Sourdough Starter

Over the last few months, I have really enjoyed making sourdough bread.  It has always been one of my favorite breads, I just love the flavor of the bread and the crusty loaf.  It is especially a great bread for panini sandwiches which Stephen and I love to make.

I started with a psuedo sourdough bread using vinegar and sour cream to achieve the sour flavor.  I was a little scared about making a sourdough starter and wasn't sure if I had the time to commit to keeping the starter alive.  But, I did a little research and with a little effort, I got my starter going.

I know you are thinking, "I don't have time to have a starter!" especially if you have ever received a starter for friendship bread which requires daily attention, let me assure you this is different!  A sourdough starter is simple to make and only requires attention when you want to make bread.  I keep mine in the refrigerator in a mayonaise jar and make bread once every 1-2 weeks.  I believe it will stay alive as long as it has a good living arrangement, at least mine has so far. 

So, if you are up to the task of making sourdough bread, you will need a starter.  A starter only requires equal parts of water and flour.  Here is a great link that explains the steps of making a starter, but here are the basics and what I did.

Find a home for your starter.  Any glass jar will work as long as it doesn't have any metal (lids, etc.)  Somehow, the metal will ruin the starter.  Punch a hole in the lid or keep the lid loose to allow for a little breathing space.  Also don't use metal utensils when stirring or mixing, use a wooden or plastic spoon.

Sourdough Starter Recipe
                 2 c. water
                 2 c. flour (all purpose or bread flour will work)
                 2 t. yeast (you do not have to use yeast but it will help the process)

Leave the starter in a warm place (70-80 degrees) to ferment.  This may take 4-8 days depending on the temperature and humidity.  Once it smells sour and the mixture is bubbly, it is ready to use.  At this point, you can refrigerate it until you are ready to bake some bread. 

So let's say you have your starter in the fridge and decide it's time to make some sourdough bread.  Take the starter out of the refrigerator the night before and just let it come to room temperature.  You may notice liquid has separated out on top and may be a brownish color, that is ok, just stir it back in.  When the starter is cold it is also kinda lumpy, that is ok too.  The next day you will need to "proof" the starter.  Pour the contents into a glass bowl and add 1 c. flour and 1 c. warm water.  Stir and let the mixture sit until it becomes bubbly and smells sour (this may take anywhere from 2-6 hours)

Once you have used part of the starter in a recipe, add equal parts of flour and water back to the starter (1/2 c. of each), stir and put it back into the refrigerator.  And that's all there is to it!