Sourdough Tips & Tricks

Issue 1: December 2023

Hello Alaina,,

Welcome to the inaugural edition of my monthly sourdough eNewsletter! You can anticipate a treasure trove of insights—ranging from invaluable tips and mouthwatering recipes to staying abreast of the freshest trends in the realm of sourdough and nutrient-dense foods.

The most frequently asked questions I receive revolve around the proper care and feeding of your sourdough starter. So, this inaugural edition is dedicated to unraveling the intricacies of nurturing and sustaining your starter.

Here's to embracing the wonderful world of sourdough and fostering a wholesome approach to your culinary endeavors!

Happy baking!

Alaina Campbell

First, why do we need to feed our starter?

Sourdough starter is a living organism! It's teeming with wild bacteria and yeast, and they need to be fed to thrive, just like we do. When you feed your starter flour and water, it activates the yeast and bacteria, and they start feeding on the starches in the flour. This causes carbon gases, acids and alcohol to be released - a process known as fermentation. Within about 4-8 hours your starter should double in size and become bubbly and fluffy. It is now considered active starter.

Glossary of Terms

Starter

A mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, used as a leavening agent in sourdough baking.

Active Starter or Fresh Starter

A sourdough starter that has been recently fed and appears active and bubbly. This is the stage most desirable going into baking with your sourdough starter.

Sourdough Discard

The portion of sourdough starter you remove before feeding it. Discard is still good starter! You can store it in the fridge for later use, share it with a friend, or use it in baked goods. It can be reactivated simply by feeding it.

Feed (Feeding)

The process of adding fresh flour and water to the starter to replenish nutrients and encourage microbial activity.

Hooch

The liquid layer that can form on top of a neglected sourdough starter, indicating it needs feeding.

Float Test

A simple method to check the readiness of a sourdough starter before using it in a recipe. Drop a teaspoon of starter in a glass of water, if it floats it's active and ready to use, if it sinks wait a little longer for it to get active and bubbly.

Hydration

The ratio of water to flour in a sourdough starter or dough, expressed as a percentage.

Feeding Your Starter

Minimum Ratio 1:1:1

A minimum typical feeding ratio is 1:1:1. This ratio is the gold standard for those aiming to maintain a steady volume of starter. It ensures the microbial community remains vibrant and healthy.

The 1:1:1 ratio is equal parts by weight of starter, water, and flour.

For example, if you 25 grams of starter you would feed it 25 grams of water and 25 grams of flour. Now you have 75 grams of starter. When this doubles in size, is bubbly and fluffy, you now have "active starter" meaning it's ready to be used to make bread dough.

Maintaining a 1:1:1 ratio will produce a more pronounced sourness while a higher ratio feeding produces a milder tang.

Other Ratios

While 1:1:1 is the minimum feeding ratio used for starter, there are other common ratios as well. You can use a 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 or 1:4:4 or even higher.

For example, with a 1:2:2 ratio let's say you start with 25 grams, you would then feed it 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour. For a 1:3:3 ratio starting with 25 grams of starter you would feed it 75 grams of water and 75 grams of flour.

By diluting the original starter more, a higher ratio offers the microbial community more food to consume. This slows the starter's fermentation process, which means it will take longer to reach its peak activity. It's useful to use a higher ratio when you know you want to make several loaves in one day, perhaps for a holiday or for gifts.

Desired Flavor

If you are aiming for a subtle sourness in your bread, you might like a more diluted feeding ratio like 1:3:3. This reduced concentration allows for a gentler fermentation process, yielding a milder flavor. If you like a more pronounced sour flavor then the 1:1:1 ratio is ideal. This concentration results in a robust fermentation process, imparting that characteristic sourdough tang.

Temperature

Temperature plays a big role in breadmaking! The ideal temperature range for microbial activity in your starter is between 78 and 82 degrees.

In warmer and more humid climates, microbial activity intensifies. So, you might opt for a higher feeding ratio, like 1:3:3, to provide more food to the active microbes thus preventing the starter from reaching its peak too swiftly.

In cooler climates the microbial activity slows down so the starter might not need as much food. Thus, a balanced ratio like 1:1:1 works well.