How to Make your own Sourdough Starter

Have you been dreaming of the perfect sourdough bread, flavoursome and complete with golden crust?

The first and most important thing you will need to get going on your new sourdough adventure is a starter culture. What is sourdough starter? The starter culture is a colony of wild yeasts that are now living in flour and water – nurtured by routine “feedings” to keep them happy. They are what will make your bread rise, without the need for commercial yeast. 

If you’re lucky enough to snag one from a friend, great! Starter cultures can also be purchased online, but are usually sold and shipped in a dehydrated state. I have heard varying success stories from folks using this type. So why not just make your own?

White sourdough starter recipe, step by step

14 days preperations. We’ve followed a recipe from the Åpent Bakeri, with peelings of 3 organic green apples along with 1 liter of spring water in a jar, with the lid slightly open, allowing the mixture to breathe.

The ideal storage temperature is between 10-15 degrees, or room temperature if that’s the only option. The process will need a couple of weeks, before you can develop your starter with flour. But do check on a daily basis. The mixture will turn cloudy and change its colour. If you’re getting a sour smell like sour-milk or yogurt then it might be ready.

Day 1. Mix 3 dl apple and water mixture with 300g plain white flour in a jar, allowing it to breathe. Leave it out in room temperature. Keep the remaining mixture for later.

Day 2. Mix 3 dl apple and water mixture with 300g plain white flour and 1dl of the day 1. mixture. Leave it out in room temperature. Throw the remaining mixture in your food waste bin.

Day 3. Mix by hand 3 dl apple and water mixture with 300g plain white flour and 1dl of the day 2. mixture. Throw the remaining mixture in your food waste bin.Throw the remaining mixture in your food waste bin. Keep in fridge overnight.

Day 4. Bake day! Your starter dough should hav redoubled in size and are now ready to go. Follow our sourdough recipes!

How to feed and maintain your sourdough starter

If you look after your starter; feeding and watering it, it will reward you in return.

It depends on how often you’d like to bake. But my recommendation would be to keep it in the fridge, and refresh it weekly with 200 grams of water and 200 grams of flour and 1 dl of your starter (the rest will go into baking or in the food waste bin).

My starter was started on the 31st of March, with first day of baking being on the 7th of April. Keep me posted on how you get on as well.

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