Sourdough starter is trendy right now, but for good reason! Not only is it incredibly gut-healthy because of its fermented components, but it’s also a great way to become a little more self-sufficient. If you’re ready to jump onto the sourdough train, then this is the post for you!
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Table of Contents
- What’s the history here? Sourdough on the Oregon Trail
- Sourdough starter ingredients
- How does a sourdough starter start?
- What do you mean by “active”?
- How long does it take to start a sourdough starter to be ready to use?
- How can I store my sourdough starter?
- How can I use a sourdough starter?
- What are the health benefits of sourdough starter?
- Frequently asked questions…
- Process of Starting a Sourdough Starter:
- You’re going to want to save this.
- Do you bake with sourdough? What are your favorite recipes? Share them in the comments below!
When I first heard about sourdough, I was intrigued. Is there really wild yeast just floating around waiting to be captured and cooked with? Yes! Sourdough is really a science experiment on your counter all the time and I really consider my wild yeast colony my little pets. It brings me great joy to see the bubbles forming letting me know they’re moving around and active in there! I know….that’s not normal. But hey- there’s a lot about me that goes against the grain 😉
Let’s dive into sourdough a bit more because it’s actually a really interesting topic!
What’s the history here? Sourdough on the Oregon Trail
Sourdough has been around for thousands of years. In fact, according to sciencedirect.com, the oldest sourdough breads date back to 3700 BC. That’s some old bread.
The intriguing history that brought me to sourdough bread was finding out that it was used along the Oregon Trail. Of course, this makes sense! The fact that the pioneers created bread (and other foods) from just flour and water is amazing. It was an opportunity for them to create the leavened foods that they enjoyed without the luxury of a grocery store in the unsettled west. By just fermenting flour and water, they were able to create a variety of foods that otherwise would have been just a memory as they pioneered and settled west. Weren’t the pioneers resilient? They were self-sufficient in so many ways and when they didn’t have something, they made it themselves. They really are quite inspiring!
Sourdough starter ingredients
Flour and water. Yep, that’s it. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?! You can use any type of all-purpose flour. I use an unbleached all-purpose flour for mine, but I’ve also used a whole wheat flour in the past too. The type of flour you use will give the sourdough a little bit of a different flavor, so keep that in mind. We like to use the white unbleached flour for our family’s preferences.
How does a sourdough starter start?
Sourdough starter is formed through a fermentation process that’s super simple and only involves two ingredients. It does take a little while to get a colony of yeast started, but once you’ve got it established, the maintenance is pretty low key.
What do you mean by “active”?
An active sourdough starter is referring to a starter that is bubbly and doubled in size. It is known as being active because the bacteria and yeast organisms living within the starter are actively working and feeding off off the flour. Their breathing and eating activities create gases, which then form the air bubbles. Isn’t that crazy!?
Sourdough starter float test
When you’re ready to bake breads and use your sourdough starter as a leavening agent in your recipes, you’ll need to know if it’s active enough. One way to do this is by using the sourdough float test. When starter is ready to use, a you can drop a small bit into water and it will float. If it is just beginning it’s rise, it will sink to the bottom of the container. You want to use sourdough that floats to leaven your breads and other baked goods.
How long does it take to start a sourdough starter to be ready to use?
Your starter might be active and bubbly within 3 days or it might take up to 5 days. By Day 5 for sure you should have an active, happy, and bubbly starter ready to use!
How can I store my sourdough starter?
If you plan to use your starter often (like daily), you can leave it out on the counter and continue to “feed” it by giving it the flour and water mixture. You shouldn’t have to discard any so long as you’re using it. If you’re like me and only use it a few times per week, then you can store it in the refrigerator. The cold helps to slow down the fermentation process, thus giving you more time between uses. Just make sure it’s fed before it goes into the fridge. You may notice when it comes time to use it that there’s a clear liquid that has formed on the top of the starter. This is called the hooch- more on that below.
I keep my sourdough starter in a gallon glass jar because we have such a large amount of starter right now (we use it a lot!). When I started, I just kept my starter in a quart jar. When you’re considering a container for your sourdough, think about these things:
Make sure your jar is big enough that the starter has room to rise and grow.
When placing your starter in a jar, be sure it only fills the jar or container up halfway. There have been quite a few mornings when I’ve woken up and found my starter has grown out of its jar. Yes, this means the sourdough starter is literally oozing out over the top of the jar all over the counter. It was happy!
Choose a jar with a wide mouth.
Sourdough is sticky and can be a bit messy if it spills out of the jar or gets on your hands. Be sure you allow yourself room to add more flour and stir by using a wide mouth jar. You also are going to need to be able to get your hand in the jar to clean it well once you switch jars, and wide mouth is necessary for that.
Use a clear jar for storage.
You’ll want to keep an eye on your starter to make sure it’s healthy, to know when it’s bubbling, or to see if it’s developed a hooch (see more on that below). Using a clear jar makes sure that you are able to see and attend to your starter as needed.
My container recommendations:
Like I said, I use a regular gallon mason jar to store my starter. There are lots of really cute jars that you could use, though, too that would be adorable on your kitchen counter filled with your little pets:
How can I use a sourdough starter?
I have a ton of different sourdough starter ideas for you to try. It’s so versatile, it can be used in a LOT of different ways. Some of my favorite ways to make is are:
- Bread (of course). This is probably my favorite way because it is really amazing. It is so delicious that it’s almost addicting.
- Sourdough pancakes. We eat these nearly every weekend. They’re also really great….hm….I’m sensing a trend here.
- Sourdough muffins
- Sourdough tortillas/flatbread
- Sourdough Skillet (from farmhouseonboone.com)
- Sourdough biscuits
- Sourdough maple sticky buns
- Cinnamon raisin sourdough bread
What are the health benefits of sourdough starter?
One of the reasons I personally enjoy feeding sourdough to my family is the health benefits for your gut. In a lot of not scientific words, the long and slow fermentation process helps to break down some of the harder things for humans to digest in bread, thus making it more tolerable for our stomachs, easing bloating and discomfort. Studies have also shown that sourdough takes longer to digest, which can help to regulate blood sugars and help you to feel fuller longer too.
Frequently asked questions…
Any time you start something new, you’ll probably have questions. Here are some that I’ve heard throughout the years:
My sourdough starter isn’t rising. What should I do?
Sometimes starters can be weird. When my sourdough isn’t rising, I usually feed it, give it a little break in the refrigerator a few days, then try again. That usually does the trick!
If it still isn’t rising, I’d suggest discarding half and refeed it. Check on it again the next day, and repeat if needed. It probably needs some more fermenting time.
Is it ok to use my same starter for years and years?
YES! Sourdough gets better with age. I have had my starter since we lived in our old house and made it when I was pregnant with baby #3 (in 2019). You want a mature starter, and the best way to get it is with age. Here’s a story about an Oregon Trail starter (that is 170 years old) that is still being used today! Check it out!
What’s a this liquid on the top of my starter?
If your sourdough starter has a liquid on top, you’ve discovered the hooch! The hooch is a by product of the fermentation process that is actually an alcohol. This basically is your starter communicating that it is hungry and needs to be fed. Simply pour that liquid off, feed the starter, then use as you would otherwise.
How often do I have to feed it?
If you plan to use your sourdough starter often (like daily), you can leave it out on the counter and continue to “feed” it by giving it the flour and water mixture. You shouldn’t have to discard any so long as you’re using it. If you’re like me and only use it on a weekly basis, then you can store it in the refrigerator. The cold helps to slow down the fermentation process, thus giving you more time between uses. Just make sure it’s fed before it goes into the fridge. You may notice when it comes time to use it that there’s a clear liquid that has formed on the top of the starter. This just means that the starter is hungry and needs to be fed. Simply pour that liquid off, feed the starter, then use as you would otherwise (see above about the hooch).
Why do I have to keep discarding it during the creation process?
The discarding is basically the way to keep you from having about 1 1/2 gallons of sourdough starter at the end, and also a way to make sure you’re keeping the flour/water/yeast ratio at bay. If you have all of this flour and water, but hardly any yeast or bacteria, it won’t develop into a mature starter. Just remember you won’t always be discarding like this, just in the beginning. Soon your discard will make you lots of delicious recipes!
Process of Starting a Sourdough Starter:
To get your sourdough starter started, mix one part flour and 1/2 the amount of water in your jar. Mix until it’s a pancake batter consistency. Starting off with 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water may be a good way to begin. Then, cover the jar with a towel and set it on the counter to start the fermentation process. That’s it! Day one down!
On Day 2, discard half of the mixture and start the process all over again by adding one cup of flour and one cup of water. Again, cover with a towel and leave on the counter. Continue doing this process for 5 days.
By Day 3 or Day 4 you should begin to see bubbles forming. That is from the living creatures (your new pets and friends, the yeast!) that are living in the flour and water mixture. Good work!
On Day 5, your starter should be ready to use. Note, however, it does take some time for the sourdough starter to really start to have that distinguished sourdough flavor. The older the starter, the better it is!
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Can you use gluten free flour?
Hi Teresa!
I personally haven’t ever tried it, but I know it is possible! There are a few recipes out there that you will probably find useful- just type into Google “Gluten Free Sourdough Starter”. Otherwise, based on what I can tell just by searching, it does look like you could follow the same method with GF flour to start your own sourdough starter (though, again, I’ve never personally tried it). I hope that helps!