Ingredients:
Strong white flour
Mineral water
1. A sourdough starter is a live yeast mixture used to make bread. It can be maintained, or ‘fed’ and kept indefinitely. The simplest method uses flour and water.
2. On day 1: Put 75g (3oz) strong white flour and 75ml (3fl oz) cold mineral water in a container. Stir until well combined to make a smooth batter. Set aside at room temperature for 24hr. Don’t cover starter for first three days. This will allow it to pick up natural yeasts in air and give it a chance to breathe and grow.
3. On Days 2, 3 and 4: Feed starter with 75g (3oz) of strong white flour and 75ml (3fl oz) mineral water each day. Starter should be starting to bubble and smell sour. Cover loosely with a clean tea towel on fourth day and leave at room temperature.
4. On day 5: starter should be full of bubbles and ready to use. If it’s not, continue with feeding process for another couple of days.
5. Remove half starter and use to make sourdough. To maintain rest, “feed” it with 75g (3oz) new flour and 75ml (3fl oz) mineral water and put in a glass jar but don’t cover tightly.
What to read next
6. If baking regularly, you’ll be removing some starter each time, so keep loosely covered at room temperature and ‘feed’ remaining starter each time.7 If baking less often, keep starter in fridge and maintain feeding process every 5 days or so, removing half and feeding with flour and water. A day before using it in baking, remove from fridge, uncover and bring up to room temperature to make it active and bubbly again.
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