Sourdough Saga Chapter 1 …

Chapter 1: What Gives Rise to the Rise? Starter!

After discovering/acknowledging that I have grain sensitivities a few years back, bread has not featured predominantly in my diet. Whenever I have partaken, I’ve found that sourdough was far and away the least offensive. Turns out there are some good reasons for that. First and foremost sourdough is a fermented product. This means that it is actually helping me to digest the product with it’s added enzymes and probiotics . The whole sourdough process also “predigests” much of the available gluten. It is also higher in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Just an FYI; much of the sourdough that you will find in grocery stores are not what they appear to be. Many will contain additives such as processed yeast, yoghurt and or vinegar which are used to speed up the process. The main difference between ligit sourdough and a knockoff is time. True sourdough is a a labour of love. Dough is fermented anywhere between 48 and 72 (or longer) hours. This process breaks down the physic acid which allows our bodies to absorb and utilize the nutrients without nasty side effects. Hmm; bread good 😉

I think at this juncture I will ask you to bear in mind that making sourdough bread is a journey. And like any journey it is the sum of all the parts. Some more exciting, some less. This journey starts with….well…..the starter. If you are lucky enough to know someone who has been nurturing a starter for awhile; ask for a gift. Most sourdough enthusiasts are more than happy to share. But if you don’t know such a person; just start your own. Follow the process below.

THE PROCESS

On day one, mix one cup of rye flour and one cup filtered water in a glass or plastic bowl. If you have a plastic or silicone whisk that would work great. If not, use a plastic or silicone spatula. Stir vigorously, making sure to scrape down the sides and incorporate everything. Place a clean tea towel over the bowl and set aside. Allow it to sit for 24 hours.

On day two, discard half of the mixture and repeat the process. Add one cup flour, one cup water, stir vigorously, and cover.

Why do you have to remove half the mixture? By day four, you would have sourdough starter overflowing from your bowl. Also, removing half ensures that the right amount of flour and water is feeding the growing colony of beneficial yeast. If you weren’t discarding half, you would never achieve mature, useable starter.

Repeat the day two instructions for days three, four, and five.

On days six and seven, do the same but feed it every 12 hours, instead of every 24.

By day seven, there should be enough beneficial bacteria and yeast present to bake sourdough bread and or other baked goods.

You will know it’s working if it bubbles, and doubles in size. When in doubt, drop a small amount into a glass of water. If it floats, you are ready to embark on the second leg of the journey.

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“Miracles happen everyday. They bubble up from their hidden source, surround us with opportunities and disappear.” Deepak Chopra

Once you have active starter (that you are actively using) it can sit on the counter with a covering of bleached cotton, cheese cloth or paper towel held in place with a rubber band. I feed mine every day or every other day if left on the counter. If you are not planning on using it for awhile, it can sit in the fridge for up to a week before it needs feeding. Beyond that…..

I would suggest dehydrating your starter. You can just use a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spread the starter thin and set aside. I used my dehydrator. This is approximately 1 cup of starter. I dried it at the lowest setting for a few hours and then shut the dehydrator off and let it sit covered overnight. In the morning I broke it to pieces and put into the container. WARNING: sharp edges!! (I should have included the bandage in “materials used” pictured below) 😉

I have read your starter will last indefinitely as long as it stays dry.

To Rehydrate:

Place 14g of starter chips in a plastic or glass container. Pour 28g of warm water over the chips and stir to cover the chips with water. 

Cover the container and set it aside until all the chips have melted into the water. This usually takes about 3-4 hours. The starter will look “flat” at this point. It’s okay.

Add another 14g of warm water and 28g of rye flour to the starter. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 4-6 hours. You will probably see some “activity” now.

Add 84g of warm water and 84g of unbleached flour to the starter. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 3-4 hours or until the starter has doubled in size and looks quite active. 

P.S. Thanks to a lovely lady I know; I am the proud owner of a 5 year old sourdough starter 🙂