Making a sourdough start from scratch might require attention, but the technique itself is simple — and the ingredients list is even simpler. This starter is ideal for baking bread, but that’s just the beginning: Sourdough can be used to add an extra zip to baked goods ranging from pizza dough to biscuits, pancakes, bagels, and whatever other treats you can dream up.
Basic Ingredients
- Flour
- Water (Note: Filtered water that has sat out for a day is fine, but water straight from the faucet will have chlorine in it and kill the yeast)
Beginning Instructions
- Mix together 1 cup flour and ¾ cup water in a deep bowl or Mason jar. Leave plenty of room in the jar for the starter to double or triple after feeding.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit at 70-80 degrees for 48 hours. During this time, yeast from the air will find your mixture and begin to populate it.
Feeding
- Next, stir in ½ cup flour and ⅓ cup water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, throw away half of the mixture.
- Repeat: Stir in ½ cup flour and ⅓ cup water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, throw away half of the mixture.
- Repeat again: Stir in ½ cup flour and ⅓ cup water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8 hours.
- After another 8 hours, it should be strong enough to use.
- Note that starter is best used when it has risen and is ready to be fed. If you are not going to use it soon, feed it, and after about 3-4 hours, put it in the refrigerator to slow it down. When you are ready to use it again, take it out and let it come to room temperature for an hour before using it.
