227 starter recipes

Cold pumpkin spice soup with canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, molasses and pumpkin pie spice. Chilled no-cook fall starter that tastes like pumpkin pie in a bowl.

Mary Rogers's sourdough biscuits use an overnight starter sponge for a tender, tangy biscuit with a soft crumb. A pioneer-style overnight rise that beats any quick biscuit hands down.

Mushroom focaccia tops plain focaccia bread with sauteed portobello slices, salty anchovy strips, fresh rosemary, and melted mozzarella. A 20-minute upgrade from store-bought bread to bistro-worthy starter.

Prosciutto-wrapped sea scallops broil on skewers over a bed of quickly wilted baby spinach in a bright lemon-zest vinaigrette. A sophisticated seafood starter that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Curried squash soup blends butternut squash with curry powder, cumin, garlic and chicken broth for a velvety low-fat fall starter. Naturally gluten-free, freezer-friendly, ready in under an hour.

Chilled carrot soup blended with orange juice, fresh nutmeg and chicken broth. A bright, low-calorie warm-weather starter served cold with an orange slice and mint. Six ingredients, blender-easy.

Authentic Italian bread is a two-day, two-loaf recipe built on an overnight starter with barley malt and a single teaspoon of yeast. Crackling crust, open chewy crumb, and the deep wheaty flavor of slow fermentation.

A nutty and dense loaf. Great with peanut butter, or make a delicious German sandwich.

Vegan squash soup blends sweet buttercup squash with apple, onion, and fresh ginger into a silky, dairy-free bowl. No cream needed; the squash and apple do all the work. A cozy, healthy fall starter.

Sri Lankan clay pot curd, traditional set yogurt made from just milk and a spoonful of starter, cultured overnight in a clay pot for a thick, creamy curd. Drizzle with treacle for a classic dessert.

Make creamy homemade yogurt without a yogurt maker, just milk, a spoonful of live yogurt as a starter, and your oven with the light on as a cozy incubator. Lightly sweetened with vanilla, set in hours.

Friendship brandied fruit is a perpetual fermented fruit compote built over months by adding peaches, pineapple, cherries, sugar, and brandy to a starter. Spoon over ice cream, pound cake, or yogurt for an instant dessert.

Polish sourdough rye bread with a 3-day rye starter, cornmeal-dusted crust, and caraway seeds, baked with steam for a crusty artisan loaf. A traditional Eastern European bread.

Frozen mocha mousse pie made with cultured cream, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and brown sugar whipped to stiff peaks, set in pie crusts. A unique fermented chocolate dessert.

Sourdough muffins made from an overnight sponge starter mixed with flour, sugar, and melted shortening. A simple way to use sourdough starter in muffin form.

Jellied consomme: a chilled, clear beef broth set with unflavored gelatin and spiked with sherry. An elegant retro summer starter served in cups with curried whipped cream.