Sourdough Starter

Feeding the Starter:

Add 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and less than 3/4 cup warm water (make it a good 1/2 cup).  Mix with a spatula or plastic (no metal).  Consistency should be like thick cake batter.

Let the sourdough starter set on counter 8-10 hours with lid on. 

Starter should double in size.  Take out 1 cup starter to use in recipe.  If you are not making bread, either toss it or share it.  Put the remaining 1 cup sourdough starter back in the fridge with lid on.  It can stay in the fridge for a week without feeding it.  If you go over a week, the starter can get a little sluggish and you might have to repeat the feeding step twice.  Feed, discard a cup, feed, use or discard a cup.

Also, the top of the starter can turn gray and get a liquid on top.  This is called hooch.  It's a form of naturally-occurring alcohol which indicates that your sourdough starter is hungry.  Just stir it in when you feed it.

Tip:  Wash out the measuring cup, spatula or bowl that has starter in it right away.  If not, it is very difficult to clean if it dries.

The above picture is before the starter is fed.

The starter will double in size after the 8 hours and will be ready to use.


Have fun feeding and watching your live wild yeast grow!
~ Carol ~