdough bread. I have included this information in the Recipe Notes below along with a recipe for a No-Knead Sourdough Bread.
Video
Notes
Once you've got your starter, ready you can make your sponge and sourdough loaf of bread. You can find everything you need to know in my post and video on How to Make Sourdough Bread with Foolproof Starter at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-using-a-foolproof-starter/
Don't like the flavor of rye? While it's necessary to make the starter, it's ok to use any flour you want to use to make bread. This way you will not have any rye taste in your final product.
You know your starter is ready when it's bubbly and a foam forms on top of the flour and water mixture.
Be sure to start your starter with freshly milled rye flour. This is essential to creating a good sourdough starter.
If you do not have the option to mill you own, be sure to use milled rye flour purchased from a reputable source so that you know it is fresh. Hodgson Mills and Bob’s Red Mill are usually reliable sources unless you have a local option.
Find this recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-a-foolproof-sourdough-starter/
For the complete recipe with serving instructions along with more recipes for stocking your Four Corners Pantry, including home canning, drying and dehydrating, fermenting, freezing, and pickling, be sure to check out my new cookbook, The Modern Pioneer Pantry at https://marysnest.com/my-pantry-cookbook
If you’re building a traditional foods kitchen or stocking a real foods pantry, be sure to get all the books in Mary’s Modern Pioneer cookbook series, published by Penguin Random House: https://marysnest.com/modern-pioneer-cookbook-series/
For free and comprehensive lesson plans to teach traditional food recipes and kitchen techniques to students K-12, download The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Curriculum at https://marysnest.com/cookbook-curriculum/
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