I first started making sourdough bread about two years ago and fell in love with the taste and freshness of homemade artisan bread. I usually plan a week worth of bread and spend about 30 minutes refreshing sourdough starter once a week and baking a small batch. I cultivated starter only once and keep it in the refrigerator. Feeding starter once a week helps to keep it balanced and ready to use for baking artisan bread or use it in pastries.
Two ingredients are needed - filtered water and preferably organic flour.
The cultivation of (levain) starter may take 4 -10 days depending on room temperature, flour quality and feeding.
Here are the steps:
Day 1
Ingredients:
140 grams - Filtered/spring water at room temperature
20 grams - Unbleached organic white flour or whole wheat flour
20 grams - Organic rye or whole wheat flour
Mix flour and water in a medium preferably glass bowl until it has a smooth texture. Lightly cover the bowl with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Mix the culture with spatula 1-2 times during 24 hours.
Day 2-9
Ingredients:
Day 2 quantities below apply for every following day.
60 grams - Filtered/spring water at room temperature
45 grams - Unbleached organic white flour or whole wheat flour
On the second and following days feed the young starter with water and flour. Starting from day 2 bubbles will emerge and starter will have slight hint of sour smell. Usually starting from day 4 the starter will be ready to use if it has bubbles on the surface and smooth elastic texture. It will smell like mild apple cider vinegar.
However it may take as long as 10 days to cultivate the starter.
This starter took 5 days to cultivate in warm and dry Arizona weather.
Sourdough recipes are presented in separate posts.
The cultivation of (levain) starter may take 4 -10 days depending on room temperature, flour quality and feeding.
Here are the steps:
Day 1
Ingredients:
140 grams - Filtered/spring water at room temperature
20 grams - Unbleached organic white flour or whole wheat flour
20 grams - Organic rye or whole wheat flour
Mix flour and water in a medium preferably glass bowl until it has a smooth texture. Lightly cover the bowl with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Mix the culture with spatula 1-2 times during 24 hours.
Day 2-9
Ingredients:
Day 2 quantities below apply for every following day.
60 grams - Filtered/spring water at room temperature
45 grams - Unbleached organic white flour or whole wheat flour
On the second and following days feed the young starter with water and flour. Starting from day 2 bubbles will emerge and starter will have slight hint of sour smell. Usually starting from day 4 the starter will be ready to use if it has bubbles on the surface and smooth elastic texture. It will smell like mild apple cider vinegar.
However it may take as long as 10 days to cultivate the starter.
This starter took 5 days to cultivate in warm and dry Arizona weather.
Sourdough recipes are presented in separate posts.
