Starting Sourdough Starter and other stuff

Sourdough is the oldest recorded leavening used for bread by the ancient Egyptians, dating back to 1500s b.c.  It became more popular in the U.S. during the San Francisco gold rush and moved up to Alaska with the people migrating up there for the Alaskan gold rush. It has never really gone away but with the isolation and shelf shortage of instant or dry active yeast, sourdough has made a strong come back in recent months. 

I have a hard time with the current wheat we utilize here in the U.S. For some frustrating reason, it makes my belly uncomfortably bloated and causes swelling in my ankles. It gives me a puffiness that is visible to anybody watching for it. I can eat sourdough without any of these issues! <Happy Dance>

Sourdough pancakes

I grew up eating my grandma's sourdough pancakes but they were very different. It was an overnight ferment that used active yeast for the one time use of pancakes the next morning. They did not require discard or feeding like a starter today. Oh man, they were delicious! and a favorite of my childhood. 

I discovered baking with sourdough later in my adulthood, roughly 15 years ago. I was probably watching a show, or talking to a friend, or doing research when I discovered how easy it was to make a sourdough starter. I had just learned about sprouting grain, and was just getting into understanding ferments, phytic acid and the effect it can have on our bodies. It took me about 2 years to try my hand at sourdough... total flop. I had a brick for bread. I dumped it. 2-3 years later, I had a little more research under my belt and decided to try it again. I had much more success with this but eventually got tired of feeding it, only using it every week or two, and the bread recipes I was using were just a lot of work. Again, I let it go and tossed that one too.  Fast forward a couple of more years and I notice that I am having stomach issues every time I eat wheat. I was reminded of sourdough. This time, I figure out how to make an easy loaf that works for everyday bread. And so my love of sourdough truly begins. 

Grains

Understanding phytic acid

In the bran of the wheat berry, there is phytic acid which is the storage form of phosphorus. Phytic acid is considered an anti-nutrient because it binds minerals during digestion making it harder for us to absorb them. When you soak or ferment the grain, the wild yeasts and lactobacillus create lactic acid which will neutralize this phytic acid making it much easier to digest. A long slow fermentation will break down 90% of the phytic acid. I try hard to do most of my baking using full ferments, or no fresh, dry flour added that hasn't been fermented for less than 8-12 hours.

Starter in the making

Sourdough Starter-

Utensils: (No metal for storing. Metal reacts to the ferments negatively.)

1 pint wide mouth, glass, plastic or stone jar or bowl - large enough container to hold a rising starter (plan for double the height of fresh starter)

wooden spoon or silicone spatula

loose lid

Starting your Starter: (Skip this step if you are given established starter, see feeding your starter)

Ingredients:

water - filtered, spring, well, or tap water set out overnight in an open container for chlorine to evaporate

Flour - white is fine, but its best to use what you are going to be baking with

Day 1, AM - Mix ¼ c. water and ¼ c. flour into the jar. Stir well and let sit on your counter with a loose fitting lid.

Day 1, PM – Mix ¼ c. water and ¼ c. flour into the jar with starter. Stir well and let sit on your counter with a loose fitting lid.

Day 2-5, AM – Discard ½ of your starter. Add and mix ¼ c. water and ¼ c. flour into the jar. Stir well and let sit on your counter with a loose fitting lid.

Day 6 - Your starter should be strong enough to make bread. For some people it could take a lot longer, this has always worked for me.

*Should be bubbly and smell fabulously sour, not foul.  

**If using your starter daily, you can leave it out on the counter. If you are not going to use it that often, feed it and keep it in the fridge, feeding once a week. You will want to take the starter out a few hours before making bread to warm up and get active.

Feeding your Starter for 100% hydration

If you haven't used any starter - Discard ½ of your starter. Assuming you have 1/4 cup starter left, Add and mix ¼ c. water and ¼ c. flour. Stir well and let sit on your counter with a loose fitting lid. Your starter will be strong enough to use for bread in 4-8 hours.

If you are going to use it regularly, you can keep it out on your counter feeding it every couple of days where the use would be considered the discard. (Example: your "discard" would be when you remove 1/2 cup starter for making bread) 

An actively used starter does not need to have half of its contents discarded. You just need a few tablespoons of active starter to keep a good starter going. 

I have about 3-4 cups of starter going at all times, and mine is at 50% hydration. I use my starter as the base for my pancakes, waffles, biscuits and english muffins. I will use 2-3 cups starter, leaving as little as 1/4 cup,  and replace with the same amount of flour as starter used, (2-3 cups) and have no problems with it keeping active. 

If you are not planning on using it for a bit, up to several months, refrigerate it capped tightly, feeding once a week. (I have gone longer, but don't recommend it.)

Bread dough proofing

Glossary:

Feeding your starter – When you add flour and water. Do this 4-12 hours before using it. Stir well and let sit on your counter with a loose fitting lid.

Fed starter – starter that has been fed 4-12 hours ago.

Unfed starter – Starter that was has not been fed in the last 12 hours or more. Can often create a liquid on the top called "hooch".

Discard – dumping half of your starter into another container

Hooch – liquid that will pool on the top, even turning grey. It is alcohol created from the fermenting of the starter. You can stir it in or dump it. I usually just dump it down the drain. It is said that your starter is in need of feeding if you get this. I have noticed that it seems like the flour is settling on the bottom and separating from the water.

Hydration – a calculation of how much water the dough contains, in relation to how much flour it has. A lot of people use 100% Hydration which is equal parts water, flour and starter. The higher the hydration level, the more open the crumb texture, and the thinner and crisper the crust will be. I like my bread to be a bit more like sandwich bread and less like the artisan breads so I use a less hydrated starter. Its more like a thick brownie batter or almost bread dough, at 50% hydration.

I hope you have the opportunity to try your hand at sourdough. I will be posting videos and how to's on sourdough bread, how to make starter, and other ways to utilize your starter. I would love to have your company on this adventure!

RECIPE

Easy Everyday Sourdough Loaf