SOURDOUGH STARTER
This is the base for a beatiful artisan sourdough loaf.
- Bread flour (preferably strong bread flour)
- Water
Day 1: Mix 50 g flour with 50 g tepid water in a plastic container. Leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature, for 24 hours.
Day 2: Mix 50 g flour with 50 g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture. Leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature, for another 24 hours.
Day 3: Mix 50 g flour with 50 g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture. Leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature, for another 24 hours.
Day 4: You should start seeing some activity in the mixture now. Should be some bubbles on top. Mix 50 g flour with 50 g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture. Leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature, for another 24 hours.
Day 5: The mixture should be very active now and ready to make your ‘levain’ (starter). If it’s not bubbling, continue to ‘feed’ it daily until it does. When it’s ready it should smell like yoghurt.
After 5 days, it will be getting a big too large. Take 100g out and throw it away, then …
Mix 50 g flour with 50 g tepid water and stir into yesterday’s mixture. Leave, semi-uncovered, at room temperature, for another 24 hours.
Note: There is active yeast in the air, which is what you want to get into it! So leaving it semi-covered is important.
I ran an organic bakery (long time ago) and the head baker was very proud of his starter, which was over 125 years old!
You now have a starter which is the base of a beautiful, artisan sourdough bread.
You’ll need to look after it, but naming is optional! (Mine is called George).
Keep it in the fridge (it will stay dormant) and 24 hrs before you want to use it, pour half of it off and feed it with 100g flour and 100g water. Leave it at room temperature and it should become active again. The longer the starter has been dormant, the more times it will need to be refreshed – the process of pouring off half the starter and replacing it with new flour and water – to reactivate. If your starter is ready to use, a teaspoonful of the mixture should float in warm water.
Recipe posted by DaisyGirl
