Maintaining the Starter

The sourdough starter is the star ingredient in producing a properly fermented loaf of bread.

We need it for its microbial activity:

  • Wild Yeast – which causes the dough to rise by creating carbon dioxide bubbles.

  • Lactic Acid Bacteria – which provides the sour flavor (in the form of acetic acid and lactic acid) and preserves the bread by lowering its pH, which prevents the growth of food borne pathogens.

Bacteria and yeast are present in your starter. Additional microbes will come from your environment and added flours.

Maintaining your starter in the refrigerator gives you more flexibility as it can be stored in the fridge and fed only once a week.

Feeding Instructions:

  1. Remove the starter from the fridge and discard 2 tablespoons of starter.

  2. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh flour and 2 tablespoons of filtered or spring water.

  3. Mix well, cover with a breathable cloth and rubber band.

  4. Let rest at room temperature for 12 hours.

  5. After 12 hours, cover with a closed lid and return to the fridge.

Use me in a Recipe

When you are ready to make bread or any other recipe that requires a starter, remove the starter from the fridge and follow the above feeding instructions 1-4 and repeat for a total of 3 feedings (36 hours). Your starter should now be active, very bubbly and ready to make bread.

Prior to using your starter in a recipe, remember to reserve approximately 2-4 tablespoons of your fed starter and store in the fridge so you always have starter ready to use.

Other Uses for Excess Starter

Sourdough Belgian Waffles or Pancakes

INGREDIENTS (use organic for the best results):

  • 1 cup sourdough starter, unfed straight from the fridge

  • 2 cups buttermilk or kefir

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour

  • 6 tbsp melted butter or ghee

  • 2 pasture-raised eggs

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Combine the sourdough starter, buttermilk and both flours in a medium bowl to create the sponge. Cover and leave on the countertop overnight to ferment.

  • In the morning in a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla together. Then add the salt and baking soda, mix. Fold this mixture into the sourdough sponge.

Waffles

  • Preheat and butter or ghee your waffle iron. Pour batter into the center of the iron. Close and bake until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes, or according to your waffle iron manufacturer’s instructions

PANCAKES

  • Preheat and butter or ghee your griddle or pan. Pour batter in 4” circles. Cook until bubbles pop on the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your desired darkness.

  • Top with your favorites…maple syrup, butter, berries, sliced bananas, chocolate chips…

Sourdough Pizza

INGREDIENTS (use organic for the best results):

  • 285 g bread flour

  • 32 g whole wheat flour

  • 212 g water @ room temperature

  • 9 g sea salt

  • 47 g mature starter

  • pizza stone

  • pizza peel

  • unbleached parchment paper

  • spray water bottle

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mix – 5:00 p.m.

    • In a medium bowl, mix flour, water, sea salt and starter together. Once incorporated, dump out onto your lightly floured counter and slap/fold the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it firms up and holds shape. This is done by stretching the dough up and folding it over itself for several minutes until the dough is strong and resists stretching and folding

  2. Bulk Fermentation – 5:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. (then place in the fridge at 7:45 p.m.)

    • Leave on the counter and perform 3-4 sets of stretch and folds during the 2.5 hour bulk fermentation, spaced out by 30 minutes (setting a timer for every 30 minutes insures you won’t miss a fold). After 2.5 hours, use two hands to shape the dough into a very tight ball. Next, place the ball of dough in a bowl rubbed with a bit of olive oil so it is easy to remove later. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight.

  3. Divide & Ball – 11:00 a.m.

    • Lightly oil a high sided baking dish with olive oil. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and it out onto your un-floured counter. Divide the dough into two even parts and using almost no flour to form each into a very tight ball. It’s incredibly important here to create a ball that has a completely closed bottom. You want a tight skin that surrounds the dough ball. Work your way around by stretching and tucking, then flip the ball over and pinch the bottom to close the seam. The ball should be smooth all over and, on the bottom, — try not to have creases, seams or holes. Transfer each ball to your lightly oiled baking dish for proofing and cover with plastic wrap so they do not dry out.

  4. Proof – 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Preheat oven at 4:30 p.m.)

    • The balls will proof on the counter in the covered baking dish, around 75ºF (less in summer, more in winter if your house is not approximately 75ºF), for +/- 6 hours. At the end of this proofing time, the dough should be puffy to the touch and should have relaxed out from the tight ball into more of a disc shape.

  5. Bake at 5:30 p.m.

    • Preheat oven on bake setting for one hour at 550ºF (or the highest your oven will go). Place your pizza stone in the oven to heat. Gather your spray water bottle and place by your oven, you will use this to lightly spritz the pizza once you’ve placed it into the oven. While your oven is preheating gather your pizza toppings and get them ready.