Sourdough Starter

Steps

1. Day 1: In a clean jar or bowl, mix 60g (½ cup) whole wheat flour with 60ml (¼ cup) warm water (80 to 85°F/27 to 29°C ). Stir until no dry flour remains. Scrape down the sides, cover loosely with a lid or clean towel, and let it rest at room temperature (70 to 75°F/21 to 24°C) for 24 hours.

2. Day 2: No feeding today. Just give the mixture a good stir to redistribute the developing wild yeast and bacteria. Cover loosely again and let it continue resting at room temperature.

3. Days 3 through 7: You’ll now feed your starter once a day. Each day, discard about half the starter (roughly 60g or ½ cup; you can weigh or eyeball it—no need to be exact). The texture will be very stretchy. Add 60g (½ cup) all-purpose flour and 60ml (¼ cup) warm water. Stir well, cover loosely, and let it rest at room temperature until the next day.By Day 5 or so, you should see regular bubbling and a noticeable rise. By Day 7, your starter should double in volume within 4 to 6 hours of feeding and smell pleasantly tangy. If it does, you’re ready to bake! If not, continue daily feedings until it’s consistently active.(Not sure if it’s ready? Do the float test: drop a teaspoon of bubbly, recently fed starter into a glass of water—if it floats, it’s good to go.)Once it’s active/ready to bake with, transfer your starter to a clean jar. You can use the starter right away or store it for later (see below for how to maintain your starter).

4. Maintain: If you bake a few times a week, keep your starter at room temperature and feed it once a day. First, by discarding most of it (leaving about 60g or 3 tablespoons), then adding 60g (½ cup) flour and 60ml (¼ cup) water. Stir well and cover loosely.If you bake once a week or less, store your starter in the refrigerator and feed it the same way about once a week. After feeding, let it sit at room temperature for a few hours to become active before putting it back in the fridge.