Let’s learn how to create an Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe that is foolproof, filled with probiotics and will not screw up.
Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe Video
WHAT IS SOURDOUGH STARTER?
Modern day commercial yeast that I grew up on did not exist until after the 1800’s.
Before the 1800’s wild yeast was the only way to bake such as golden loafs of bread. Many of our ancestors grew yeast by creating a Sourdough Starter.
Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe is a mixture of flour and water and over time creates a yeast. Creating a sourdough starter is leaven to making breads and other bakery treats.
Take note, after sourdough has stood on your counter for three days, it will give off a strong smell that is because it is fermenting.
The fermentation period will provide tasty baked items, good probiotics for excellent gut health and regulate blood sugar.
Sourdough Health Benefits
Sourdough has many health benefits, filled with many great benefits and a way to grow yeast to rise breads. Probiotics are live microbes that have health benefits that grow naturally within the environment. Sourdough helps to relegate metabolism, helps relieve allergies, cancer protection and balances the immune system along with reducing inflammation.
Sourdough has been around for centuries as far back as the Egyptians. This wild yeast is fermented naturally, leavened many breads and desserts. Sourdough adds a tangy, earthy taste to all baked goods and filled with many health benefits.
Learning to bake and start a sourdough starter does take some preparation. There are many resources on the internet for you get started with sourdough.
Baking these cookies, muffins, and cakes are great for any discarding that take place after day seven of creating your Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe. Also, if you have to much sourdough chocolate chip cookies and/or pancakes are a perfect way to use up some excess.
TIPS ON USING A SOURDOUGH STARTER FOR BEGINNERS
If you use your starter everyday it can sit on the counter in a cool spot or if you use it time to time like myself, it can be stored in the refrigerator. I store my starter in a large glass mason jar. When my starter in on the counter I cover with a tea towel and secure with a rubber band. In the refrigerator I sure the with a screw on lid.
If you do store in the refrigerator, take it out to sit on the counter about 24 hours before you are going to use. I do feed my starter right when I take out of the refrigerator to reactive it with one cup of flour and 3/4 cup of filter water.
When I am done using my starter for the week, I make sure it is fed and I leave in on the counter for twenty-four hours before I place in refrigerator.
Tips On Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe
- Water quality is important.
- Do not use city water or water that is chemically treated because it will breakdown wild yeast within the sourdough.
- Use filtered water or bottled water.
- Sourdough Starter should be warm but not hot.
- A good starter to be around 70-80 degrees. If your home is cooler place by a fireplace, furnace or on top of you refrigerator.
- Check your humidity; because you need a moist starter that is hydrated.
- Cover your sourdough starter with cheese cloth or tea towel, secure with a rubber band. Covering your starter will help to keep pest out and prevent it from drying out.
- Bubbles in your starter is a great sign that your sourdough starter is alive and working.
- Texture of your sourdough starter should be tacky
- Smell of your sourdough starter will be sour.
- Sourdough must be feed daily, or it will go dormant or die.
- If you cannot feed your starter daily because of vacation, cover with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator.
- When ready to use sourdough starter pull out about twenty-four hours beforehand. Feed your starter and use in twenty-four hours.
- Do not let metal come into contact with your sourdough starter because it will stunt the growth of good bacteria. I use a glass jar, and wooden spoon to stir and store Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe.
HOW TO MAKE AN EASY SOURDOUGH STARTER
Day One~In a room temperature glass container mix one cup of all-purpose organic unbleached flour (any flour of choice will work but, organic and unbleached it best) with 1 cup of filtered water. Mix flour and water thoroughly, until it feels like a thick paste such as pancake batter.
Cover with a tea towel or cheese cloth and keep in a warm place around seventy degrees.
Day Two~ Twenty four hours later remove 1/2 of the sourdough and discard to save to make a discard recipe of feed livestock such as feeding the chicken or pigs. Feed the sourdough starter again one cup of all-purpose flour and filtered water.
Day Three, Four, Five~ Repeat Day Two. Discard and Feed.
Day Six, Seven~ Fed every Twelve hours. Your starter should have bubbles and the top will look foam-like. After day seven you can begin to use your sourdough starter however, take in consideration is my not quite be there depending on feeding and temperature of you home.
If your starter is bubbly then it is ready to make homemade sourdough bread.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER
First, when caring your sourdough starter only store in a glass counter such as a gallon mason jar or empty pickle jar. For daily maintenance your sourdough starter needs a consistent time when it will be feed. I like to feed my sourdough starter in the mornings. I do like to bake and use my sourdough starter on the weekends.
If using daily continue to fed, if weekly continue to read on how to care for.
When feeding your sourdough starter your water needs to be at room temperature. Use an empty glass container with a lid and place on counter and it will be ready to go at ever feeding.
Never screw or secure lid. Place a tea towel over opening and lid on top.
Stir your sourdough starter thoroughly to ensure that the mixture is smooth and has not lumps.
Your sourdough starter should smell sour and have bubbles before any baking is considered
Sourdough Starter will do best in a seventy degree environment. Keep your environment clean from toxic such as room and air freshers and cleaning supplies.
If you are a weekend sourdough producer storing in the refrigerator is a great source. When ready to use take your sourdough starter out of refrigerator and place on counter to reach room temperature.
Once your sourdough starter has reach room temperature, fed it and use as normal.
REFRIGERATOR MAINTENANCE FOR YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER
f you are like me and work full time weekly feeding and bake days maybe a choice for your sourdough starter. After your sourdough starter is active and bubbly place her after a fresh feeding in a clean glass container with a lid that can be secured.
Place sourdough starter in your refrigerator and store twenty-four hours before you are ready to bake.
If you cannot bake or use your sourdough starter daily this is a great option if you are going on vacation.
Do not skip feeding your sourdough starter after removing from refrigerator this is the only way to active your starter before baking.
TIPS ON CREATING A THRIVING SOURDOUGH STARTER
Sourdough starter needs to be in an environment that is at least seventy degrees; free from drafts and toxins. If your counter is colder than normal place on a heating pad underneath or inside a bread proofer.
Water needs to be filtered; tap water is not purify enough to grow good Probiotics within your sourdough starter.
Your sourdough starter will smell tangy and sour; at first this will not smell good and will take some time to get use too.
If you notice a liquid on top of your sourdough starter this is natural and a separation that occurs. Sometimes this water looks light to dark grey; this is called hooch! Skim the liquid off the sourdough starter and feed as normal.
HOW TO STORE SOURDOUGH STARTER
Always store your sourdough in a glass vessel such as a large mason jar.
Cover your sourdough jar with a loose glass lid or pie plate. In the warmer months I place a tea towel over the opening and secure with a rubber band to ensure small insects do not land inside my sourdough.
Never seal your sourdough container, your starter is very active, and this could cause problems. If you store in refrigerator for a long period, you will need to secure your container with a lid.
Feed your Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe with Starters regularly anywhere for twelve to twenty-four hours. Always feed your sourdough at a certain time of day such as in the morning or evening.
Place your sourdough in a warm area and away from drafts.
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