Sourdough starter is the life source of sourdough. It is a mixture of water and flour that has been fermented such that yeast and lactic acid bacteria have developed*. The role of the starter is to give rise to our sourdough bread. The natural yeast in the starter replaces the role of active dry yeast in a bread recipe. Because it is a living thing, it requires some maintenance so the yeast and bacteria keep reproducing. This is where you might hear people say they need to feed their starter, like it is a pet.
When maintaining your own starter, you also have to think about factors like what hydration you want to keep your starter at, how often you want to feed it and where you want to store it. This may all sound very complicated but its really not! I’ll get into all of that in this post.
Where do I start?
First of all, you need to get a starter. You can get a starter from a friend who has one, purchase one or make one yourself. Personally, I have not made a starter from scratch yet, so I will not be giving tips on how to do that here. There are great recipes out there that can show you how to do it.
Once you get a starter, think about how much you want to maintain and what kind of container you want to keep it in. If you plan on baking sourdough very frequent, you may want a large quantity. If you are only making one loaf a week, you might want a smaller amount. This is up to you and you can control the amount with how you re-feed it.
However much you plan on having, you can expect the starter to rise up to double in size after a feeding, so you want to make sure your jar is big enough to contain all this. Trust me, it can be a huge, explosive mess if your container is too small.
The easiest way to store your sourdough is probably in a mason jar. There are also containers specifically for starters. I like to drill a few holes in the top of the lid so any gasses can release and the top won’t gets blown off. You can also store in a plastic container if you prefer but I recommend a clear container so you can see the starter.
How to maintain a starter?
Maintaining a mature/stable starter really just involves regular feedings. This is also called re-feeding the starter. Essentially, you are re-feeding the yeast and bacteria by adding in more flour and water. This is crucial in keeping your starter alive.
You can decide on a feeding schedule that works for you. If you plan on making sourdough every day, you will probably want to feed everyday. I usually feed my starter once or twice a week. I have even heard of bakers who feed on a monthly bases.
If you are just starting out with sourdough baking, I recommend you feed your starter once a week. Not only will this help your starter develop and get more stable, it will work with a once a week baking schedule, which is not too excessive but frequent enough that you don’t risk your starter dying.
So here is how to re-feed a starter:
- Removing up to half of mature stater from the container (this is the discard)
- Add equal parts water and flour to the remaining mature starter in the jar
- Mix until there are no dry spots (the texture should be gloopy and thick)
What to do with the re-fed starter
Once your starter is re-fed, you can do one of two thing. After you re-feed, the starter will begin to get bubbly and rise. This is that yeast activating and producing carbon dioxide. Once it doubles in size and a small piece floats in water, it is active, and can be added to a sourdough bread recipe. It will take about 4-8 hours for the starter be fully activated after re-feeding.
If you do not want to bake right away after re-feeding, then you can just put it in the fridge until the next time you need it or need to re-feed it.
What to do with the discard
The discard is just some of the mature starter. It is perfectly good to use and I always feel like it is a waste to just throw it out. It has all that wild yeast and bacteria in it, it’s just not active and bubbly. The discard is often what I use to make the levain, which a younger, activated offshoot of the main starter that gets mixed in the bread dough.
Besides the levain, you can also place the discard in another jar and re-feed to make another starter (maybe to give to a friend). You can also put it to use in a discard recipe. If you have absolutely nothing you want to do with it, you can also just throw it away.
What is a levain?
The levain is a younger, more active offshoot of the mature starter. It consists of a portion of the mature starter, water and flour. It undergoes a fermentation process until it is activated and bubble (usually 4-8 hours) and then gets added into the bread dough. The levain is how the starter (yeast and bacteria) get into your loaf and provide rise.
This is where your discard comes in. The discard is perfectly good mature starter and I often use it to make the levain. I combine it with equal parts water and flour, mix and let double in size. Once it has doubled in size, it ready to be used in sourdough. The amount of water and flour you need to add depends on how much active starter you need in the recipe. For example, my basic sourdough recipe calls for 60 grams of active starter. If I have 40 grams of discard, I will add 10 grams of water and 10 grams of flour.
I almost always make a levain rather than using my re-fed and active starter out of the container. This just works better for my schedule and I can make a levain from the mature starter whenever I’m baking rather than being limited to a certain period after a re-feeding. This is all personal preference and depends on your baking schedule.
When can I use my starter
As mentioned above, a starter is ready to be used in a recipe when it is active. This basically means it has risen sufficiently and produced enough air that we know it is will give our dough rise. A starter will start to activate after a feeding. There are two main was to determine whether or not a starter is active. First, if the starter has doubled or tripled in size from its starting volume, it is probably active. Second, if a small piece of the starter floats in water, it is active. It is always a safe bet to do both these tests to make sure.
Other visual cues include a flat top rather than a domed one, lots of bubbles throughout and signs of deflating/collapsing at the top (but hasn’t collapsed yet).
TIP: it is helpful to let your starter rise in a clear container with a rubber band around the start height. That way you can keep track to how much it has risen.
Starter Hydration
Hydration refers to the proportion of water to flour in the starter. The most common hydration that bakers maintain is 100%, meaning there is a 1:1 ratio of flour to water. This is what I keep my starters at. In order to maintain a 100% hydration, you have to re-feed with equal parts water and flour every time.
There are some bakers who like to maintain a different hydration for various reasons. For example, a stiffer starter (meaning one with more flour than water) can go longer without a feeding. Some recipes, like an enriched dough, calls for a stiff starter because it helps with the rise and stability. This can be somewhat complicated and would call for a whole other post to get into.
What happens if my starter goes bad?
The starter is a living thing and has a mind of its own. You can easily maintain a healthy, active, stable starter by feeding regularly (I recommend weekly) and mixing with a clean utensil. But, if you notice your starter turning pink/orange, molding, taking on a strange smell or never rising, that probably means your starter has gone bad/died. This can be a result of contamination, being starved or other unpredictable factors. If you have a bad feeling about your starter, it is probably safer to just not use it anymore.
There is no shame in your starter going bad. This can even happen to experienced bakers. Like I said, starters are alive and can be unpredictable sometimes. If this happens, get a new starter (or make one) and try again!
NOTE: it is normal for a starter to have a sour smell. You may also notice a clear/tan/grey coloured liquid onto of the starter sometimes and that is called the hooch. When the yeast has no more sugars to feed on, alcohol gets produced*. It is basically a sign that your starter is hungry and wants to be fed. You can pour it off or just mix it back into your starter while you re-feed.
I hope this was helpful. Once you get into a routine with your starter and sourdough baking, most of this information will become second nature to you.
Good luck and happy baking!