How to Make Sourdough Bread Starter

Sourdough bread can turn your average sandwich into a delicious and unique-tasting delight. To make your own sourdough bread, you must first make the bread starter. Use bread starter as the foundation of a bread recipe. The starter requires "feeding." So gather a few ingredients, combine them and watch your bread starter grow.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast or 1 package
• Warm water
• Sugar
• Instant potato flakes
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 large glass or wooden bowl
• 1 large glass jar with a lid

1. Combine yeast and 1/2 cup of warm water in a large bowl. Stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved.

2. Add the remaining 1 cup of warm water, 3/4 cup sugar and 3 tbs. instant potato flakes. Stir the mixture until completely combined.

3. Pour the mixture into a glass jar. Cover the top of the glass jar with a towel and allow it to sit at room temperature for 8 hours. After 8 hours, place the lid on the jar and refrigerate for 3 days.

4. Remove the starter from the refrigerator after 3 days and "feed" the starter with 1 cup of warm water, 3/4 cup of sugar and 3 tbsp. of instant potato flakes.

5. Stir the mixture until it is completely combined. Cover the top of the glass jar with a towel and allow it to sit at room temperature for 8 hours.

6. Measure 1 cup of the starter to make your first loaf of sourdough bread. Store the remaining mixture in the glass jar in the refrigerator.

7. Repeat Steps 4 to 6 to re-feed the starter and make another loaf of sourdough bread after four days.

Tips & Warnings

• Use glass or wooden bowls and a wooden spoon. Yeast can react to metal and alter the taste of your bread.

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[clairep]

on 4/8/2009 Not to worry, folks! Aside from the fact that the process to make the starter isn't technically an authentic sourdough starter, the end result is wonderful bread! Isn't that what it's about? I think so. Besides, the starter that (only) begins with a bit of commercial yeast produces a not so sour bread and in my humble opinion, that's preferable to sour, sourdough. Enjoy!

[Reinhardt]

on 5/2/2008 Sorry... using any commercial yeast to get a culture going is NOT a sourdough starter. You are making a poolish, biga, etc. A true sourdough starter is made with only flour and water and then nurtured for weeks and months until it is a viable, healthy, but young sourdough starter. Using something like the recipe stated is like crushing grapes and calling it wine. ;-) Unfortunately these kinds of recipes are found everywhere so the uninformed mass accepts it as is. No... do some research and stop perpetuating a hoax. LOL

[Kitkolf]

on 10/16/2007 If you choose you can give a starter (1 Cup) of your mixture to a friend so they can enjoy too!