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Sourdough starter

By: Elaine Boddy

Published: 5 Sep 23
Updated: 25 Mar 24

This starter recipe is the first step on your sourdough journey. Be sure to read Elaine Boddy’s tips to better understand the process and realise just how easy and rewarding sourdough baking can be.

The recipe takes place over seven days, and each step represents a single daily action which can be done at any time of the day. After each step, stir the mixture well, scraping down the sides of the container and mixing it all in, then loosely cover the bowl/jar again and leave it on the kitchen counter. At the end of the week you’ll have your own, fully-functioning, lively-as-you-like starter forever more!

Once your starter is ready for action, use it to make Elaine’s tried-and-tested sourdough loaf.

Medium
September 2023

Test kitchen approved

Makes enough to fill a 250g jar
Hands-on time 10 min, over 7 days

Once your starter is ready for action, use it to make Elaine’s tried-and-tested sourdough loaf.

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Ingredients

230g strong white bread flour or strong wholemeal flour

Specialist kit

Glass bowl or lidded jar

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Method

On day one, mix 50g of the flour with 50g water in a spotlessly clean jar or bowl. Stir well, loosely cover, then leave on your kitchen counter.
On day two, add 30g flour and 30g water, then stir, cover loosely and leave once more.
On day three, bubbles may be appearing in your starter and it could smell eggy or cheesy or wheaty or sour (if using wholemeal flour). Add 30g flour and 30g water, then stir and leave as above.

On day four, the starter might be smelling like vinegar (which is normal – it should the process is in full flow). Remove and discard half the starter (see Elaine’s tips below), then add 30g flour and 30g water. Stir and leave as above.
On day five, if your starter is now looking less active and bubbly, do not be disheartened – it’s all part of the process. Stick with it and keep building the strength in your starter. Add 30g flour and 30g water, then stir and leave as above.
On day six, remove and discard half the starter. Add 30g flour and 30g water, then stir and leave as above.
On day seven, you should hopefully be seeing bubbles all the way through your starter mixture, with it growing and responding after each feed. White flour starters can look really exciting now, while wholemeal starters will be more textured, with an undulating surface. Add 30g flour and 30g water, stir and leave as above. Once it’s grown in size, it’s ready to use.
From now on, when you want to make bread, feed your base amount of starter with 30g flour and 30g water to generate the amount of starter you will need for a single loaf using my master recipe. Stir it well (it should be a thick batter like consistency) then replace the lid and leave it to respond and become active. Once it has, remove the quantity you need for your dough, replace the lid, fit it firmly, and return your starter to the fridge until next time.

Recipe from September 2023 Issue

delicious. tips

Elaine’s tips On the days you’re asked to remove half of the contents, do so by eye and collect the discarded starter in a bowl. You can use this discard to make pancakes or other recipes.

When making a starter, always sit the lid on your jar so that it is well covered but not airtight. As part of the fermentation process your starter will release gasses which need to be able to escape. This also explains why the underside of the lid can often be damp; this is all normal!