Sourdough
Introduction
This page serves as a crash course in sourdough. Please read it completely before you alter your starter or attempt to bake in any way.
What is Starter?
Sourdough starter is a naturally fermented leaven that can be used to make baked goods rise when added to a recipe in an "active" state. It can be substituted in place of commercial yeast in many cases, though it does have an increased rise (proof) time compared to it. There are lots of ways to use starter in an inactive state (known as discard) in cooking or baking as well. Many recipes will call for starter to be used in different ways- none are necessarily wrong, it's more about finding what works best for you (based on your climate, lifestyle, etc). The benefits of using starter over yeast are plentiful, and this link explains in more detail.
Below, you will learn how to rehydrate your dried starter, how to maintain it once you do, how to use it to bake/cook with, and uses for discard.Â
Most importantly, you don't just have to use your starter to make loaves of sourdough bread. You can use it to make almost any dough, and in a number of baked goods. It's also pretty affordable to maintain and use, and you might even find yourself enjoying the practice of bread making, and before you know it, you're making a loaf every weekend instead of buying one at the grocery store.
Before You Begin
You will need:
2 clean jars
All Purpose or Bread Flour (12% Protein content or higher)
Filtered Water
Extremely recommended tools:
bench scraper
dough whisk
Nice to have:
razorblade or bread lame
banneton (proofing basket)
dough scraper
Link to purchase sourdough tools including bench scraper, dough whisk, bread lame, bannetons, and dough scraper. I do not recommend purchasing until you decide if you like making loaves of sourdough! I will provide instructions for how to make a loaf with things you already have in your kitchen.
Important Info
Discard refers to starter in an inactive state. It should be kept in a sealed (closed with regular lid) jar in the fridge. Yeast makes starter active, and it becomes dormant (does not replicate/eat) at fridge temperature. At room temperature, it must be fed at least 1 time per 48 hour period, or the starter will die. When I say to "discard" jar contents, I mean transfer it to your designated discard jar. Until your starter is established (takes approximately 5 days of following the rehydration process), you may choose to throw discard away.