Have you ever tried Sourdough bread? It’s delicious, right? Well, you can do it at home, by following some easy steps and make your own sourdough starter. I’m not saying it’s easy, neither quick, but with some patience and time you can definitely get some amazing results.

You just need two -or three- ingredients to start and grow it! Trust me, it will be like your baby. Also, you’ll get some really tasty rewards in no time, you just need to follow some basic precautions and, again, be patient.

First of all, how do I feed it? The rule it’s always the same 1 starter: 1 flour : 1/2 water. For instance, if I want to feed 50 gr of starter, I’ll use 50 gr flour, 25 gr water. easy enough, right?

How often should I feed it? This depends. After the first month, you can keep it in the fridge and feed it every couple of days. I found that until the 4th/6th month that’s best as the starter is still young. If you don’t feed it for a long time, it will have a very vinegary smell and taste. However, after this time, you can leave in in the fridge for up to a week with no problem.

What should I do when I leave for holidays? some people bring the starter with them during holidays. However, you can freeze it and thaw it whenever you’ll be back. It will grow in no time and be ready for your next bread.

How and how often should I wash its jar? I usually clean it every time I feed it, with warm water. After a couple of months you can start washing it up every other time, though!

What can I bake with it? I will post some sourdough recipes soon! However, I suggest not to use it for complex proofing i.e. bread, focaccia, pizza, until it reaches at least 4 months. You could use it for crackers, taralli, pita or tacos. Also, I will post soon a really great croissant recipe you could bake with the leftovers, before feeding the starter. Those are great for breakfast!

How do I use it? Unless stated otherwise, you should feed it and let it proof for 4-6 hours before any preparation. The exact timing depends on the room temperature and on the strength of your starter. As a general rule, wait until it doubled or triplicated its size before incorporating it into your salty or sweet dough.

Mine is called Nairobi. What about yours?

“There comes a point in your life when you need to stop eating other people’s bread and make your own!”
Chris Geiger

Sourdough Starter

How to grow your own sourdough starter

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Cuisine Italian

Equipment

Ingredients

50 gr Flour
50 gr Water
1 tsp Honey or Yogurt Optional

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together. When you get a solid dough, put it in a clean jar and leave it to rest at room temperature.
The Starter shouldn't be really grown yet. Don't worry it's normal. Just take 25 gr of starter, add 25 gr of flour and 12.5 (or 13) gr of water. mix well and leave it to grow at room temperature.
Repeat Day 3. This time the starter should have doubled in volume.
Repeat Day 5. This time the starter should be triplicated in volume.
Repeat Day 7. You should now start to feed your starter every day for the next 15 days. Every time you feed it, it should be doubled or triplicated in volume.
Feed the starter everyday. If you once forget, don't worry, just feed it, it should be fine.
You can now start using your starter for some baked goods! Leave it in the fridge in case you are not planning of using it the day after feeding!