I’m gonna show you how to maintain a sourdough starter. This process is easier than you think. Just add flour and water. That’s it. I know there can be some measuring, observing, waiting… The topic of sourdough can get overwhelming. To be fair, there’s a lot of science going on in that jar. Don’t let that freak you out. I’ll take you through my simple method to achieving those sour bubbles. Let’s do this…
Supplies for Maintaining a Sourdough Starter
Before you get started, let’s just make sure you have the basic supplies needed to maintain a quality sourdough starter.
Storage Jar
First, you’re going to need a vessel to mix and store your flour and water in. I recommend a tall glass container. This could be a mason jar or another glass jar with some vertical height. I use glass because I can see what is going on inside! There is nothing more satisfying than observing those sweet little bubbles. You can also see when your sourdough starts to rise! This is a great indicator that your sourdough mixture is doing well and you are almost ready to use it in a recipe. My favorite glass container is a wide-mouth mason jar with measurement markings on the side. The wide mouth makes it easy to pour flour and water inside and fit my hand with a measuring cup if needed. I have also used a slightly narrower version, as it makes it even easier to see how much my starter is rising with each feed. Glass is another great way to keep an eye on your starter and see if there are any changes such as mold or build-up of hooch.
Glass won’t kill your sourdough starter. The microbes growing inside your jar are sophisticated and delicate. There is much debate about the ideal storage containers for sourdough starters. Sourdough is slightly acidic, so there have been concerns about it touching certain metals that might react with it. Also, plastic is not always ideal especially if you are concerned about toxins leaking into your starter. Either way, I say just play it safe, you don’t want to risk killing your starter by introducing substances that might affect the bubbliness;)
Mix
Next, you will need a long utensil to stir your flour and water. I recommend a wooden spoon as it is long enough to fit down a tall vessel and it won’t beat up the glass.
Measure
Be sure to have a way to measure your starter. My simple method involves discarding half of my starter and refeeding it with flour and water.
Cover
You will need some kind of lid that will cover the opening of your sourdough container but is not completely air-tight. Your starter will need air to breathe and do its thing! My favorite material for this is cheesecloth secured with a rubber band. Too easy.
Flour + Water
Lastly, you need unbleached all-purpose flour and unchlorinated water. Unbleached flour has wild yeasts attached to it that will proliferate your sourdough starter beautifully! You want to avoid introducing harsh chemicals to your starter so unchlorinated water will be best for this.
Method for Maintaining Sourdough Starter
This process assumes you already have an established starter, if you don’t, check out this article on how to start one from scratch! I used this method, and it worked great!
First, you will use your measuring cup to pour out all of your starter. Let’s say for example you have 1 cup of starter total. Now you will simply remove exactly half (1/2 cup) of your starter and either use it in a recipe or discard it. Now you will need to add fresh water and flour to the remaining half of your starter. I usually just add about a 1/2 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of unchlorinated water. Then stir!
The above method is exactly how I do it and I have always had great results. As you dive into the sourdough world, you will find a lot more information about how to maintain a sourdough starter using different concentrations of flour and water, different types of flour, etc. My advice, if you are a beginner, just stick to something easy (like my method) first. After you get the hang of it, you can branch out and try new things. You might even develop your own method over time. Every environment is different, so you may have to tweak your sourdough starter over time. This is a good thing. Sourdough starter has wild yeasts and fun fermentation processes that are alive and dynamic, just roll with it and see what works for you!
Resources to help you create and maintain a sourdough starter
As I mentioned before, there is a lot of science going on in a little sourdough starter jar. Luckily there are a TON of recipes, and foodies online that can really help you develop your sourdough skills like fine wine (or fermented flour).
When I first started out, I wanted to make my own sourdough starter from scratch. I used a method in an article by Mother Earth News and it worked great. Unfortunately during one of our moves, I totally abandoned my starter in the fridge for months! My DIY dreams were crushed and I almost gave up on sough dough adventures altogether.
Luckily I found another way to jumpstart my sourdough journey by purchasing a dehydrated version on Etsy. I’m not gonna lie, I was skeptical about it, but the reviews looked great and I had to give it a try. The original one I used is no longer listed, but I’m sure you can still find one on the Etsy website. I used this starter for about two years when, you guessed it, we moved again. And I killed my starter. Again.
My good friend and fellow sourdough enthusiast was kind enough to let me get a sample of her own sourdough starter. It has been used in her family for years and it works like a champ! Let’s just hope I don’t repeat the same mistake and kill this one!
Keeping your Sourdough Starter Alive!
If you keep your sourdough starter out of the fridge at room temperature, you need to make sure you feed it at least once a week. This will be very easy to do if you are baking with your sourdough on a weekly basis. If you know you won’t be baking for a long time, be sure to store your starter in the fridge to slow down the fermentation process. You will need to feed your refrigerated starter at least once or twice a month to ensure it is still alive. Simply remove your sourdough starter out of the fridge, let it adjust to room temperature, feed the starter exactly how I described above and observe to make sure it is rising and bubbling. You can repeat this process as often as you want before returning it to your refrigerator.
As you can see, this process is very simple. Once you get a starter established, it’s kind of hard to kill it. Unless you are like me and move all of the time and totally abandon your starter in the fridge for months. So… yeah don’t do that;)
It has truly been a joy to work with my hands and create beautiful bread for my family. I hope you feel inspired to do the same. Until next time!
Video about How to Maintain Sourdough Starter on YouTube below!
Pin this idea about How to Maintain Sourdough Starter for later!https://pin.it/1brUcnz
My Favorite Tools for Maintaining Sourdough Starter on Amazon:
Disclaimer: I am an affiliate/sponsor of these products/services. All opinions and recommendations are honest and expressed with the good intent that you will find them of value. Purchasing through these links will not affect your check-out process in any way, but it will support this channel/blog and allow me to keep making valuable content for you. Thank you for your trust.
Check out our post on Sourdough Waffles:
Leave a Reply