We have reached the second and most interesting part, all about sourdough starter: the ingredient that has the power to turn breadmaking into an art. In this article we will guide you through the essential steps to create and care for your own sourdough starter from scratch. Roll up your sleeves — it's time to get started!
Techniques for making sourdough starter
There are several ways to make sourdough starter, but with time and experience every baker develops their own technique. The three basic techniques for making sourdough starter are the following:
- Wrap the starter in a cotton cloth and then tie it, not too tightly, with thin string. This creates an oxygen-rich environment on the surface that favours the development of microorganisms; in the core, by contrast, there is no oxygen, which favours the development of the specific microflora.
- After mixing, wrap the starter in cellophane that is impermeable to water vapour and oxygen. With this method you can immediately create anaerobiosis, with the growth of specific anaerobic microorganisms inside the dough.
- Leave it loose (so not tied or wrapped in cloths) in a tub and cover it with cellophane to encourage proper storage. This creates a truly heterogeneous microflora, but it can take a very long time.
Our advice is to try them all; this way you will find the one that best suits you and your needs.
Sourdough starter recipe: steps and tricks from the experts
The sourdough starter is fairly simple to create, but you will have to respect its timing, so arm yourself with plenty of patience! I encourage you to follow the instructions carefully and to observe how your sourdough starter behaves, since every environment can affect the fermentation process differently.
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g of flour with W 350–380
- 100 g of water at room temperature
- A tablespoon of malt, honey or sugar (optional, to speed up the initial fermentation)
- Cotton cloth
- Starter
*To shorten the maturing time of the sourdough starter and speed up the acidification of the dough, so-called starters are used — that is, substances that introduce live microorganisms. Yogurt is generally used, for its natural lactic acid bacteria, or ripe fruit (blended peach, tomato purée, grape juice). In this second case, however, alongside the lactic acid bacteria there is a risk of acetic bacteria and other contaminants that are not always welcome.
Sourdough starter: procedure
- Mix 200 g of flour with 250 g of low-fat yogurt (0.1% fat).
- Once the dough has formed, leave it to rise at 26–28 °C in a container covered with cellophane, so that no crust forms on the surface, for about 48 hours.
- When the dough has grown to one and a half times its initial volume, mix in the same amount of starter and flour (200 g + 200 g) with 88 g of water at 24 °C (take care not to increase the amount of water, as this would encourage excessive development of acetic acid, which is harmful if it is not in the right proportion to lactic acid).
4. Work the dough, which should turn out smooth and even. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it inside a well-cleaned, unbleached tea towel. Wrap it in a cotton cloth and tie it not too tightly, so as to allow fermentation. The tied starter should stay at room temperature, ideally 18–21 °C, for 24 hours.
5. The next day, remove the cloth, cut off the two ends of the starter with a serrated bread knife and remove the crust that has formed on the outside, so as to keep only the heart of the mother starter (200 g).
6. Cut it into 1 cm thick slices and put it in the stand mixer together with the 88 g of water at 24 °C: run at low speed until the mixture has completely dissolved.
7. Add 200 g of flour and create a smooth, even dough, then tie and rest it again. This operation should be repeated for 15–20 days so that the strength and pH of the starter stabilise.
8. Once the 15–20 days needed to create the sourdough starter have passed, you will need to move on to maintenance and storage: place the wrapped and tied starter in the fridge for anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. (read the first part of the blog to find out when your starter is ready)
Some tips from the expert
Every method — from creating the starter base to maintenance and refreshment — involves the development of a different microflora. The microflora is solely and entirely responsible for the characteristics of the finished products: a mild sourdough starter will pass those characteristics on to the final product, while an excess of acidity will likewise show up in the finished product.
If your starter is too strong or too weak, you can apply these small tricks to balance your sourdough starter:
- If your sourdough starter is too strong (it has a slightly bitter taste, a sharp acidic smell, a greyish colour, round air cells and a pH of 3–4), you will need to lower its acidity:
- Cut the starter into slices and place it in 1 l of water at 20–22 °C with 2 g of sugar for 10–15 minutes.
- Once the wash (the bath) is finished, squeeze it to remove the acidic substances and refresh it with the following amounts: 200 g of starter, 400 g of flour, 180 g of water. Increasing the amount of flour serves to lower the acidity of the starter; in the following refreshments you will need to adjust the flour to obtain a starter of the right consistency and maturity (one that ferments in 4 hours at a temperature of 28 °C).
2. If your sourdough starter is too weak (it has a sweetish taste, a floury smell, a white colour, sparse air cells and a pH of 5–5.5), you will need to make it more acidic: refresh with 250 g of starter, 200 g of flour and 90 g of water. Then carry on with the usual refreshment and maintenance.
And here we are at the end! Together we have explored how to bring sourdough starter to life — an ingredient capable of turning flour and water into culinary delights that speak to the heart and the palate. Now that you have the knowledge and the tools to get started, I invite you to experiment and let your curiosity guide you to find your own method! Remember that every sourdough starter is unique, just like the creations it will let you make.
