Sourdough Starter 1973

A sourdough starter that skips the traditional wild yeast capture and uses yogurt as the jumpstart instead. The live cultures in the yogurt kick off the fermentation, creating an active, bubbly starter in a fraction of the time it takes to cultivate one from flour and water alone.

Heat skim milk to 90-100°F (32-38°C), stir in yogurt, and wait 24 hours for a curd to form. That curd tells you the lactobacillus bacteria are alive and working. Once you see it, stir in flour and let the mixture ferment for another 2 to 5 days in a warm spot.

This method dates back to the 1970s when home bakers were rediscovering sourdough and needed a reliable shortcut. The yogurt provides the same type of bacteria that wild sourdough starters eventually develop on their own.

Kitchen Tips

• Use freshly opened yogurt with live active cultures. Old yogurt or heat-treated brands won’t have enough live bacteria to start fermentation.
• Use a glass, plastic, or stainless steel bowl. Reactive metals like aluminum can interfere with the fermentation.
• Keep the mixture in a warm place, around 80°F (27°C). Too cold and fermentation stalls. Too hot and you kill the cultures.
• If the liquid on top turns pink at any point, throw it out and start over. Pink means bad bacteria have taken over.

Variations

• Once established, feed your starter weekly with equal parts flour and water to keep it active.
• Use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose for a more complex, nuttier-flavored starter.
• This starter works for sourdough bread, pancakes, waffles, and pizza dough.