I've been loving experimenting with sourdough lately and have been receiving quite a few questions from people trying to get started as well.
I am no expert, but I figured I could put a little guide together of what I have learned and tried and what I wish someone would have told me. And I have yet to develop my own sourdough recipe, but when I do, I will make sure to share it!
What You'll Need:
- Flour (more details below)
- Filtered water (you want chlorine-free water)
- A jar (I use a 4 cup mason jar)
- Kitchen scale (this makes measurements more accurate)
- A rubber band (to keep track of your starter's growth after feeding)
- It can also help to have a proofing basket and plastic bowl covers
I actually got my sourdough starter from my friend, Brooke, who got it from an organic local pizza shop (pretty cool!) so I did not make my own starter from scratch. If you can't find a friend with some starter to share, I would recommend trying out this recipe from The Clever Carrot since it's straight forward and simple.
The first loaf of sourdough I made was from the same blog using all purpose flour since I didn't want to waste higher quality, pricier flours on my first few loaves. You can find that recipe here. All purpose flour is easy to get at the grocery store (I like Organic Bob's Red Mill), it's pretty cheap and easy to work with. I also made sourdough pizza crust with all purpose flour using this recipe that was easy to follow and turned out great even with a less than stellar starter.
I am now trying to branch out to more heirloom/heritage wheat and ancient grain options to make it as nutritious as possible. These types of flours tend to contain less gluten and be easier to digest than modern wheat, and ancient grains tend to offer more nutrient benefits. I recently made a loaf with spelt and rye flours, which tasted great but was a bit dense as these flours absorb more liquid and are a bit harder to work with (and my starter wasn't active enough). Here's the recipe I used if you're curious.
Where To Buy Flour:
- Starting out, you can get organic all purpose or bread flours at any grocery store (get organic if you can to avoid pesticide residue)
- I ordered my organic rye and spelt from Sun Organic Farm (they sell wholesale products)
- I just placed an order from Better Basics Milling for organic stone-milled artisanal flour
- I have also heard great things about Sunrise Flour Mill, so I might try that next time
Some Basic Tips:
- Change out your starter jar periodically
- Don't throw away the "discard" when you feed it - use it to make pancakes, or crackers or just fry it in some ghee in a hot pan
- Use warm, filtered water when feeding your starter and making dough
- If your starter isn't rising/bubbling, it's probably too cold - try keeping it in the oven with the light on or near a space heater
- You can store your starter in the fridge if you aren't baking frequently
- To store, place the lid on the starter jar, but don't screw it on
- You're going to have a few flops, so just have fun with it
If you have any questions about getting started that I didn't answer, or any advice, feel free to send me an email or a message on Instagram - I would love to chat!