How to Make Sourdough Starter at Home
This sourdough starter recipe is the perfect foundation for sourdough bread, pancakes, and pizza. Continue reading for the recipe and technique!
120 Hours
1 Serving
Medium
Starter | Sourdough | Bread
Sourdough has become more and more popular in the past few years as artisanal bread baking has been at the forefront of home cooks and trendy bakeries worldwide. The one distinguishing feature of sourdough bread is its starter, a combination of flour and water, which ferments for a few days and allows your loaf to rise and achieve its wonderful flavor. By constantly feeding it and taking care of it, you can have a never-ending supply of beautifully risen bread and plenty of sourdough pancakes. We spent the day with Nora Allen of
Mel the Bakery
to learn how to bake a
Poppy Seed Sourdough Country Loaf
. Here is a recipe she uses for her starter.
Ingredients
100
grams bread flour, divided
100
grams whole wheat flour, divided
220
grams water, room temperature, divided
Instructions
STEP 1
Combine 50 grams of each flour and 110 grams of water together into a thick paste.
STEP 2
Leave covered in a safe place to ferment for 3-5 days.
STEP 3
After 3 days, you should see soap-like bubbles appearing at the surface of the container. Discard all of your starter, except for 2 tablespoons, and place in a fresh container.
STEP 4
Add 50 grams of each flour and 110 grams of water to the container with 2 tablespoons of your starter. Feed your starter in this manner twice a day for 2 days, once in the morning and once in the evening.
STEP 5
After 2 days of feeding your starter with 50 grams of each flour and 110 grams of room temperature water, you’re ready for the float test.
STEP 6
Perform the float test to see if your starter has the leavening power to make sourdough. 2.5 hours after you feed your starter, and room temperature water to a glass and add some of your starter. If the starter floats, you’re ready to bake!
