An excerpt from the Fundamentals eCourse lesson on sourdough. Learn about sourdough and other traditional cooking skills through 14 online, multi-media lessons. You’re welcome to join and participate as you choose. Cost? We ask that you pay what you can toward the experience. Read more or sign up today.
Simple Needs
This is really simple. I have read books on sourdough and more often than not, the discussions on sourdough and starters can overcomplicate a very simple process. Basically, you only have to keep in mind two things: warmth and food. That’s it! If you do those two things well, the starter will be very happy and make great food for you. This applies to the starter that has become part of a dough, too.
Warmth
The starter likes to be warm while it is working. Ideal temperature is right around room temperature, or between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. A gas oven with the pilot light or a food dehydrator with a low temperature setting (below 90 degrees Fahrenheit) are good places to put your starter and/or sourdough dough. I also like the spot on my counter right next to the oven vent, near the wood stove, near a turned-on crockpot, or on top of the refrigerator. Even right out at room temperature is fine.
Because I know my starter likes warmth, I choose water and flour that facilitate this: comfortable-to-the-touch water and flour that is warm from milling. Don’t add cold water or cold flour to your starter, else you’ll lose time while the entire mixture regains room temperature in order for the wild yeasts to begin flourishing again. If you can’t mill your own flour, at least don’t use cold flour; room temperature is fine.
Food
Let’s talk about food. The wild yeasts feed on the starches in flour. (Actually, they will eat sugars in fruits, too, but for baking bread, we’re concerned about flour.) There are many schools of thought on feeding a starter; I prefer to keep this simple. Feed your starter whatever whole-grain flour you’re using. Certainly, a starter may do the best on rye flour (some people claim this) and while this may be true, it doesn’t mean that whole wheat or whole spelt flour will not perform. I know from experience that whatever whole-grain flour I feed my starter keeps it happy, healthy and thriving.
But you can’t just feed it flour alone, or it will eventually get too thick to work. So feed it equal parts flour and water. Or if using spelt flour, use 3/4 to 7/8 cups of water for every cup of flour. This is because spelt produces a thinner starter.
Here’s something else to keep in mind, and it makes sense when we remember that we’re trying to keep the starter alive. Don’t overwhelm the starter during a feeding. Practically speaking, don’t feed it with flour in an amount that is more than 3 times its current volume. Here’s an example. If I retrieve 1 cup of starter from the refrigerator, I feed it not more than 3 cups of flour (and therefore 3 cups of water) at a time. If I need 9 cups of starter for a batch of bread, I will feed it in successive feedings, spaced out throughout the day by several hours each. Of course, if you keep a greater quantity of starter on hand at all times, say 4 cups, then you could feed it up to 12 cups of flour (and 12 cups of water) without breaking this rule.
Feed the starter at least weekly, if storing it in the refrigerator. I recommend storing 1 cup of starter in the fridge, and building up its volume as needed. It is much easier to find room in the fridge for storing it in this small quantity. If you like to keep your starter out at room temperature, feed it every 12 to 24 hours with equal parts flour and water, discarding as necessary to keep the volume to less than half of your container’s size. Keep it in a fairly warm place.
Containers and Utensils
Choose a non-reactive container. Glass or ceramic are best for storing starter. Avoid plastic containers because over time, the acidity of the starter can cause the plastic to leach into it.
Use wood or plastic utensils. Metal utensils are reactive and can degrade the quality of your starter over time. Some say that stainless steel is okay, as it is not reactive or is minimally reactive. I say, if you’re going to use stainless steel, use it quickly, keeping contact with the culture to a minimum.
Flexibility
Now, all these guidelines are flexible. Your starter probably won’t die if you feed it cold flour, or if you overfeed it. So relax about it, and don’t stress out. I’ve come up with these guidelines because I have a simple goal of keeping my starter alive by keeping it fed and warm. If you depart from something I’ve said, do it while keeping in mind the starter’s main needs of warmth and food.
This is a printed excerpt from the Fundamentals eCourse, Lesson 12. Learn about sourdough and other traditional cooking skills through 14 online, multi-media lessons. You’re welcome to join and participate as you choose. Cost? We ask that you pay what you can toward the experience. Read more or sign up today.
I’m sharing this post in Real Food Wednesday, hosted by the friendly Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
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Hi, Wardeh, it’s me again with another sourdough question.:) I’ve been making bread regularly and it has been turning out great every time. However, this last time that I got my starter out of the fridge, it was different. The only word I can think of to describe it is “sluggish”…it’s not dead, but it’s just not working much. I kept it on the counter for about three days and fed it regularly and it finally went from a few bubbles to quite a few bubbles, but still isn’t the wonderful, foamy, “alive” starter that I’ve had. Do I just keep working with it, or is there anything else I can do to jumpstart it? I’ve been afraid to make bread with it because I don’t know if it will rise.
Also, my mom for me “Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” for Mothers Day and I’ve been making that. Do you know if this method is a good one as far as the phytic acid goes? You don’t soak the flour in an acid medium, but it does ferment in the fridge for up to a week so I’m thinking that it would be similar in nutrition to sourdough???
Leah – I think you’re on the right track. I know of no way to jump start it. I suggest you keep it out and keep feeding it. You’re already seeing improvement, so I’d continue it. don’t keep a big quantity, keep discarding right before a feeding to keep it manageable.
What I recommend is when the starter is active and bubble for at least three successive feedings, then you can store it in the fridge. That is for an established starter. If someone is starting a starter, I’d give it three weeks at least to mature before giving it dormant periods in the refrigerator.
I’m really not sure about the 5 minute method – certainly it does ferment over the course of a week. But because it is in the fridge, the warmth is lacking to really help the yeast. Also, using commercial yeasts don’t have the same nutritive effect on the grain. So, I think the whole scenario IS lacking, but how much, I’m not sure.
I’m sorry to discourage you. My friend Christina has worked with the 5 minute method and sourdough – one of these days she’s promised to guest post her process. In the meantime, I have an eCourse forum post from here that I could email you (with her permission of course).
I have read to keep the starter covered witha cloth while it is “building up”. Do you do the same while it is fermenting with the flour or do you use a plate? Does it matter?
Michelle – I use both – a plate or a cloth. It doesn’t matter as long as air can flow. None of my plates fit on the bowls air tight.
I am just now thinking of trying sourdough starter. (At 61 it’s time I learn, eh
)I really have no warm place but may come up with something. Your directions seem clear and easy so thank you for making it seem do-able.
Thanks, Wardeh, that is very helpful! And I would love to see the forum post. I would really love to take your ecourse, but at the moment, our internet connection is so slow that I’m hardly ever able to get on at home for more than a few minutes at a time. I’m writing this from my husband’s office.:)
Pogonia- Just wanted to let you know that my home ranges from 61-70 degrees, and my starter is very alive and happy. I leave it in a crock covered with a plate near the stove. Happy to hear you are thinking of giving sourdough a try!
my starter isn’t rising my bread very well anymore. I haven’t changed much in the way it’s treated. I’ve been making sourdough bread every other week or so for a few months. I feed it every day–rarely going longer than 12 hours between feedings– with a little flour and water, then put it up on top of the cabinet. My house is between 65-70 degrees F every day. The humidity might be higher being summer in the Midwest… any thoughts?…Hmm… I did use to put the dough next to a heating vent before forming the loaves, might that be the problem?
Rosebud – How does it behave when you feed it? Does it get domed, bubbly, and smell sour? Then does liquid separate out and it deflate? Does it seem active in between feedings?
I just started working with sour dough starter a few months ago, and have been learning a lot. After trying both, I have decided to stick to only whole wheat starter, as I grind my own flour. However, I grind a quantity and freeze it, as grinding flour for each feeding would be impossible for me. So my flour is from the freezer, and to avoid my city water, I buy spring water or bring some home from my sister’s place. It is left on the counter so is room temp. I was lacking the warmth to make my starter real active.
I tried a method that has been working well. Our tap water is set to a high temperature – almost scalding, as I like to keep my glass containers super clean for my raw milk. After I feed my starter, I place the container over hot tap water, much like a double boiler. I don’t set it in the water, just over it. This seems to bring my starter with frozen flour up to temp and active rather quickly. I prefer that to letting my flour sit out on the counter or even heating it.
Thanks for all the good information. I am finding the whole food preparations never are the same twice. Sure makes life interesting. Love it!
the starter gets a little bubbly, not really enough to make a dome. It definitely has a sour smell to it–sometimes a little stronger than I like. There’s no water separated out (I don’t measure the water when I feed it. I usually put in just enough to make it easy to mix in the flour.)
Hi Wardeh!,
Help!
Since lesson 12, I’ve been confused about sourdough bread, not due to the lesson, which is described very well, but for some reason can’t get it through my head. So…..I bought the dried culture, did as instructed by your video, I made the bread (turned out delicious and even looked beautiful) then I put one cup of the sponge in the refrig. and 2 weeks later I need to bake more bread. So I took the sourdough starter out of the refrig. added the 3 cups of spelt flour and 2 1/4 cups of warm water and covered it and letting it get bubbly. My confusion and question is….where does the next starter to save in the refrig. come from?….do I save a cup of the recipe that I’m building up now…or was I suppose to save it before I added the flour?…(from the fridge, I only had 1 cup of starter to begin with)….or am I suppose to keep adding flour and water, if so how much? I’ve read your ecourse instructions and watched the video and my brain can’t seem to comprehend this…..
Hi, Sherri – I emailed you.
Rosebud – I’d suggest taking a small amount of your starter, like only 1/2 cup. Put it in a clean container and feed it regularly (every 12 to 24 hours) with 1/2 cup ww flour and 1/2 cup water. Keep it in a warm location. Giving it TLC and a warm place may bring it back to very bubbly and active.
Keep discarding starter to keep your total amount (before each feeding) to no more than a cup. Change to a clean container every couple days.
It doesn’t sound dead to me, just like it needs reviving. Time will tell. I don’t know if you store in the fridge or not, but if you do – don’t return this to the refrigerator until it is revived and continues to be bubbly and active for at least a week of feedings.
rosebud- i thought of something else you might want to try… when it is time to feed your starter, add the water first and give it a good stir. scrape the bottom and sides well. add the flour and vigorously stir. doing it this way should incorporate more air, and that is good for your starter. it’s worth a try!
Erin and Wardeh, thanks for the kind advice. I’ll try to remember to post what happens.
I’m slowly but surely trying to figure out sourdough, and this is very helpful! I linked to this post on my weekly roundup, the post is under my name. Thanks so much!