Sourdough can feel so overwhelming but once you get the hang of it, it’s such a healthy, delicious way to feed your family! Knowing how to feed your sourdough starter is a great start.
What is sourdough starter?
If you’ve had sourdough bread before you can recognize the “sour” taste. This comes from the starter. It’s basically a live fermented culture that is made of flour and water. As it sits the natural yeast grows and causes it to rise. You don’t have to add conventional yeast and the bread is still fluffy and beautiful!
Feeding the sourdough starter
Step 1: Measure out a certain amount of starter. Sourdough starter is all about ratios. I would recommend starting with 4 oz but it works with whatever amount you choose.
Step 2: Add water. I feed my starter with a 1:2:2 ratio so if you started with 4 oz of starter, you would add in 8 oz of water. Stir it up!
Step 3: Add flour. If you started with 4 oz of starter, add 8 oz of flour. You want to use a good quality flour to feed, this way it grows well! I use King Arthur All Purpose Flour. Stir it up!
It’s a pretty thick mixture at this ratio so it isn’t going to look smooth. Thankfully it still ends up looking beautiful and bubbly at the end!
See?? Beautiful bubbles!
How long after feeding can I use the starter?
After feeding your starter, it needs to double in size before it’s ready to be used to make bread or anything that needs to rise. This could be bread, english muffins, bagels, cinnamon rolls, or anything else delicious you can think of! Usually it takes 4-6 hours depending on how warm your house is. After doubled you have about 6 hours to use the starter while the bubbles are big and ready! When my house is a little chilly I stick it up on top of the fridge where it’s a little warmer! It hangs out with my kombucha.
A quick test is to put some of the starter in a bowl of water and see if it floats. If it passes the float test it’s ready to use!
Is sourdough healthy?
When baking with sourdough starter the gluten is broken down and easier to digest. Some people who struggle to tolerate gluten are able to have sourdough that has been long fermented. Fermented foods also contain healthy bacteria that help our gut!
Where can I get sourdough starter?
Ok, you’re convinced sourdough can’t be THAT hard, but where do you get started? The easiest way is to get some starter from a friend who has some! They can just give you some of theirs and you can feed it! If you don’t have anyone local you also can just buy dehydrated starter online.
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