Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sourdough Starter

Sourdough bread is delicious, and purportedly not too difficult to make. I've never actually done it, so you're getting invited in on the ground level of this project. I researched a few recipes, and here's what you'll need:

Sourdough Starter 
* 1 Tbs active dry yeast
* 2 c warm water (110-115F)
* 2 c wheat flour

Combine all ingredients in a non-metal/non-plastic bowl or container (large mason jar, ceramic bowl, etc). Mix well. Cover with a towel and put in a draft-free, not too cold place for 48 hours. Stir down occasionally (in other words, if it's working right, it'll puff up and you'll need to stir it to keep it from bubbling over to the counter).

There you go, you've started your starter. In 48 hours, seal it and move it to the fridge. We're using it in 48 hours for Sourdough Bread, and I'll post a recipe then with further instructions. Good job :)

2 comments:

  1. Did you get a recipe for this bread? Would love to try it if it was good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Allison! I used this sourdough bread recipe from Annie's Eats: http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/08/08/sourdough-bread. Not sure why I can't get it to link here, but I'll write a blog sometime about the recipe and make sure to include it there as well. For now, here's my quick answer!

      Caution - you have to start this recipe about 36 hours ahead of when you want to make it (or more). I also had to do some research on what 'fed starter' is as I found Annie's description a bit confusion. Basically, your sourdough starter is a living thing, and needs to be fed occasionally. When making bread, you want to first 'feed' a portion of your starter, and let it 'eat' for a little while (aka, sit for 12 hours in a warm place) and then start making your bread. I feed my starter all at once, let it sit out overnight, then separate out half of it for making Annie's recipe.

      My bread has been a bit less sour than I like, but I think that's just because my starter is so new - the more it gets fed, and the longer it sits out, the more sour it should get. Let me know if you try this and how it turns out!!

      Delete