Care and Feeding of your Sourdough Starter, 2023 edition

How do I keep my starter ALIVE?

How do I know if my starter is okay to bake with?

What if I haven’t used it in ages?  Do I have to start from scratch??

What if it’s already dead??

Now that I have your attention… RELAX.

I KNOW it’s been a while since I’ve added to my blog, and I’m getting a new oven installed in less than a week, so I went back to my blog and discovered that I had a pretty good thing going.

So I’m dusting off some of my most special recipe posts, and this one comes to mind, because my starter has been getting pretty lonely tucked in the back of my fridge.  I’m feeding her today, and will probably make some waffles or pancakes with her this weekend.  

(In 2016, I started her and named her Hungry Lizzy, after St. Elizabeth of Hungary - patron saint of bakers)

(Yes, I’ve kept her alive for over 6+ years!!)

SO…. it’s really quite easy.  Just do it.  Feed your starter.  Make stuff with it.  Feed it some more.  Name it.  Get to know it.  A little attention will go a long way!  See?

It takes a lot to “kill” your starter, truly.

But really ... as long as you bake with it regularly (even just once a week), it will be happy and bubbly and ready to lift your sourdough to new heights.  Bake more often than that, and you’ll have a superstar performer on your hands.

You can take a mathematical approach, and actually measure your flour and water, so you KNOW it will be just right. All you have to do is measure equal amounts of water and the flour of your choice.

For example, you could measure 25 grams of water, use it to scrape up and dissolve the dried bits on the sides and bottom of your container.

Then measure and add 25 grams of strong bread flour.  

Mix well, and keep it out on your counter until it’s happy and bubbly and ready to be used.

After awhile, you’ll get a real “feel” for it, and then you’ll be doing it much more instinctively as you gain experience and confidence. You’ll also develop a preference for how wet or dry you like to keep your starter.  I like to keep mine on the thicker side, so I can really see it puff up and double (or more). 

Remember, you’re the one who gets to decide how much starter to keep in the fridge at any given time.  I like to keep only a bit more than the scrapings if I only plan to make one loaf... but if I’m planning to make up some pancakes or waffles on the weekend, or to do a big bake of three loaves in a day or two, then I build it up by a bit by feeding and mixing it, and leaving it out an hour before I pop it back in the fridge, so I’ve got enough to use when I need it.

It’s ready to bake with, when it is bubbly, has more than doubled,  and it is still rounded at the top.

~ TROUBLE SHOOTING ~

If your starter is a bit sluggish, and doesn’t see to want to grow, consider the following:

Is your kitchen warm enough?  

Put it in the oven with the light on, 

put it on top of your refrigerator, or near a warm spot.

Is there a draft inhibiting its growth?  

Pop it in the microwave or invest in a proofing box.

Did you feed it “enough” flour?  

Add some more!  Or change up the flour (try some rye or spelt)

Happy starter = happy sourdough!

Happy sourdough = happy eating!!

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!!

MJ

Care and feeding of your sourdough starter

How do I keep my starter ALIVE?!

Now that I have your attention... relax!

  

It takes a lot to “kill” your starter, truly. 

But really ... as long as you bake with it regularly (even just once a week), it will be happy and bubbly and ready to lift your sourdough to new heights.  Bake more often than that, and you’ll have a superstar performer on your hands.

You can take a mathematical approach, and actually measure your flour and water, so you KNOW it will be just right.

And after awhile, you’ll get a real “feel” for it, and then you’ll be doing it much more instinctively as you gain experience and confidence. You’ll also develop a preference for how wet or dry you like to keep your starter.  I like to keep mine on the thicker side, so I can really see it puff up and double (or more).  Here’s how I feed and mix mine, in this short video:

Remember, you’re the one who gets to decide how much starter to keep in the fridge at any given time.  I like to keep only a bit more than the scrapings if I only plan to make one loaf... but if I’m planning to make up some pancakes or waffles on the weekend, or to do a big bake of three loaves in a day or two, then I build it up by a bit by feeding and mixing it, and leaving it out an hour before I pop it back in the fridge, so I’ve got enough to use when I need it.

It’s ready to bake with, when it is bubbly, has more than doubled,  and it is still rounded at the top.

~ TROUBLE SHOOTING ~

If your starter is a bit sluggish, and doesn’t see to want to grow, consider the following:

Is your kitchen warm enough?  

Put it in the oven with the light on, 

put it on top of your refrigerator, or near a warm spot.

Is there a draft inhibiting its growth?  

Pop it in the microwave or invest in a proofing box.

Did you feed it “enough” flour?  

Add some more!  Or change up the flour (try some rye or spelt)

Happy starter = happy sourdough!

Happy sourdough = happy eating!!

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!!

MJ

Homemade Sourdough Bread

This post is the result of over two years of baking.  My process is still evolving and my pictures are getting better and better (I think) but due to heavy (but lighthearted!) demand by my friends and family wanting to learn how to bake amazing sourdough bread, I have pushed myself to finally PUBLISH what I have.  It is far from perfect and I still hope to add a few better quality pictures and mini videos of the process, but here it is... my long awaited post on this crazy passion of mine:  ....baking delicious and nutritious sourdough bread.  Enjoy!

I’ve been baking sourdough since January, 2018. It’s a slow process, and at first I thought that meant that I had to be there all the time to supervise it and make sure that it rose properly or didn’t over proof. However, after all this time, I have learned to SIMPLY TRUST the process.  It does take time, but only a few minutes at a time.  In fact, it’s mostly hands off... I can make this bread around my work day schedule or pandemic time at home... and there are great margins for both small learning errors AND limitless experimentation. 

BUT IT’S ALL DELICIOUS!!

Have no fear!  This is a FAST learning curve, so if you’re here to learn, get ready for some of the BEST BREAD you can make anywhere.... and it’s FUN and EASY to make!

You will need:

An active sourdough starter (50g)
Water (350g) or a bit extra water to combine, if your first mix is very dry
Bread Flour (500g)
Sea Salt (9g) or to taste

 You’ll also need a digital scale that measures in grams (g)
A bowl, your hand, and / or a dough hook for mixing
A banneton or bowl for proofing your sourdough
A Dutch oven, cast iron pot with lid, or covered casserole dish

1. First, you’ll need a happy and active starter.  Bake regularly and your starter will be happy... once a week is plenty.  This is my starter after a morning feed... I came home from work and it was ready to go.  See how happy it looks?  A general rule is that it should at least double and be somewhat rounded at the top (not caving in or collapsing).  The smell should be pleasant and like a good bread.

 

Click here for my post on the Care and Feeding of your Sourdough Starter:

https://tastethelovebymj.blogspot.com/2020/05/care-and-feeding-of-your-sourdough.html

2. Mix 50 grams of your bubbly starter into 350 grams of water.
It should look like this:

3. Add 500 grams of strong unbleached bread flour.  I usually include a good 15g of rye flour (or 15 g spelt) (or up to 50g whole wheat flour) in that 500g mix. Then add 9 grams of nice sea salt. 

  

4. Mix until all the flour is absorbed by the water.  If it feels too dry, meaning you find some bits of flour that remain dry, feel free to add a splash of extra water - up to 20g, if needed.  It should look rough and a bit shaggy, like this plain mix (below) or seeded mix (2nd pic, below):

   

  

5. After about an hour (or at a convenient time for you) give it a twenty point turn, by pulling the outside of the dough to the centre of the dough.  This will ensure even fermenting temperature throughout the dough, and it will also start building structure into your dough, so it can hold its rounded shape.

Please note:  I am left handed, and therefore I move my pulls and turns in a clockwise direction.  If you are right handed, you may find it feels more natural to pull and turn in a counter clockwise direction.

6. Repeat every half hour or so, and observe the changes in your dough.  It should grow bouncier and puffier and softer with every pull and fold.

7.  Leave (covered) on your counter overnight to continue proofing... it may look like this in the morning:

Or this:

Or this:

8.  Prepare your banneton with a generous dusting of rice flour (or all purpose flour).  Consider dusting it with a nice lining of poppyseeds or raw oats, for a novel crust. Give your dough one final series of pulls and turns and pop it into the prepared banneton.  Chill, covered, for a minimum of 6 hours.  Overnight is also fine, as the flavours will develop nicely over time while the fermentation process is slowed.  

9. In the morning, it should look like this when you get it out of the fridge and uncover it (below).  It is now ready for baking!  

Be sure to make sure your loaf isn’t sticking to the sides of the banneton, cover it with parchment paper, hold tight, and then flip it into a COLD Dutch oven or covered casserole dish (2nd pic, below).

  

10. Now SLASH your loaf with a razor at a 45 degree angle, to allow for some expansion during baking, just ... GO FOR IT!

 

 

11.  Cover your loaf with the Dutch oven’s lid, and place it into a COLD oven, THEN set it to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake it, covered, for 40 minutes, then uncover it to reveal your sourdough loaf.  Bake it about 15 or so minutes more, uncovered, until it gets as golden brown and crusty as you like.

12. Set it out on a rack to cool at least ONE HOUR before slicing, as it will continue to bake and crackle and sing.  Try to resist the urge to slice into your sourdough bread while it’s hot, as it will ruin the nice crumb / texture of your loaf. After that, slather it with butter, and ENJOY!

 

13.  I leave mine uncovered on the counter for a day (if it lasts that long), so we can enjoy the crispy crust at its freshest... then I slice and freeze it the next morning.  It keeps very well in the freezer, in a freezer bag, although it never lasts long, because sourdough is just AMAZING toasted at any time of the day!

Well that’s it, that’s my process.  

DO keep a journal on how each loaf turns out, and see how you do over time, in your kitchen, on your schedule.  I’m still learning, and I love to experiment with different flours, types of slashing, and crusts... and so can you!

I’ll soon make another post on other things I make with my starter when I need to “discard” any of it... oh, but I don’t waste it at all, I make it into pancakes... or waffles... or savoury hotcakes.

And don’t even get me started on SOURDOUGH PIZZA!  Here’s the link to my post on Homemade Sourdough Skillet Pizza:

https://tastethelovebymj.blogspot.com/2020/05/homemade-sourdough-skillet-pizza.html

 

Special thanks to @elaine_foodbod on Instagram for her tried and true master recipe (which I have slightly adapted for my kitchen and taste).  Thank you, Elaine, for your enthusiasm and wholehearted support of us sourdough bakers around the world!  

I get such a thrill every time she features my sourdough pics in her stories. Give Elaine a follow!

Thanks also to Ayers Bulk Foods and Baking Supplies for featuring my Homemade Sourdough Bread recipe here on Taste the Love!  They’re my one stop shop for all things baking, from strong bread flour to rye, spelt, kamut, or whole wheat flours, to spices and other mix-ins such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, to poppyseeds, oatmeal, and honey, candied citrine, or even the hard to find bannetons!

To my readers:
PLEASE DO let me know what you think of this post and my process in the comments below!  I’m happy to answer any or all of your questions... I’ll even send you some of my dried starter, or help you troubleshoot if you run into any problems.  

Also, DO follow me / like / comment / or tag me @mjschropp on Instagram / Facebook if you post your own sourdough bread creations.

Happy baking!!!

MJ