Intro

As we continue our sourdough journey, this guide will assist you in making your very own sourdough starter. With just some basic ingredients and a bit of patience, you will soon be ready to create a delicious sourdough pizza. If you’re new to sourdough, take a look at my previous blog where I explain the basics. This will provide you with a solid starting point for using this guide.

Before We Dive In

Before we dive into day 1 of creating your sourdough starter, let’s cover some essential aspects that will enhance your sourdough experience:

1. Feeding routine: keep track of your starter’s progress by marking its height after each feeding. 
2. Save unused starter: Don’t discard leftover starter! Instead, store it in the freezer or fridge and gradually build it up over time. Your sourdough discard can be transformed into delicious treats like pancakes, waffles, crackers, muffins, and more. 
3. Switch jars regularly: To avoid mold, switch to a new jar for your starter every few feedings. This simple step helps prevent contamination and keeps your starter safe from mold.

Now, let’s proceed step by step.

Tools

• Jar/glass
• Cheesecloth or aplastic wrap
• Rubber band
• Kitchen scale
• Spoon or spatula

Ingredients

• Pre-made mixture (40% rye, 60% bread flour)

Preparing Feeding Mixture

To simplify the process, let’s start by making a ‘’feeding mixture’’ using a combination of 60% bread flour and 40% organic rye flour. Mix 300 grams of bread flour with 200 grams of organic rye flour, and store this blend in an airtight container. This mixture forms the foundation for upcoming feedings throughout the next 14 days.

Day 1

• Add 25 grams of the mixture and 25 grams of water to a jar. Stir until smooth.
• Cover with cheesecloth/plastic wrap secured with a rubber band. If using plastic wrap, make sure to poke some tiny holes in it to allow for proper airflow. This helps create the right environment for the natural yeasts and bacteria to flourish and do their magic in your sourdough starter.
• Keep at room temperature (74-78°F/23-26°C) for 24 hours.

Day 2

• Gently stir the mixture well to incorporate air. This helps create an optimal environment for the yeast and bacteria to thrive. No need to add more flour or water on this day.
• Let the mixture sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.

Day 3 morning (feed twice daily 1:1:1)

• Observation: the starter carries a mild sour aroma, and it has doubled in size (2x).
• Feeding: use 20 grams of starter, add 20 grams of water and 20 grams of the mixture. Stir everything together, cover the jar, and make a mark on the side at the current level of the mixture. Let it sit for 12 hours.
• Note: during this period, we’re feeding the starter using a (1:1:1) ratio. This ratio means for every 1 part of the starter, we add 1 part of water and 1 part of the mixture (all by weight). 
• Remember to make a mark each time you feed it. This mark helps you easily see how much the mixture rises during fermentation and is especially useful to track its progress after each feeding. 

Day 3 evening

• Observation: it still has a mild smell, but there’s less growth in the rise of the starter.
• Feeding: repeat the feeding process, using 20 grams of starter, 20 grams of water, and 20 grams of the mixture. Stir, cover, mark the level, and let it sit for 12 hours. Keep an eye on its changes in texture and aroma.

Day 4 feed twice (morning and evening)

• Observation: the starter has doubled in size (2x) and smells a little more sour than it did yesterday, but the sourness is still quite mild.
• Feeding: just like day 3, repeat the feeding process in the morning and evening, using 20 grams of starter, 20 grams of water, and 20 grams of the mixture. Stir, cover, mark the level, and let it sit at room temperature.

Day 5 to 8 continue feeding twice daily

• Feeding: keep feeding twice a day with the same 1:1:1 ratio (20 grams of starter, 20 grams of water, and 20 grams of flour mixture).

Day 9 to 11 feed twice daily with a 1:2:2 ratio

• Feeding: use 10 grams of starter, 20 grams of water, and 20 grams of flour mixture.
• Note: During this period, we’re feeding the starter using a higher ratio (1:2:2). This ratio means for every 1 part of the starter, we add 2 parts of water and 2 parts of the mixture. This higher ratio is needed because the starter requires more food to support its growth during this active phase.

Day 12 and 13 feed twice daily with a 1:3:3 ratio

• Feeding: use 5 grams of starter, 15 grams of water, and 15 grams of flour mixture.
• Note: During this period, we’re feeding the starter using a higher ratio (1:3:3). This ratio means for every 1 part of the starter, we add 3 parts of water and 3 parts of the mixture.

Day 14 feed twice daily with a 1:4:4 ratio

• Feeding: use 5 grams of starter, 20 grams of water, and 20 grams of flour mixture.
• Note: During this period, we’re feeding the starter using a higher ratio (1:4:4). This ratio means for every 1 part of the starter, we add 4 parts of water and 4 parts of the mixture.

Day 15 and Beyond (maintaining your starter)

Congratulations, you’ve successfully nurtured your sourdough starter through its initial growth phase! Now, it’s time to transition into a more consistent feeding routine. 

• New mixture: Create a new batch using a flour mixture of 900 grams of bread flour and 100 grams of rye flour for all future feedings.
• Feeding ratio transition 1:2:2: Ideally, feed your starter 3 times per day using the new ratio. However, if your schedule doesn’t permit this frequency, you can opt for 2 feedings per day.
• Note: Using less rye and more bread flour creates a great balance for all upcoming feedings. The bread flour boosts the starter’s strength and extends its peak time. Rye brings a unique taste and enhances your sourdough’s overall quality.
  

Tips and tricks

Feed on time
To maintain a healthy starter, feeding it on time is essential. The best timing is when your sourdough has peaked, ensuring your starter receives enough nourishment. This helps keep your starter strong and active.

Feed regularly
Skipping feedings or not feeding on time can lead to an accumulation of acidity. If this is not addressed on time, this sourness might become permanent. This sourness can give your baked goods a very intense sour taste. Therefore, it’s important to stick to a consistent feeding routine.

Hygiene
Use a clean jar regularly, ensuring to switch to a new one at least every 3 days, to prevent mold formation in your starter. It would be a shame to have to discard your starter and start from scratch.

Hooch (liquid layer)
If you store your starter in the refrigerator, a liquid layer (hooch) may form after a few days. Hooch is a sign that your starter needs feeding. Just mix it back in before feeding.

Feeding frequency
Depending on your baking frequency, adjust your starter’s maintenance. If you bake 1 or more times a week, keep your starter at room temperature and feed it 2 to 3 times a day. If you bake less frequently, store your starter in the refrigerator, feeding it once a week. When preparing to bake, take your starter out, feed it, wait 12 hours, feed it again, and if it doubles (ideally triples) within 8 hours, it’s ready to use.

Preparing starter before the bake
When you are about to knead your dough, it’s crucial for your starter to be at its peak, meaning it’s at its strongest and hasn’t collapsed yet. The best outcome is when the starter has tripled in size. To achieve this, feed your starter 8 hours before you plan to begin kneading.

Temperature
Your starter thrives best at a range of 74-78°F (23-26°C). At these temperatures, your starter should double within 8 hours, and ideally even triple.

Float test
The float test is a commonly used method to check if your starter is ready. This involves putting a small amount of starter into a cup of water. If the starter floats, this is often taken as a sign that the starter is ready for use. This test is not 100% reliable. Floating only means that enough air is trapped to make it float, so it doesn’t indicate that the starter has fully matured. It is better to trust other factors, such as observing an increase in volume while feeding your starter and being familiar with the general behavior of your starter, to make sure that your starter is ready to bake.

Never run out
When you bake, make sure to keep some of your starter as a “seed” for next time. This seed acts as a foundation for your starter, which you feed with flour and water. This helps you maintain your starter and stay prepared for your next baking adventure, without using up all of it.

Peak
Your starter reaches its peak at a certain point; this is when the starter is at its strongest. You’ll recognize it by the surface of your starter having many dimples and uneven peaks and valleys. It looks lively and bubbly. It begins to gently recede but hasn’t collapsed yet. Using a starter around its peak gives the best results for your baked goods.

Overactive starter
Your starter can become overactive, particularly in hot summer weather. This means it reaches its peak and falls back down before the next feeding, which is still a while away. This can cause issues because, as the feeding time is far off, the acidity increases. If your starter is overactive, you can take specific steps. One way is to place your starter in a cooler spot, such as a cellar. Lower temperatures slow down the rising process. You can also use cold flour and water when feeding. Another method is to feed your sourdough at a higher ratio, meaning you use four or even five times more flour and water compared to the starter. Reducing the amount of seed used during feeding will slow down its peak. Additionally, adding salt to your starter can slow down the fermentation process. Keep the salt under 2%, and remember to adjust the salt in your final recipe to balance the salt content in your starter.

Discard
When feeding your starter, you always end up with a portion of “discard,” in other words, a portion of starter that you don’t use. Instead of throwing this away, you can store it in a container and place it in your freezer. Every time you have some discard, you add it to this container. Think about what you can do with all this goodness. You can use it in your pancake batter, bread or pizza dough, and much more.

Now that you’ve learned to make your own sourdough starter, it’s time to start baking. Click here if you want make pizza dough.

By Safia Abali