Sourdough Starter

Mar 2020, updated May 2020

I adapted this approach from The Perfect Loaf. King Arthur Flour, the Tartine bread book, and every other sourdough-related book or website also has a guide available. The basic approach is to start with a whole-grain or rye flour (since they contain more yeasts and bacteria) and higher hydration, switching to unbleached white flour and 100% hydration (what?) once the culture takes hold.

  1. Start with an all-rye, 150% hydration mixture. Cover loosely and incubate at room temp. (I started my culture in San Francisco’s cool season, so I kept my starter in the oven with the light on during this stage.) Every day, create a new starter with 150% hydration and 100% of the previous day’s starter (e.g., 10g rye flour, 10g starter, and 15g water). After about a week, the starter should be doubling in volume in 8-12 hours, then slowly falling.
  2. Once the starter is well-established, transition to a dryer mixed-flour recipe. Use 100% hydration, 20% starter, and a 50-50 rye/all-purpose flour mix. Feed daily. I only bake occasionally, so I keep a small culture (30g of flour daily).
  3. Optionally, preserve some of your well-established culture. Mix a big dollop of active starter with a scoop of the dry flour blend you’ve been feeding it. Incorporate with a spatula, then break apart clumps with your fingers. Continue breaking up clumps and adding flour until the mixture feels completely dry, then leave it to finish drying at room temperature for a few hours. Seal it in a jar and store it away from light and moisture. Revive by mixing the whole jar (or enough of it to get a healthy dose of your original starter) with 50g fresh flour and enough water to make it easy to stir. Mix until no dry bits remain, incubate at a warm room temperature until bubbly (usually 12–24 hours), then feed as usual.

Notes