Basic Loaf

Your simple guide to foolproof sourdough bread with minimal effort.

Sourdough Starter Guide: Keeping Your Culture Happy

Let's dive into the heart of sourdough: the starter. Think of it as a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria in a jar, responsible for making your bread rise and giving it that unique flavour. This guide covers feeding, readiness signs, temperature, strengthening, troubleshooting, and how to create one from scratch.

On this page:

My Simple 'Scrapings' Feeding Method (No Waste!)

A common concern with sourdough is discarding starter during feedings, which can feel wasteful. This method avoids that completely! **We don't discard.** Instead, we utilize the small amount of starter naturally left clinging to the jar after using most of it for baking.

This keeps your starter active and ready without accumulating excess discard. (If you don't have an active starter yet, jump down to learn how to create one from scratch first!)

How to Feed Your Starter Using the Scrapings Method

Once your starter is established and active, you can switch to this method. You'll typically feed your starter after using most of it for baking. If storing it in the fridge between bakes, feeding about once a week is usually sufficient. If kept at room temperature, it requires more frequent feeding (often daily).

  1. Prepare: You need your starter jar (with just the scrapings left inside), your digital scale, 50g lukewarm water (around 35-40°C / 95-104°F), and 50g strong white bread flour. Top tip - use a chopstick to stir it up! Glass jar showing small amount of sourdough starter scrapings at the bottom
  2. Add Water & Swirl: Pour the 50g of water into the jar with the scrapings. Give it a good swirl or stir to loosen the old starter bits. It should resemble milky water. Sourdough starter in a jar on a scale, after water has been added to scrapings
  3. Add Flour: Add the 50g of strong white bread flour. Adding flour to sourdough starter in a jar on a digital scale
  4. Mix Thoroughly: Stir well, ensuring no dry flour remains. The target consistency is a **thick paste**, like peanut butter or thick yoghurt. Sourdough starter mixed to a thick paste consistency after feeding
  5. Cover Loosely: Rest the lid on top or use cling film with holes.
  6. Let it Rise: Leave at room temperature. It should get bubbly and rise (ideally double) in 4-12 hours, depending on temp/vigour.

And that's the process! It's a straightforward, no-discard method that feeds the remaining starter effectively.


Is My Starter Ready to Bake With? Signs of Activity

Readiness is about activity, not just age. Here’s what to look for:

Remember Temperature & Patience! Temperature greatly affects timing. It often takes **10-14 days (or more!)** to establish a strong starter. Be patient!


Why Temperature Matters (A Lot!)

Your starter's yeast and bacteria work at different speeds depending on warmth. Understanding this helps predict behaviour.

The Takeaway: Aim for consistency. Use slightly warmer water for feeding if your kitchen is cool. Find a stable spot. Patience is key!


How to Strengthen Your Starter

If your starter has been dormant in the fridge for a while, or seems a bit sluggish, it's a good idea to give it a boost before you plan to bake. A stronger starter means a better rise in your final loaf. The key is consistent feeding in a warm environment.

The Process:

  1. Wake It Up: If your starter lives in the fridge, take it out. If there's any dark liquid (hooch) on top, pour it off. Let the starter sit at room temperature for an hour or two. The amount of starter in your jar will determine how long it will get to room temperature. If you're only storing the bare minimum using the scrapings method, then it will come up to temperature relatively quickly. This is the way I store my sourdough in the fridge.
  2. Give it a Feed: Perform one regular feed. Leave it at room temperature.
  3. Feed Again: When the starter has risen to double it's height, feed again, don't go by time as this can make your starter weaker, not stronger. You want to try and feed the starter at it's peak. This back-to-back feeding builds up the yeast population and makes the culture more vigorous.
  4. (Optional) A Third Feed: For a very strong starter, you can repeat the process one more time, giving it a third feed at it's peak.

After 2-3 consecutive feedings like this at room temperature, your starter should be incredibly active, bubbly, and doubling in volume quickly after a feed. This is the perfect time to use it in your recipe for a great oven spring!


Creating Your Starter From Scratch (If You Need One!)

Don't have a starter yet? It's easier than you think, but requires patience (often 10-14 days, sometimes more!). This is a common method.

What You'll Need:

The Day-by-Day Process:

  1. Day 1: Initial Mix
    Combine 50g Whole Wheat/Rye flour + 50g lukewarm water. Mix to thick paste. Cover loosely, leave 24h.
  2. Day 2: First Feed
    Discard most (leave ~50g). Add 50g Strong White Flour + 50g water. Mix, cover, leave 24h.
  3. Day 3 & Onwards: Continue the daily discard/feed routine. Look for the Signs of Readiness. Once it's reliably active for 2-3 days in a row, it's ready!

Note: Ignore funky smells unless it's fuzzy mould (pink/orange/black) – discard immediately if mould appears.


Troubleshooting Common Starter Issues

Sometimes starters do slightly odd things. Don't panic! Here's how to handle common scenarios:

Remember, patience and consistent feeding are the best tools for most starter issues!


That covers the main starter topics for now! Next steps could include adding storage info or more advanced tips.