I must admit that before studying patisserie at Silwood School Of Cookery, the sourdough starter process seemed too daunting for me to take on. I have trouble remembering to take my vitamins everyday so the thought of remembering to keep something alive (other than my children, of course 😂😂) filled me with anxiety. Like all the best things worth having in life, however, I’ve realised that all it takes to succeed with sourdough is a little patience and consistency. Let me show you how to make your own sourdough starter…
Essential Equipment for Making Sourdough Starter
- Digital scale
- Mason or Weck glass jar
- Elastic band
- Label
- Spatula
Ingredients for Sourdough Starter
- 100g wholewheat or rye flour
- 100g room temperature filtered or bottled water
Ingredients for Feeding Your Sourdough Starter
- 100g plain flour
- 100g room temperature filtered or bottled water
How To Make a Sourdough Starter
1. Start The Process
Begin by placing your jar on the digital scale. Note the weight of the jar, then zero the scale. Add 100g of wholewheat or rye flour and 100g of water to the jar. Mix it well. Record the total weight of the jar with the added ingredients. Cover loosely and place the elastic band around the jar at the level of the starter to track its growth.
2. Let It Grow
Place your jar in a cool, dark spot in your kitchen, away from any sunlight. Over the next 24 hours, check on your starter. If you see no bubbles, simply leave it for another 24 hours. It should be ready to feed by Day 3.
3. Feed Your Starter
By Day 3, you should notice some bubbles forming. When you see these bubbles, your starter is ready for feeding! Discard about half of the starter (keep about 100g in the jar), and then add 100g of plain flour and 100g of water. Mix well and place the jar back in the cool spot. Don’t forget to adjust the elastic band to track the starter’s growth.
4. Continue Feeding
Repeat the feeding process every 24 hours, at the same time, if possible. Always follow the same process as step 3: discarding about half of the starter until you have 100g left in the jar, and adding 100g of flour and 100g of water, mixing thoroughly. Keep feeding the starter like this for about 14 days. Over time, the starter will become lighter and looser, and you’ll notice it doubling in size 4–6 hours after each feed. It will also become beautifully bubbly and smell wonderful.
5. Test For Readiness
To check if your sourdough starter is ready, perform the float test: Drop a small spoonful of the starter into a bowl of water. If it floats, it’s ready for baking!
6. Storing Your Sourdough Starter
 Once your starter is mature, you can store it in the fridge. Feed it once every two weeks by following the same steps as before: discard half, add 100g flour and 100g water. Mix well, and let it sit at room temperature for 4–6 hours before placing it back in the fridge.
Using Your Sourdough Starter to Bake Bread
When you’re ready to bake sourdough bread (recipe coming to Jeannieous soon!), simply remove your starter from the fridge and let it return to room temperature overnight. Feed it in the morning, and use it 4–6 hours later when it has doubled in size. After using it for baking, place the remaining starter back in the fridge to continue the process.
