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Sourdough Starter

mickey15ie

Hey All,

Does anyone have any tips on how to make a sourdough starter?

Im having a mare with it, i keep getting the liquid at the top and im unable to get it to bubble.

I have not been storing in the fridge, and have kept it on the worktop in a closed jar.

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fitz

What flour are you using, and what measurements? If recommend using Marriages Extra Strong.

mickey15ie

I used strong wholemeal floor, 50g of flour and 50g of water each day

fitz

Just noticed you said closed jar...you want to let air at it, so closing the jar isn't helping. Try covering with a damp cloth (prevents a skin forming) instead...

Michellenman

If you’re getting liquid then it needs to be fed more frequently. Lid should be kept on loosely to let a bit of air in too, I would only put the lid on tight when I know i won’t be baking with it and it’s going in the fridge.

I did the below:

Day 1: Mix 50g whole wheat and 50g tepid water in a glass jar or plastic container. It won’t work in metal. Loose fitting lid essential. Cover with the lid loosely and leave somewhere warm. I did mine in January so I put it in the hot press but at the moment it’s doing fine on the counter top. Alternatively you can put in the oven with just the light on.

Day 2, 3 & 4: Discard half of what’s in your jar, feed with 50g strong white flour and 50g tepid water. Cover with the lid loosely and leave somewhere warm.

Day 5, morning: Discard half of what’s in your jar, feed with 50g strong white flour and 50g tepid water. Cover with the lid loosely and leave somewhere warm.

Day 5, evening (10-12 hours after morning feed): Discard half of what’s in your jar, feed with 50g strong white flour and 50g tepid water. Cover with the lid loosely and leave somewhere warm.

Day 6 & 7: repeat the two feeds from day 5.

By now you should be seeing at least some activity if not a very active starter, small bubbles forming, some rising and falling. Mark your jar/container with some tape or an elastic band where the top of the starter reaches when fed and clean down the walls, you should see the marks on the walls from it having risen and fallen when you check again. I was convinced that I wasn’t getting any rising or falling until I marked it properly, I was getting maybe 20% rising and then when fed twice a day consistently would getting better rises.

Ready to bake with when it’s rising and falling consistently, google ‘sourdough float test’ too.

If by day 7 you still aren’t getting anY rise and fall then just keep feeding twice a day. I think mine took 10 days before I was able to bake with it and it was probably 3 weeks before I got a good decent bake from it.

Im in Dublin, if you want to grab some of my starter I’m happy to share!

mickey15ie

right i was using one of those kilner jars

Michellenman

I started in one of those jars, just flip the lid over the top but don’t clip it down and see how you get on, best of luck!

cefh17

I find when starting off a new starter that it goes quiet around feeding day 3 or 4 and you think it's not working but by day 6-8 it's flying

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117663032#Comment_117663032

I use those for my starter too. I remove the rubber seal, and as suggested above close it loosely if you're leaving it out between feeds... Just let the lid sit on top without using the clasp to close it. Once you get to the point of storing it in the fridge between feeds, you can clamp it shut.

mickey15ie

is strong wholemeal flour ok to use?

Michellenman

You can use strong wholemeal but then you’re starter is always going to be a 100% wholemeal starter. It should work though and given there’s more of the grain you might even get a more active starter. My preference is always strong white for a starter though, and then to use that to make whole, spelt, rye breads from that. I tried before to make a starter with plain flour and it didn’t really work, so I think as long as you’re using a high protein flour such as bread flour you should be OK.

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117666980#Comment_117666980

Same. I use strong white flour for my starter, and then an 80/15/5% split of strong white/spelt/rye flour for my loaves.

mickey15ie

got marriages very strong white flour today should this work?

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117668253#Comment_117668253

That's what I use. Works a treat.

mickey15ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117668293#Comment_117668293

Looking forward to hopefully finally getting it right 😂

mickey15ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117663029#Comment_117663029

I might need to take you up on your offer of the starter i just cant get it going at all.

Michellenman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117760484#Comment_117760484

Yeah no problem at all. I hadn’t used or fed mine in nearly 6 weeks so I started feeding twice a day again on Friday and it was very active by Sunday morning. Send me a PM and we can sort it out!

Swampy

I use Rye or wholemeal for my starter. 1.5 years going strong. At the very beginning I stored it in the hot press to move it along. It really helped. I ofter change flour from Wholemeal to Rye and back again. I rarely use a mix as i'm lazy. Sometimes i'll add a drop more water with wholemeal as it really absorbs the water.

Swampy

Final comment: I really like the youtuber The Bread Code when it comes to sourdough and all things startery.