Can someone explain step by step how to make sourdough?

amother

↑ Smokey

Wed, Mar 06 2024, 1:59 pm

amother OP wrote:

From what I read, it can take a few weeks to make a sourdough?

You can bake for the first time after 4-5 days, but I continue feeding daily over 2 weeks, and then I keep the starter in the fridge and feed as needed.

For the first time (after 4 days), you might want to add a bit of yeast, so that it rises well.

Personally, I would not start a starter a few weeks before pessach, since I don't keep sourdough over pessach. Because sourdough is the original chametz.

On the other hand, you could start one now, experiment a bit with it, and then start seriously after pessach.

I do sourdough with rye flour, mostly whole grain, and for the bread I mix about 60% rye with 40% wheat, both mostly whole grain.

If you take just rye, there is less gluten, so it does not hold the shape very well. When you mix rye and wheat, you can make loaves that hold their shape in the oven, without mould or dutch oven. However, my starter is only rye.

kugelEater

Wed, Mar 06 2024, 2:46 pm

I follow Rorie Wiesberg's spelt sourdough course. I got starter from my friend but I will have to make new after Pesach.
1. I refresh my starter Tuesday night
2. and again on Wednesday morning/night,
3. make the dough Thursday morning,
4. stretch and fold a few times over Thursday (I work from home that day) and
5. shape Thursday night, and then
6. bake Friday morning.

It sounds like a lot but it's just a few minutes each time, and once you get used to it it is so much easier than traditional challah!

Ne'edarya

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 10:40 pm

I've been making sourdough stater for many years and this is what works well for me:

I use whole wheat flour for my stater but all purpose for my baking. Non chlorine water - either filtered or spring water works fine.

Day 1
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon water
Add to glass jar and mix. Let sit 24 hours.

Day 2
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon water
Add to starter mixture and mix.

Day 3
2 teaspoons flour
2 teaspoons water
Add to starter and mix

Day 4
4 teaspoon flour
4 teaspoon water
Add to glass jar and mix. Let sit 24 hours.

Day 5
8 teaspoon flour
8 teaspoon water
Add to glass jar and mix. Let sit 24 hours.

Day 6
16 teaspoon flour
16 teaspoon water
Add to glass jar and mix. Let sit 24 hours.

I don't discard anything.
After day 6 my starter is ready to use.

amother

Navy

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 10:45 pm

Ne'edarya wrote:

I'm sure she figured it out by now....

amother

Powderblue

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 7:26 am

Ne'edarya wrote:

I want to make a completely ww one. Have you ever tried?

BadTichelDay

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 7:52 am

amother OP wrote:

Actually not lol. It seemed too difficult so I never ended up making it Wink

Actually one can cut a lot of corners. Sourdoughs are tough and don't need exact science in my experience. I'm a long term sourdough user and start a new one every year after Pesach.
The super simple way is, mix a slurry with the consistency of thick pancake batter from water and whole flour in a non-metal bowl. Cover. Stir every 12 hours until you see bubbles starting, after about 12-24-or maximum 36 hours. Then chuck out half of it and refill with new water and flour and mix. Repeat this every 24 hours. During the first few days it will have days that are more or less bubbly. It will stink in different ways, including like vomit, old gym socks and sweaty horse. After 5-6 days the smell will improve and turn fruity-yeasty or crisp and vinegary. Keep feeding and tossing every day. When you get a consistent good bubbling response and volume increase a few hours after every feeding and it smells good, it is ready to bake. Use part for baking and stick the covered bowl with the rest into the fridge, after another feeding. When in fridge, feed and toss or bake once a week for good maintenance. If your sourdough starter begins smelling like acetone and gets a brown-purple liquid on top, that means it is very hungry and needs feeding. If it gets moldy, as in black blue green or pink fur, throw it out and start new. But normally, if it's alive and gets fed, that never happens.
Your nose is your best friend in sourdough baking - it will tell you when your sourdough is mature and if it is healthy and well.
When baking, keep in mind that proofing times for sourdough are a lot longer than for yeast dough.

I would not add commercial yeast to the starter at any time. That simply turns it into a yeast dough because the commercial yeast overpowers all wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, which is what sourdough should be made of.