Sourdough Starter - The Colonel Bakes Bread

Back in the day, when The Colonel's kids were young, he tried his hand at baking bread. He was into it, but in the time-honored tradition of the palates of young children, the kids were having none of it.

But for some time, he has wanted to bake again. That time is now!

We both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE sourdough bread, and I had found a recipe for sourdough starter. The gauntlet was thrown. The Kitchn, the source for this recipe, has very good detailed instructions below, and it gave us confidence.

I started the starter last Monday. I first put it into a spare pitcher, but that wasn't going to work long term. Too tall and sometimes used for other things, and starter is both a short-term and long-term commitment. I transferred it on Day 2 to a large plastic bowl with lid and it seemed happy there.

Things seemed to go along swimmingly (as in all the wild yeast swimming and happy) for a day or two, and then a thin layer of water formed over the top. Turns out, after The Kitchn troubleshooting, that's normal, if the mixture got a tad too much water.

Stinky starter didn't really look like it had an image
of a heart, or an ass, in real life but I'm going with this pic.
At least it wasn't the Virgin Mary!

I scaled back the water, although I had followed the recipe to a "T", and things got back on track.

Note to all: the starter is smelly. Yes, it has a sourdough-like smell, but most people are just not used to smelling it in such concentration! When I would open the container, it was like a big cloud of vinegar-y noxious fumes took over. The cat howled. The dog would run and hide. Our eyes would run. I was beginning to worry that The Colonel wouldn't be able to turn out the bread if he had to be in close proximity to The Smell.

Ready for lovin' in the oven!

 On the Day Of The Baking, The Colonel was a champion. He followed the recipe for a beginner's sourdough sandwich loaf, also from The Kitchn, and executed wonderfully!

That's my man!

We had a couple of slices warm from the oven, with butter, and then later, along with Italian Pork Stew. Post for the stew to follow.

Mangia!

Ta Da!!!

How To Make Your Own Sourdough Starter

COOKING LESSONS FROM THE KITCHN

Not all of us are so lucky to have a sourdough starter passed down to us from our bread-baking forefathers and foremothers. Thankfully, making a fresh batch of starter is as easy as stirring together some flour and water and letting it sit. That's right! No expensive heirloom starters, mashed up grapes, or mysterious rituals required — just flour, water, and a little bit of patience.

Before you get started, let's talk about wild yeast, which is the key to a sourdough starter.

Before we had active-dry yeast or instant yeast, we had wild yeast. Actually, we still have wild yeast. It lives everywhere — in the air, in a bag of flour, on the surface of grapes. Domesticated commercial yeast replaced wild yeast for most baking because it's easier for companies to mass produce, it's easier for bakers to store and use, and it proofs our breads and pastries in a fraction of the time.

By contrast, wild yeast can be fussy and finicky. It needs a medium, a sourdough starter, in order to be useful to bakers. This medium has to be constantly maintained and monitored. Wild yeast also likes cooler temperatures, acidic environments, and works much more slowly to proof breads.

So why bother? Because wild yeast is amazing stuff! The flavor and texture we can get from breads and other baked goods made with wild yeast are no contest to breads made with commercial yeast — the flavors are more complex and interesting, the texture is sturdier and more enjoyable to chew.

What Is a Sourdough Starter?

A sourdough starter is how we cultivate the wild yeast in a form that we can use for baking. Since wild yeast are present in all flour, the easiest way to make a starter is simply by combining flour and water and letting it sit for several days. You don't need any fancy ingredients to "capture" the wild yeast or get it going — it's already there in the flour. (Also, the yeast adapts to whatever environment it is in. So even if your cousin in San Francisco gives you some sourdough starter, it will eventually no longer be true San Francisco sourdough, but rather New York sourdough or Austin sourdough or London sourdough.)

After a day or two, bubbles will start to form in the starter, indicating that the wild yeast is starting to become active and multiply. To keep the yeast happy, we feed the starter with fresh flour and water over the next several days, until the starter is bubbly and billowy. Once it reaches that frothy, billowy stage, the starter is ready to be used.

Using Whole Grain Flours to Make a Starter

This recipe uses regular, everyday all-purpose flour, but you can certainly make sourdough using whole wheat, rye, or any other kind of flour. Wild yeast is everywhere, after all!

At one point in time, The Colonel tried his hand at bread-baking. This was back when his kids were young, and in the traditional of young kids everywhere

If this is your first time making sourdough, I'd recommend starting with all-purpose flour because it tends to behave the most predictably. If you're feeling ready to branch out, just start feeding the starter with whatever whole grain flour you would like to use for baking. Personally, I keep a constant batch of all-purpose sourdough starter in my kitchen, and if I want to make a rye starter or a whole wheat starter, I scoop 1/4 cup from my all-purpose starter and use that as the seed for a new starter with the whole grain flour.

How to Use This Starter in Bread Recipes

This starter uses equal parts flour and water, a 1:1 ratio, which I find to be the most versatile for baking. To use this starter in any recipe, take a look at the ratio of flour and water the recipe is calling for in their starter. Next time you feed your starter, just feed it the ratio of water and flour called for in the recipe. If you want to stick more closely to the recipe's sourdough, just scoop out 1/4 cup of your starter and feed it with the ingredients called for in your recipe's starter.

Once you're done with your recipe, go back to feeding your starter equal parts flour and water.

How To Make Your Own Sourdough Starter
Makes 4 cups

What You Need

Ingredients

All-purpose flour (or a mix of all-purpose and whole grain flour)

Water, preferably filtered

Equipment

2-quart glass or plastic container (not metal)

Scale (highly recommended) or measuring cups

Mixing spoon

Plastic wrap or container lid

Instructions

Making sourdough starter takes about 5 days. Each day you "feed" the starter with equal amounts of fresh flour and water. As the wild yeast grows stronger, the starter will become more frothy and sour-smelling. On average, this process takes about 5 days, but it can take longer depending on the conditions in your kitchen. As long as you see bubbles and sings of yeast activity, continue feeding it regularly. If you see zero signs of bubbles after three days, take a look at the Troubleshooting section below.

Day 1: Make the Initial Starter

4 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

4 ounces (1/2 cup) water

Weigh the flour and water, and combine them in the container. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with plastic wrap or the lid (left ajar).

Put the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 2: Feed the Starter

4 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

4 ounces (1/2 cup) water

Take down your starter and give it a look. You may see a few small bubbles here and there. This is good! The bubbles mean that wild yeast have started making themselves at home in your starter. They will eat the sugars in the the flour and release carbon dioxide (the bubbles) and alcohol. They will also increase the acidity of the mixture, which helps fend off any bad bacterias. At this point, the starter should smell fresh, mildly sweet, and yeasty.

If you don't see any bubbles yet, don't panic — depending on the conditions in your kitchen, the average room temperature, and other factors, your starter might just be slow to get going.

Weigh the flour and water for today, and combine them in the container. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with plastic wrap or the lid (left ajar). Put the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 3: Feed the Starter

4 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

4 ounces (1/2 cup) water

Check your starter. By now, the surface of your starter should look dotted with bubbles and your starter should look visibly larger in volume. If you stir the starter, it will still feel thick and batter-like, but you'll hear bubbles popping. It should also start smelling a little sour and musty.

Again, if your starter doesn't look quite like mine in the photo, don't worry. Give it a few more days. My starter happened to be particularly vigorous!

Weigh the flour and water for today, and combine them in the container. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with plastic wrap or the lid (left ajar). Put the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 4: Feed the Starter

4 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

4 ounces (1/2 cup) water

Check your starter. By now, the starter should be looking very bubbly with large and small bubbles, and it will have doubled in volume. If you stir the starter, it will feel looser than yesterday and honeycombed with bubbles. It should also be smelling quite sour and pungent. You can taste a little too! It should taste sour and somewhat vinegary.

When I made my starter here, I didn't notice much visual change from Day 3 to Day 4, but could tell things had progress by the looseness of the starter and the sourness of the aroma.

Weigh the flour and water for today, and combine them in the container. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with plastic wrap or the lid (left ajar). Put the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 70°F to 75°F (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.

Day 5: Starter is Ready to Use

Check your starter. It should have doubled in bulk since yesterday. By now, the starter should also be looking very bubbly — even frothy. If you stir the starter, it will feel looser than yesterday and be completely webbed with bubbles. It should also be smelling quite sour and pungent. You can taste a little too! It should taste even more sour and vinegary.

If everything is looking, smelling, and tasting good, you can consider your starter ripe and ready to use! If your starter is lagging behind a bit, continue on with the Day 5 and Beyond instructions.

Day 5 and Beyond: Maintaining Your Starter

4 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

4 ounces (1/2 cup) water

Once your starter is ripe (or even if it's not quite ripe yet), you no longer need to bulk it up. To maintain the starter, discard (or use) about half of the starter and then "feed" it with new flour and water: weigh the flour and water, and combine them in the container with the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter.

If you're using the starter within the next few days, leave it out on the counter and continue discarding half and "feeding" it daily. If it will be longer before you use your starter, cover it tightly and place it in the fridge. Remember to take it out and feed it at least once a week — I also usually let the starter sit out overnight to give the yeast time to recuperate before putting it back in the fridge.

How to Reduce the Amount of Starter:

Maybe you don't need all the starter we've made here on an ongoing basis. That's fine! Discard half the starter as usual, but feed it with half the amount of flour and water. Continue until you have whatever amount of starter works for your baking habits.

How to Take a Long Break from Your Starter:

If you're taking a break from baking, but want to keep your starter, you can do two things:

Make a Thick Starter: Feed your starter double the amount of flour to make a thicker dough-like starter. This thicker batter will maintain the yeast better over long periods of inactivity in the fridge.

Dry the Starter: Smear your starter on a Silpat and let it dry. Once completely dry, break it into flakes and store it in an airtight container. Dried sourdough can be stored for months. To re-start it, dissolve a 1/4 cup of the flakes in 4 ounces of water, and stir in 4 ounces of flour. Continue feeding the starter until it is active again.

Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

Makes 2 loaves

1 1/4 cup (10 ounces) water

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

2 cups (16 ounces) ripe sourdough starter (See Recipe Notes)

4 to 4 1/2 cups (18-20 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 scant tablespoon table salt)

Combine the water and the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl. Give the yeast a few minutes to dissolve completely. Stir in the sourdough starter until the starter is mostly dissolved (a few stringy bits are ok).

Add 4 cups of the flour and the salt, and stir to make a shaggy dough. With the dough hook attachment and your mixer on low speed, knead the dough for about 8 minutes. Alternatively, turn the dough out on a lightly floured counter and knead by hand. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time as needed if the dough becomes sticky like bubble gum, but try to avoid adding too much. The dough is finished kneading when it comes together into a smooth ball that's slightly tacky to the touch and holds a ball-shape in your hand. (See more info: How to Tell When Dough is Kneaded.)

Clean out the mixing bowl, film it with a little oil, and return the dough to the bowl. Turn it a few times to coat with oil, then cover. Let the dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Once risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and divide it in two. Shape each half into rough balls and let them rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans.

Shape each half into a sandwich loaf. (See more info: How to Shape a Sandwich Loaf.) Transfer the loaves to the loaf pans and cover loosely. Let the loaves rise until they're starting to puff over the rim of the pan, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, put your loaves in the refrigerator and let them rise slowly overnight.

When you see the loaves just starting to reach the rim of the loaf pans, begin preheating the oven to 450°F.

Slash the top of the loaves a few time with a serrated knife or baking lame, and slide them immediately into the oven. For a crispier crust, spritz the inside of the oven with water using a water spritzer before closing the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400°F. Continue baking for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops of the loaves are deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. (Total baking time is 35 to 40 minutes.)

Shake the loaves out of the loaf pans and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.

Recipe Notes

Make sure your starter is fully ripe before using. It should be bubbly and smell very sour.

You can use any amount of starter in this recipe up to 2 cups. If you're using less, make up the difference with equal parts flour and water by weight.

Whole Wheat and Whole Grain Loaves: You can swap up to 2 cups of the all-purpose flour in this recipe for whole wheat or another whole grain flour.

Round Artisan Loaves: Alternatively, shape this bread into round loaves and bake them either on a baking stone or inside a Dutch oven. If baking in a Dutch oven, preheat the Dutch oven with the oven and bake as usual, removing the lid in the last half hour of baking.