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You and Your Sourdough Starter Page 1
© 2008 K. A. YoungPermission is granted for reproduction of this document, and derivations are allowed, provided attribution is given.

You and Your Sourdough Starter
by K. A. Young

Getting to Know Your Starter

Sourdough works a lot like dry yeast, but sourdough has a personality all its own.
Here are some things you need to know about your sourdough starter.

Sourdough generally takes a little longer to rise than dough made from
dry yeast. This really depends, though, on how much of a sourdough
tang you want. For milder breads, let it rise once. For tangier breads,
let it rise two or three times. So rising time will vary. Like other yeast
breads, rising time is faster when the surrounding temperature is warmer.

If you dont store your starter in the frig, youll need to feed it or proof
it daily. So unless you use it every day, store it in the frig. It hibernates
in the cold, and so it wont need to eat much. A starter stored in the frig
stays healthier if you feed it or proof it weekly, but it can survive a
month or so in the frig without a feeding. Think of it as a bear.

Sourdough needs to be active when you use it. This means it must be at
room temperature and recently proofed.

Proofed or fresh starter means starter that has reached room temperature,
has been given an amount of water equal to or greater than the amount of
starter plus a slightly greater amount of flour, and then has been allowed
to sit in a warm place until it has tripled in size, acquiring a fluffy look
and the consistency of light pancake batter
.


Most sourdough recipes call for proofed or fresh starter, meaning 8-12
hours beforehand youll need to proof an amount of stored starter ½ the
amount of fresh/proofed starter called for by the recipe. Exception: If
recipe calls for less than 1 cup fresh starter, youll usually proof 1 cup
stored, not ½ cup; only proof less than 1 cup stored starter if recipe says
.


ALWAYS put some starter back in your storage container after proofing
it. You want to maintain 1 -2 cup stored starter. Remember, if you use
all of your starter and dont put any back, youll have none for next time
.



Store it in a wide-mouth canning jar with measurement markings on the
side or another type of glass containerNOT METAL
.


Think of your starter as the living organism it is. After you proof it the
first time and put a cup or so back in your jar, its your little helper; you
might even want to name it
.



Never let it starve and die.
Always put some back.
If youre always to your starter kind,
For bread youll never lack.



Time Management

Allow 9-10 hrs lead time for quick
breads. Allow 15-20 hrs lead time
for most breadusually overnight.

Wake 30 mins to 1 hr


Feed 8-12 hrs


Mix

10-30 mins


Knead

10-20 mins


Rise 2-8 hrs (30 mins for
quick breads)


Bake

30 mins to 1 hr

Basic Proofing Ratios


Fresh Starter (recipe) = amt
stirred-down proofed starter


Stored Starter to Proof =
½ fresh starter called for in
recipe (but never < 1 c)


Water to Add = cups fresh
starter called for in recipe


Flour to Add = 1.5 x cups
water added (can vary)


Result = triple the stored
starter you proofed


Return = 1 cup or more

Glossary of Terms


Feed (v) (1) to keep
healthy in frig if not used for
7-10 days: give starter
same amt water as itself
plus 2 x flour so it doubles
(2) to keep alive outside
cold storage each day
starter not used: give starter
amt of water equal to 1/3
itself plus flour = 2 x water;
a feeding (n) the water
and flour stirred into starter
when you feed it


Fresh Starter (n) starter
that has been proofed within
the last 8-10 hours


Proof (v) before using,
let stored starter get to room
temp and feed it amt water
= fresh starter in recipe +
1.5 or 2 times more flour


Meal (n) same as Feeding


Proofed Starter (n)

same
as fresh starter


Snack (n)

1-2 T flour with
a little water, stirred into
starter to refresh it, keep it
healthy in the frig, or to
slowlyincrease its size


Stored Starter (n) starter
that hasnt had a meal in
over 12 hrs, usually stored
in frig where it hibernates
Page 2
© 2008 K. A. YoungPermission is granted for reproduction of this document, and derivations are allowed, provided attribution is given.

Enjoy Your Starter

This advice gives the best results, but life aint always so-so!
Ive starved my starter in between meals and fed it colduh-oh!
I have failed to retrieve it on time or refresh itoh, no!
Ive done just about everything wrong at least once, andyet, lo!
Ive made edible bread, Ive had fun, and Ive learned muchah, so!
Raising a starter, like raising a daughter, takes timewhoa! whoa!
A little TLC, some planning, some patience, andpresto!
Your starters healthy and grown and at work on its ownhi-ho!
Its a little labor, but the rewards are greaterdough-dough!

Living With Your Sourdough Starter

Make It Comfortable Youll want your starter around a long time so keep it clean and make its stay
comfortable for both of you.
o
Its Bed A wide-mouth canning jar with measurements marked on the side is best. The jar will
conveniently fit in your refrigerator door and hold up to 2 cups starter easily. Give it a clean
sheet, plastic wrap over the open jar, not tucked too tight. You can store your starter in something
else, but dont store it in anything metal. When you take it out to proof it, wash its container and
give it a clean sheet.
o
Its Bedroom Unless youll be using it daily, store it in the refrigerator. You can store it in the
cabinet or on the countertop if you will feed it or proof it daily. Unless you use it every day or
every other day, it will stay healthier and be less of a bother if you leave it in the frig even if you
bake bread 2-3 times a week.
o
Put It To Sleep Your starter will hibernate indefinitely in cold storage; however, to keep it
from starving, youll need to feed it or proof it occasionally. If you dont use it for 3-4 days and
you dont plan to use it for the rest of the week, wake it up long enough to give it a snack if you
think of it. If you dont use your stored starter all week, go ahead and wake it up for a feeding.
You can leave your starter in bed for 4-6 weeks without any food, but this isnt recommended.

Wake It Up To Feed or Proof It It needs a little warmth to wake up so set it out in the room with you
or even outside on a temperate day. It works better if you let it wake up 30 minutes to an hour before you
proof it or before you feed it or give it a snack. A little sleep in its eyes is fine. If you forget it for
awhile and it starts to have a grayish liquid on the top, thats normal; it hasnt gone bad or anything. Just
stir the grayish liquid back into the rest when you notice it. But if it has a reddish or orange-tinted
appearance or liquid on top, throw it out because it has gone bad and you do not want to use it. (This has
never happened to me, but its good to know in case it ever does.)

Proof Your Starter Each time you want to use your starter, you will proof it. Fresh or proofed starter,
called for in a recipe, is stored starter that has been proofed (not just fed) within the past 8-12 hours (proof
starting time). Proof your starter 8-10 hours before using it. If you do this at 8pm or after, it will be
ready for you first thing the next morning.
o
Get It Out Of Bed Spoon out 1 cup stored starter and put into a large bowl. For quantities of
fresh starter greater than 2 cups, take out an amount of stored starter equal to ½ of the
fresh/proofed starter youll need. For example, if your recipe calls for 2 cups of fresh starter,
spoon 1 cup of starter from your jar into the bowl. If you want to use sourdough for more than
one recipe, add half as many cups of starter as cups of fresh starter called for by those recipes. Page 3
© 2008 K. A. YoungPermission is granted for reproduction of this document, and derivations are allowed, provided attribution is given.

o
Give It A Drink Of Water The amount of fresh/proofed starter needed for your recipe is the
amount of water you will pour over your starter in the bowl. For example, if your recipe calls for
2 cups of fresh starter, pour in 2 cups of water.
o
Give It A Bite To Eat Add an amount of flour slightly greater than the amount of water you
poured into the bowl. For example, if you poured 2 cups of water into the bowl with your starter,
add 2 ½ - 3 cups flour.
o
Give Your Starter A Night Out Cover the bowl with a towel or cheesecloth and set it
somewhere reasonably warm. Your oven (turned off!) is typically a good place. On top of the
refrigerator is another good place. In winter, I take mine to the bedroom where the heater is on.