Sourdough starter

Method

1. 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.
2. On day two, add 30g flour and 30g water, then stir, cover loosely and leave once more.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. On day six, remove and discard half the starter. Add 30g flour and 30g water, then stir and leave as above.
7. 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.
8. 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.