Sourdough Starter #10

This sourdough starter is as basic as it gets: unbleached flour and water mixed into a thick batter, left uncovered to catch wild yeast from the air. In 4 to 5 days, you’ll see bubbles forming on the surface and smell that tangy, yeasty aroma that means your starter is alive and working.

No commercial yeast, no sugar, no yogurt, no other boosters. This is the traditional method that bakers have used for thousands of years. The wild yeast and lactobacillus bacteria are already present on the flour and in your kitchen. You’re just giving them the right environment to multiply.

The recipe calls for a carefully scalded container, and that matters. Sterilizing the jar or crock kills competing bacteria that could spoil the starter before the beneficial cultures get established.

Pro Tips

• Use unbleached flour. Bleaching kills some of the wild yeast and bacteria on the grain that you’re counting on to start fermentation.
• Leave the container uncovered but in a spot away from drafts. You want airflow for wild yeast capture, but not enough to dry out the surface.
• Room temperature around 70-75°F (21-24°C) is ideal. Warmer speeds fermentation; cooler slows it. Below 65°F (18°C) and it may never start.
• Once active and bubbly, feed the starter regularly (equal parts flour and water) or refrigerate it and feed weekly to keep it alive.
• Don’t panic if it smells funky in the first couple of days. Bad bacteria sometimes bloom early but get crowded out as the beneficial cultures take hold.