Chef John's Sourdough Starter recipe

All Recipes Best Recipe Bread Yeast Bread Recipes Sourdough Bread Recipes

Ingredients

700 grams bread flour
700 grams filtered water, divided

Nutrition Info

315.9 calories
carbohydrate: 63.5 g
cholesterol: : -
fat: 1.5 g
fiber: 2.1 g
protein: 10.5 g
saturatedFat: 0.2 g
servingSize: -
sodium: 4.4 mg
sugar: 0.3 g
transFat: : -
unsaturatedFat: : -

Directions

  1. Day 1: Mix 70 grams flour and 70 grams water together in a container with a lid. Container needs to be large enough to accommodate another 70 grams water and flour. Cover loosely so gases can escape. Leave for 24 hours at 70 degrees F.

  2. Day 2: Add 70 grams flour and 70 grams water. Stir. Cover loosely and leave for 24 hours at 70 degrees.

  3. Day 3: Remove half (140 grams) of the starter. Add 70 grams flour and 70 grams water. Stir. Cover loosely and leave for 24 hours at 70 degrees.

  4. Day 4 through about Day 10: Repeat Step 3 each day until starter smells fruity, yeasty, and is beautifully fermented. You can test this by seeing if the mixture doubles within 2 to 3 hours of feeding.

  5. Refrigerate until needed. Most people recommend you feed the starter once a month or so (Step 3).

  6. To make bread using a refrigerated starter: feed it at room temperature for two days. Use your refreshed starter to make bread on the third day. Remember to set aside 140 grams of starter and feed it again before returning it to the fridge.

Recipe Yield

8 servings

Recipe Note

Here's part 1 of my 2-part recipe for sourdough bread. It takes 4 days to make the starter, but there's really not much to it other than 'feeding' the starter once a day for about 10 days.

Do you like the recipe? Share this tasty recipe!