I grew up watching my mom feed and maintain her sourdough starter. I became especially interested in her starter after working in organic and biochemistry labs. I remember coming home and saying, “Mom, you’ve been a chemist all along.” Once I had settled into a routine that gave me time for maintenance, I was so excited for her to share her sourdough starter with me.
Making a Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter can be prepared from scratch using warm water, a source of sugar, and a source of starch. Dry yeast can be incorporated with the initial ingredients to quick-start the activity of a sourdough starter. The use of active dry yeast is optional. In time, the starter will begin to collect wild yeast and bacteria from the environment. This symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) will continue to grow stronger with each feeding. The recipe for this fermented sourdough starter uses potato flakes and sugar to feed the culture community.
Every person’s sourdough starter is unique and different. The feeding environment will determine the types of wild yeast and bacteria that make up the live and active culture. The sourdough starter my mom shared with me has been passed around and fed since the 70s. It is an incredibly diverse culture that has been growing and evolving longer than I have been alive. For this, I am grateful. All hail the mother starter!
The Fermentation Process
Fermentation is a biochemical process that provides cellular energy to bacteria and yeast. The chemical reactions require a live and active culture and a source of sugar. The bacteria and yeast feed on the glucose for energy, releasing carbon dioxide and ethanol as byproducts. The carbon dioxide is observed as the bubbles that form when you feed a sourdough starter. An active starter may also smell similar to alcohol from the ethanol that’s released. This is nothing to worry about, it is just an indication that the microbes are active, happy, and doing their fancy fermentation thing. Below are some pictures of the lively culture activity after feeding my starter.
Benefits of Fermentation
Recipes that use sourdough starters are not a source of probiotics like cheese, yogurt, kombucha and other fermented foods with live and active cultures. When using sourdough starter to make bread and baked goods, the yeast and bacteria cannot survive the high temperatures in the oven. However, there are still digestive and metabolic benefits of consuming fermented baked goods.
When you add a sourdough starter to a recipe, the yeast and bacteria in the starter will break down the sugar and starch in the batter. Letting the dough/batter sit out at room temperature gives the microbes time to break down the carbohydrate content and release carbon dioxide. This causes the dough to rise or the batter to bubble, often referred to as a pre-fermentation or long fermentation. The fermentation breaks down the complex carbohydrates into simpler carbs that are easier to digest. This is especially beneficial for people with gluten sensitivities and those seeking a low FODMAP diet.
Using Sourdough Starter
In addition to making homemade bread, I incorporate discard from my sourdough starter into many baked goods. When doing so, I let the batter sit for an 8-12 hour pre-fermentation to maximize digestibility and reduce the sugar content. This step should be performed prior to adding any perishable ingredients like eggs or milk. Wait until after the pre-fermentation to incorporate these types of ingredients.
In my experience, discard recipes using a flour-based sourdough starter are more readily available than those featuring this potato flake sourdough starter. However, I am biased to the potato flake starter because it is naturally gluten-free. The flour-based starters are much thicker in consistency. I have experimented with many recipes by adjusting the liquid and flour ratios to accommodate the thinner and fluid consistency of the potato flake starter.
Maintaining a sourdough starter is a gratifying project for the kitchen. The process is rewarding and your starter becomes a special part of your home. I have included the recipe below for the initial creation of this sourdough starter along with the feeding ingredients and maintenance instructions. Be on the lookout for some of our favorite recipes featuring discard from this sourdough starter!
Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 2 tsp of active dry yeast optional, see notes
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp instant potato flakes
- 1 cup warm water not hot, see notes
Feeding Mixture
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp instant potato flakes
- 1 cup warm water not hot, see notes
Instructions
Making a Sourdough Starter
- Combine the sourdough starter ingredients in a glass jar. Mix well. Use a rubber band to cover the jar with a cheese cloth or tea towel.
- Let the mixture sit on the counter at room temperature for five days. Stir the mixture each day.
- On the fifth day, feed the sourdough starter using the feeding ingredients below.
- Mix well and leave the starter on the counter at room temperature for 8-12 hours. This does not rise, only bubbles.
- Remove 1 cup of starter to make sourdough bread or other discard recipes. Throw (or give) away the cup of discard if it is not needed for a recipe.
- Return remaining starter to the refrigerator.
- Keep the starter in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, then remove from the refrigerator and feed again.
Feeding Instructions
- Mix together the feedings ingredients in a jar or bowl.
- Remove the starter from the refrigerator and feed it by adding the feeding mixture to the starter.
- Mix well and leave the starter on the counter at room temperature for 8-12 hours. This does not rise, only bubbles.
- After 8-12 hours, remove 1 cup of starter to make sourdough bread or for use in discard recipes. Throw (or give) away the cup of discard if it is not needed for a recipe.
- Return remaining starter to the refrigerator.
- Keep the starter in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, then remove from the refrigerator and feed again.