My neighbor was going through some of his wife’s old cookbooks. He came across some recipes using a sourdough starter, tried them, and was bragging to me about how good his pancakes were. I didn’t really know too much about sourdough, so I asked him for some of his starter. I had always thought that sourdough starter was some magical family heirloom that was passed down through generations, and if your family didn’t have any, you had to get it from a willing neighbor or friend. But, instead of giving me some of his sourdough starter, he gave me a recipe and told me to go make my own. And so, my sourdough education began. I found a couple of awesome websites that explained sourdough from A to Z and provided recipes and instructions. I gleaned a lot of information, and as much as I love sourdough bread, the more I read, the more I began to think that it was just too labor intensive for me! I decided to give it a try anyway, just for the experience. Here are some things that I learned: 1) sourdough starter is NOT always a sacred family heirloom and you CAN make a good starter from scratch, 2) you can NOT stick your starter in the back of your fridge and forget about it for months and then pull it out and use it, you DO have to tend to it regularly, 3) although a good loaf of sourdough bread DOES take some forethought, it’s really NOT that bad…and, dare I say, absolutely worth it!
Back in the olden days, before there was packaged yeast, bakers used sourdough starters as their supply of yeast for baking purposes. They kept this yeast active in a medium of flour and water, feeding it regularly. As it turns out, there is wild yeast all around us, on plants, on grains and even in the air. By mixing some flour and water in a glass jar or clay crock and leaving it sit on the counter, some of the yeast in the air will find it’s way into the mixture where it will begin to grow and divide. You will notice the flour mixture begin to bubble and become frothy. This is a sign that the yeast culture is alive and growing!
There is also a friendly bacteria called lactobacillus that grows in the starter alongside the yeast. This bacteria is partially responsible for the unique sour taste of sourdough bread. Warm air encourages growth and activity, cold air slows it down. I worried about my starter spoiling by sitting out on the counter in the warm air for so long, but apparently the starch in the flour and the good bacteria inhibit the growth of bad bacteria. As I only plan on using my starter yeast once or twice a week, not everyday, I store it in the fridge to slow down it’s growth.
As stated earlier, you can’t stick your starter in the fridge and forget about it. You must bring it out every few days, feed it, leave it on the counter for a while, and then either use it or return it to the fridge. One of the ladies I follow on Instagram said she named her sourdough starter so that it became more personal to her and hopefully she wouldn’t forget about it. I didn’t name my starter, but I did put it at the front of my fridge where it could remind me that it needed care.
To make fresh sourdough starter from scratch you will need all-purpose flour, warm water, and a 2 quart or larger glass jar or clay crock with a lid.
Mix 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of flour with 1/2 cup of warm water in your container. The mixture will be slightly thick, about the consistency of pancake batter. Cover with a dish towel and let sit in a warm place on your counter, or the top of the fridge for 24 hours, at which time you should start to notice bubbles forming in the mixture and it should have a mild yeasty smell.
I then fed my starter with 1/4 cup of flour and slightly less than 1/4 cup of warm water. Mix and let sit for another 24 hours. Repeat this process twice more. If your jar is getting too full, you can discard part of your starter before feeding it again. At the end of the 4th day, you should have a bubbly, frothy, yeasty smelling product. At this point you can either use it, or you can cover and put it in the refrigerator for future use. Every three or 4 days you should remove your starter from the fridge, feed it 1/4 cup flour mixed with slightly less than 1/4 cup warm water and let it sit on the counter for several hours, then use or return to the fridge. Again, if your container gets too full, discard some of the starter before feeding.
I found a recipe for a delicious sandwich bread on allrecipes.com. A couple of hours before I start my bread, I pull my starter out of the fridge and let it warm to encourage activity.
Before I go to bed, I make my dough, cover, and set it on the counter overnight. I also feed my starter and return it to the fridge before going to bed.
In the morning, I punch down my dough which has more than doubled in size.
I knead the dough for 10 minutes, divide it into two loaf pans, cover with a dish towel and let double in size once again.
This dough is very easy to work and doesn’t require any additional oiling or flouring. It should be a soft, light dough, not sticky, or stiff. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. This bread has a soft texture and slightly sweet taste. It’s delicious with just butter, makes great toast with homemade jam or honey, works well as a sandwich bread, and is not difficult to make.
Sourdough Bread
1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup corn oil
5 1/2 – 6 cups bread or all-purpose flour
Directions
Mix sugar, corn oil, salt, water, and 1 cup of sourdough starter together in a large bowl. Sift the flour and add to the mixture. Dough should hold together, but not be stiff. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise overnight.
The next day, knead the dough for 10 minutes. Divide in half, and place into two greased 4 x 8 inch bread pans. Allow the dough to double in size (Editor’s note: between 2-4 hours depending on temp of your kitchen).
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 45 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and taps hollow. Turn out to cool on wire racks.
So why go through all the time and trouble of dealing with a sourdough starter when we have easily packaged dry yeast available, that is less trouble and works faster? I love the texture of sourdough bread. It is sturdier, yet softer. And the flavors are more complex. Depending on the recipe you use it can have a slightly sour flavor or a mildly sweet flavor. There are so many things you can make with your starter like noodles, sandwich breads, artisan breads and even pancakes and waffles. Give it a try. Well worth the effort!
Sources:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/6678/sourdough-bread-i/
https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/sourdough2.htm
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-sourdough-starter-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-47337