Q: How can I create a sourdough starter without using commercial yeast? What flour do you recommend using?
John D.
Thanks John! I received a few questions regarding the development of a sourdough starter. I am thrilled that so many of you are ready to start baking fresh bread. I won’t kid you, this is a lengthy process. But, if you take the time and appreciate the science experiment behind this glorious bread, I assure you that you will be pleased with the result. A lifetime of delicious bread awaits you!
Your starter will become a living thing that you will need to feed daily.
If you are baking bread daily, leaving your starter out will be fine. If you are more of a casual bread baker, I would advise storing your starter in the refrigerator.
Since your starter is a living thing, think of a name. Its name will help you remember to feed it. We named ours Lola.
The following is a method to make a basic white sourdough starter. If you are interested in making a whole wheat starter, I suggest starting with the white and either using that to make your whole wheat bread, or start feeding your starter with your desired wheat.
Keep in mind that the whole wheat starter really needs to be fed and watched carefully, because whole wheat is more perishable than white.
Ready?
You will need:
Cheesecloth
2-gallon container (glass or plastic)
Baking thermometer
1 lb. red or black grapes, organic, if possible
4 cups lukewarm water, about 78 degrees
3 1/2 cup unbleached white flour (I use Moore’s)
If your grapes are not organic I suggest giving them a good wash to remove any pesticide residue. If you were lucky enough to find organic grapes, leave them unwashed so that you can get all of the wild yeasts clinging to the skin of the grapes into your starter.
Wrap the grapes (hopefully you get the ones without wrath) in the cheesecloth, creating a “bag” of grapes. Set aside. In your container add the water, making sure that the temperature is around 78 degrees. Keep in mind that your water should always be around 78 degree when building and feeding your starter.
Add the flour. Stir together with your hands (old world method) or a rubber spatula. Now, over your grape “bag” SQUEEZE the grapes, allowing the liquid to drain into the flour and water mixture. Stir the flour/water/grape squeezin’s together. Then, push the grape sack to the bottom of the mixture. Cover the container tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. If using the plastic wrap, secure with a rubber band or another piece of the plastic made into a tie. Set aside and let the magic begin!
The next two days are easy. Just take a look at the starter and you will notice that it may have begun to bubble and might resemble a cake batter. Go ahead and remove the plastic wrap (or lid) and take a whiff.
Yummm . . . yeast. Put the lid back on, for tomorrow we feed!
So now you are at day 4. Good job! Uncover your starter. Your starter may have changed colors; it is OK. Your starter might even smell boozy; again, OK.
Today we need to feed our starter so that the good bacteria does not eat up our wild yeast. We are going to add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of flour. Keep the grapes in the container, make sure to mix them around a few times while mixing in the flour and
water.
For the next 3 days you will do nothing to your starter but observe. There will be odd changes of color and separation of liquid. Be sure to check on your starter daily. If you notice mold, promptly remove the mold (this is fairly rare).
OK, 3 days have passed. Excellent. This is it, friends. Regular feedings begin. Uncover the starter. Remove the bag of grapes, but give a few squeezes so you get to keep all of the juices. Give the starter a good stir.
Pour 2 cups of your starter into a new clean container. You will have leftover
starter. I will suggest that you make another container to start a whole wheat starter, or just toss the remaining out.
To your 2 cups of remaining starter add 1 cup water and 1 1/4 cups of flour. After
about 6-8 hours feed the starter again, but now add 4 cups water and 5 cups flour. Give it a good stir and set aside.
Now you have a working starter. Remember to feed it at least once a day, twice; if you do a lot of baking.
A daily feeding of 1 cup water and 1 cup flour will be fine. If you are storing your starter in the refrigerator, remember to feed it about 2 times a week. At any time, if you have too much starter and you have not baked anything, you need to get rid of some.
You can either give it as a gift (here you go, the gift that keeps on giving!), make some bread for a dinner party (what, you want me to bring bread to dinner? I have something much better, I will be there 3 hours early!); or, if you are just too busy to get around to
making some bread, really it is OK to just dump some.
Remember it is a living thing you are caring for, and as such you are responsible for taking care of its “waste.”
The following is a simple classic loaf. Best of luck!
Andrea’s Sourdough Bread
1 1/3 cup of starter
7 cups unbleached bread flour
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup raw wheat germ
1 tablespoon salt (I use either sea or kosher)
Extra virgin olive oil
I am going out on a limb and assuming that you will be using a standing mixer, such as a KitchenAid. If you do not have a mixer, this is a simple dough to do by hand; just increase the mixing time.
In the mixing bowl add the starter, flour and wheat germ. Mix on low with a dough hook for about 6 minutes. The dough should be sticky. Turn the mixer off and cover the bowl either with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Add the salt and mix on medium for about 5 minutes or until the dough looks shiny and smooth. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Begin kneading by hand. Your hands need to work the dough to give your bread the added flavor of love. The dough should be silky, smooth, and just plain beautiful. Place the dough in a large bowl that has been coated with olive oil (lightly).
Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit until it has doubled in volume, approximately 3-4 hours.
Now it is time to shape your loaf. I like rounds, or rustically formed baguettes. The shape is entirely up to you.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2 even pieces (or really, you could make a bunch of rolls, too).
Slap the dough around the work table to deflate. Tuck in the edges to make a round.
Do this with both loaves. I like free-form loaves, so create your loaf and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover each loaf and let proof for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
To bake. Crank up your oven to 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone or baking tiles, use them! Set on the bottom oven rack.
Sprinkle the loaves lightly with flour. Next we are going to score our bread. Scoring, or docking, is slashing the top of our dough with a sharp knife or razor blade. You can use a simple X, or tic tac toe, or even your initials.
You only want to cut about 1/2-inch deep.
You can, if you want, spray the inside of your oven with water, when you are just about to put the loaves in. Close the door quickly to create some steam.
The steam will help develop a lovely crust on the bread. If using the tiles or stones, slide your bread directly onto them, or place your sheet pan on the lower portion of your oven.
Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees.
Check the bread after 20 minutes. Rotate the bread, if necessary, to assure even baking. Continue baking for an additional 25 minutes. Your bread will be done when it is golden brown, beautiful, and most importantly SOUNDS done.
Take your loaf; on its bottom side flick your finger to make a thump on the
loaf. If you hear a hollow thud, your bread is done.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
