Make your own levain!
If you want to make your own sourdough starter, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that you only need two ingredients, the bad news… well you need a lot of patience (like 7 days of patience). However, before you know it, you’ll be on your merry way to make some delicious breads (or pastry!) with your newly made starter. The other great news about starter is that once you make it, you can continue to feed it and you will never have to make it again. If you don’t feed it, it doesn’t stay alive. Much like that of a child! Good Luck on your Sourdough journey!
Some things you will need to make your sourdough starter:
Measuring Scale, All Purpose Flour, lukewarm water roughly 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, spatula or whisk, mason jar
This process takes seven days, however you only need a few minutes a day to tend to your starter.
Day One: Weigh your mason jar without a lid using your scale in grams, record the weight. Add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of lukewarm water roughly 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk or mix well so that all the flour is hydrated and no clumps remain. Cover with the lid or plastic wrap LOOSELY and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Yep, that’s it!
Day Two: With either a new mason jar or the one you are already are using, keep 75 grams of your starter and repeat the steps in day one. Your mixture should include 75 grams of starter, 100 grams of flour, and 100 grams of lukewarm water. Mix well and cover loosely. Let sit for 24 hours.
Day Three: Remove all but 100 grams of starter and feed with an additional 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of lukewarm water. Cover and let rest for 24 hours.
Day Four-Seven: Repeat the steps on day Three. After this time starter should be alive and active enough to use! If not, give it a few more days of feeding.
How do I tell if my starter is ready to use?
There are a few different ways you can tell if your starter is ready to use. The one we use the most often is the float test. This requires a “glob” of starter in a glass of water. If your starter floats, your starter is golden and ready to use. If your starter sinks, it may not be strong enough just yet. Another way you can test your starter is to watch it rise and fall after every feeding. You can tell if it’s strong enough by when and how much it rises during the feeding process. You should use it at the peak of it’s rise.
Tips: Sometimes starter can get out of control when it comes alive. Be sure to use a big enough jar or bowl that can withstand the rise of the starter. You will soon learn what works and what doesn’t. You can also play with how much you are feeding your starter. The important part is to keep the ratio 1:1:1 - meaning equal parts starter, flour, and water.
To keep your starter active, feed regularly. You can store your starter in the fridge to retard the feeding process. Colder temperatures will allow the starter to take longer to rise and fall. Warmer temperatures will speed up the feeding process, making the rise and fall quicker. When you are not actively using the starter, it is recommended to keep it stored in the fridge.