Demi's Sourdough Starter

Demi’s sourdough starter is the pioneer-pantry style: a potato water base, a teaspoon of sugar, a little flour, and a whisper of yeast to get the party going. The starch from the boiled potatoes feeds the cultures harder than plain water ever could, which is why old homestead bakers swore by spud water for a punchier rise.

Boil the potatoes in their jackets until they fall apart, then mash the flesh into the cooking liquid for a thick, milky base. The richer that potato water, the richer your starter will be. Beat in the flour, sugar, and yeast until smooth and let it sit covered at room temperature for around three days. You will see it bubble, smell yeasty and slightly sour, and start to develop the soft tang that classic potato sourdoughs are known for.

Feed it the same way you would any starter: take out what you need, then return equal parts flour and water. One teaspoon of an active starter, the recipe notes, will balloon into more than you can handle. Use it in sourdough bread, light pancakes, or buttery biscuits.

Kitchen Tips

• Use unchlorinated water for boiling the potatoes. Chlorine in tap water can stunt the yeast and slow your starter down.
• Keep the starter in a wide-mouth glass jar with a loose lid or cloth cover. It needs to breathe as it ferments.
• Once it is bubbling steadily, refrigerate and feed weekly. At room temperature it will eat through its food in a day.
• A clear amber liquid on top, called hooch, is normal. Stir it back in or pour it off if it smells too sharp.

Variations

• Swap half the all-purpose flour for rye flour to deepen the sour edge and speed up fermentation.
• Use whey from yogurt or kefir in place of some of the potato water for a sharper, dairy-tinged tang.
• Add a tablespoon of whole wheat flour with each feeding to encourage a more complex wild yeast population.