Sourdough Starter

1. Day 1—Begin initial starter by combining flour and water in container
2. Stir thoroughly making sure there’s no dry flour anywhere
3. Cover container loosely and let mixture sit at warm room temperature (~70º) for 24 hours
4. Day 2—You may see some growth or bubbling
5. Discard 113g of the starter
6. Add 113g all-purpose flour and 113g cool water
7. Mix well, cover, and let it rest for another 24 hours
8. Day 3—You should see some activity—bubbling, fresh fruity aroma, and some expansion
9. Time for two daily feedings
10. Remove and discard all but 113g of starter
11. Add 113g all-purpose flour and 113g cool water
12. Day 4—Repeat steps 9–11
13. Day 5—Starter that’s nearly ready should have at least doubled in volume with lots of bubbles (even finer bubbles in the larger bubbles), tangy aroma that’s pleasingly acidic and not overpowering
14. If the starter isn’t shopping lots of bubbles, repeat steps 9–11 until it’s ready
15. Ready Starter—should be vigorous, risen, and bubbly
16. Repeat steps 10–11 and let sit at room temperature for several hours
17. Transfer 113g of starter to its permanent home
18. If using a screw-top jar, screw it on loosely rather than airtight
19. Store in the fridge and feed it once a week if possible
20. The more frequently it’s fed, the less time and effort it takes to get the starter ripe and ready for baking.

Discarding/Using Excess “Mother” Starter

• When discarding, you can use it in a recipe or give it to a friend.
• Remove however much starter is needed for a recipe—typically no more than 227g. If a recipe calls for more than 1C of starter, give it a couple of feedings without discarding
• Always keep 113g and feed “mother” starter

Unfed Discard

• Discard straight from the “mother” starter

Fed Discard

• Discard that has had 113g flour and 113g water added and set aside for growth

Container Weight

• 1 L round food service container
• 134g empty
• 247g with only “mother” starter (discard removed)
• 360g with flour
• 473g with flour and water (226g for next discard or recipe)