Quarantine Comfort--Sourdough Starter

Hello, all!

In these uncertain and crazy times, I am so grateful to be able to reach out to you all and share the things in which we can find comfort. Some folks are going stir crazy. I get it. My brother is dying for in-person contact. For those of us for which isolation is admittedly... our lifestyle... we're doing alright. If you're like me, you're actually getting stuff done (finally!), but I totally understand if you are experiencing the stir-crazy irritation, and claustrophobia.

I find that it helps to take care of something.

Many of my friends and family have been taking this time to further cultivate their gardens, and one friend even sent me some seeds for my own little potted garden (thank you, Andy!). But what if you don't have a green thumb? What if you feel like you're a plant killer and just no good at gardening, but still want that catharsis that blooms from caring for something?

Good news, my friends, I have a solution for you. Luckily, it's delicious.

So much of the world has turned to baking homemade bread during this time. And why not? Bread and cheese are the ultimate comfort foods! With stores running low or out of yeast these days, it's comforting to know you can cultivate your very own sourdough starter.

It may seem daunting--there is a lot of science to making a starter, but it's relatively simple to get going. And let's be real, why spend the money when you can make your own leavening?

The Science Behind Your Starter

If you want to skip my baking science nerd rant, click HERE to skip right the recipe/formula. However, I find it's easier to make bread and starters when you understand why you're taking each step. So if you're ready for some bacterial science, put your on fuzzy socks and sweats, and get comfy, folks!

Most bread begins with few ingredients: flour, salt, water, and yeast. Yeast is the catalyst between making a cracker and making a loaf of bread (certain unleavened breads aside). We're talking about the rise. Where does that come from?

Baking yeast is actually a strain of bacteria called Saccaromyces cerevisiae (say it three times fast!). In a time of major germophobia, I say this very carefully: bacteria is everywhere. There is good bacteria and bad bacteria, though, and yeast is one of the good guys! It is even present in the air, which is why you don't really need more than a cup of water and a cup of flour to make a starter.

The other cool thing about yeast being in the air, is that it is different everywhere. For example, if you take a Boudin Sourdough starter out of the San Francisco Bay air and move it to temperate Paris, the bacteria in the starter will slowly acclimate to the yeast bacteria in the area, and even meld to change flavor. So every starter is unique! Imagine, you could be the only one in your area with a distinct starter!

How does the yeast contribute to flavor in a starter? Yeast eats up sugar and converts it into ethyl alcohol--think about that fermented smell when you open up a refreshing beer or bottle of kombucha. That fermentation means big flavor in your bread. That yeast eats up the yummy sugar and produces the "sour" in sourdough.

Oh, yes, I almost forgot: Your starter is alive!

Your starter is the mother of all of your sourdough doughs, so we often refer to a starter as a Mother. At one bakery, we called her Mom, at another, Hera; mine is named Rhea! If you view your starter as the Mother, you might consider it more of a living thing. Gardeners, do you ever name your plants?

As a bacteria, it is a living thing, just like you! And what are your basic needs for survival? Food and water. And love. You've got to love your Mother, folks. It makes the bread taste better.

That means you have to feed it regularly. If you don't make bread everyday or even every week, your starter can live quite merrily in your refrigerator being fed weekly. It doesn't take a special food, just a little bit more flour and water. That's it!

Now that you've got the basics under your belt, are you ready to make your own sourdough starter?

Steps & Notes To Start A Starter

Find a 1-2 quart container that can be sealed. This will be your designated starter container, so use something you won't need, well, forever (with the idea that you won't kill your starter and you will keep it forever). I recommend something like a large, empty yogurt container. I do NOT recommend using a glass jar and lid, only because if you forget about your starter and leave it out, a jar lid could cause you to have a glass grenade on your hands. A glass jar could be fine if you're sealing it with plastic wrap or cheesecloth. I use a plastic deli container that has an airtight seal when I need it.

Start with a cup of lukewarm water. Non-chlorinated is best, but if you don't have a filter, no worries. If you leave a cup of tap water out for 24 hours ahead of time, the chlorine will dissipate.

It really helps with flavor and fermentation here if you have a bit of rye or whole wheat flour to start off with. If you don't have any, it's not a huge loss, but the richer flours will really jumpstart your starter and help the flavor to grow immensely right away with all the extra nutrients and sugar. Essentially, the more well-fed your Mother is at the start, the tastier and heartier she will be. Feel free to mix and match!

I also recommend as a base, using bread flour because it has a higher gluten content. All purpose will work well, too. All of these are optional, of course, but will help greatly for those who want the most results in the same period of time so you can start making bread as soon as Mother is ready.

Once you have your cup of flour, whether it's rye, whole wheat, all-purpose, bread, or a mix of all of them, combine it into your water completely. Loosely cover the container with its lid, or even a little plastic wrap will do.  Remember, you want the yeast bacteria to have access to your starter so it can grow. Let this mixture sit for a full 24 hours.

Set it somewhere warm, but not hot, and not too cold. Yes, your Mother is Goldilocks. Too hot, and your starter could bake and any yeast will die. Too cold, and the yeast won't have a hospitable environment to grow. The perfect place in my kitchen is on top of my refrigerator--it keeps it just warm enough in the winter time to grow, and can retreat quickly into the fridge in the summer when it gets too hot. You can even set it in your oven (TURNED OFF) with the light turned on.

After a day goes by, throw out half of the starter. What?! WHY?! Your Mother needs to keep a balanced pH, of course, and you don't want to end up with an overflowing container, either. But the most important reason is that you want to make it easy for the yeast to thrive. If there's just SO much starter, it can take much longer for the yeast to fully distribute. Ask me in the comments if you want ideas for extra starter; there are many things you can do with it if you can't bear to throw it out.

Something important to note: Do not wash your starter container. Read it again. Why wash away all that flavor on the sides of your container? Why wash away all that yeast? When you feed and mix your starter, remember to scrape down the sides and you'll avoid any mold and keep building that exquisite tang.

This is the beginning of a regular feeding schedule. You're only throwing away half of the starter, so you need to replenish with half of a cup of both water and flour. You can keep a variety of flour to start off with, but after this day, you might want to stick with all-purpose and use your varied flour every so often. For example, at the top of every month, I feed my starter with whole wheat flour, but every other feeding until the next month, I use all-purpose flour.

You might not see much going on with your Mother at this point, but as you continue to feed her, by the third day, you should be witnessing some serious bubbles! This means SHE'S ALIVE! Congratulations!

Everyone, meet Rhea! She's a little shy on her bubbles, but this is one hour after her first feeding of the week.

You'll continue your feeding by repeating that last step of throwing out half of the starter and replenishing for one week--seven days from the very beginning. You'll not only notice your Mother bubbling, you might see her start to rise and fall after feedings. Your starter will start to develop that "sour" sourdough scent. If you're like me, I love that aroma. My brother thinks it smells pungent and gross, but that means you are fermenting your Mother, so it's a good thing. If she starts to smell like paint thinner, keep feeding. I promise it will get better.

After the first seven days, you can use your starter immediately. However, if you want to keep her alive and don't feel like having that accountability every day, you can seal her up and feed her once a week and she will be quite content. Just be sure that when you want to use her, you take her out to feed her and keep her in her warm area at least TWO DAYS before use. That way, you'll get the right amount of leaven in your bread!

So that's it, folks! For a simplified version without the notes or commentary, scroll down below. Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns; I'm here for you. In a week, I will be back with a simple sourdough recipe that tastes so good, you won't need butter!

I want to take a moment to express something important. Remember, we're all in this together. Everything is confusing and scary right now, so take time to take care of yourselves and your loved ones. If you're not productive, that's okay. If you're taking this time to work, play, read, study, sleep, that's okay. Self care looks different for everyone, so don't compare yourself to other people. Connect with what is going to help you. If you ever need to reach out, send me a message here or on Instagram at @redsbreadsandbooks and I can be a listening ear. Stay safe, everyone. Stay strong. And STAY HOME! You guys are the best.

Happy reading and baking,

~Red

Sourdough Starter Formula

Starter First Day

Ingredients:

1 cup preferred starter flour (Whole wheat or rye recommended)

1 cup lukewarm water (non-chlorinated preferred)

Instructions:

1. In a designated sealable 1-2 quart container, combine water and flour until completely mixed. Loosely cover with lid or plastic wrap and place in warm area for 24 hours, (temperature approximately 68-72ºF). On top of a refrigerator, water heater, or inside a turned off oven with the light on will do. 

Starter Second-Seventh Days

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1. Discard half of your starter. 

2. Add the 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup to the remaining starter. Leave in warm area for 24 hours, loosely covered.

3. Repeat steps 1-2 for six days. 

Things to look for:

• By the third day, you should see bubbling on the surface.
• By the fourth and fifth days, you should smell the "sour" fermentation.
• By the sixth and seventh days, your starter should have a slightly foamy consistency on top.
• If your bubbles are taking awhile, your designated area might be too cold, but with continued feeding, you will see progress.

Notes:

• If you are storing your starter long term, keep sealed in the refrigerator and feed weekly. 
• Avoid mold in your container by scraping down the sides after every feeding.
• You can also dehydrate your starter by spreading it thinly on parchment paper to let dry completely and crumble it up. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to reconstitute with a little bit of water. Restart your feeding schedule to rebuild. (This is good to do with a little bit of starter in case you kill it accidentally--you'll always have a back up!)