Read Day 1 and Day 2 to catch up!
This morning I didn’t have as much dark liquid on top of my starter as I did yesterday. Here’s what my jar looked like:
Have you been sniffing your jar? I thought today mine smelled just a little tiny bit sour…just a little tiny bit.
Today…do just like you did yesterday: Pour off most of the liquid on top (I only had about a tablespoon today)…put your starter into a clean jar or glass bowl…add a cup of flour and a cup of water…stir it…replace the cheesecloth and put it back in it’s warm nest. Really, making sourdough takes no time at all. (Even including my jar sniffing time this process probably only took 2 minutes this morning.)
My jar is almost half full now…I may have to switch to a big glass bowl by the time these seven days are up!
And speaking of glass bowls…Jayme asked WHY it has to be glass? Can you use plastic bowls?
Sourdough should always be prepared in glass and baked in either glass or stoneware. Sourdough is acidic, therefore it will react with metal and plastic. It is very porous…so it will absorb the metalic or plastic-y tastes and qualities. For that matter…I try to always stir my sourdough with a wooden spoon.
So…go sniff your jar…feed your sourdough…and come report back to us here about how your sourdough is doing! :)
My only warm place is on top of my dryer in the laundry room. Imagine my surprise when it had “grown” and spilled over the top of the jar! Just a teeny tiny wiff of sourdough!
Yippee
Oh I so wish I was making this along with you. Unfortunately I am the only one in my family that likes sourdough bread. :(
Since I am not making starter I feel somewhat like a sourdough voyeur! It looks really good.
Roberta Anne
I tried making a starter a few months ago. I had a big gallon pickle jar with a metal lid, but I just placed the lid on without screwing it on. Also, I used regular all purpose flour. I wonder if either or both of these might have been why my starter didn’t start.
Well, now that I think about it, it was summer, so the air conditioners were running. So, it might have been too cool. Maybe now is the right time of year to try it, since we have the heaters running. And, on top of the fridge seems like the best place.
I’d like to try it again, but should I get the special flour?
I think I found your site through orgjunkie.com and menu plan, but I am really enjoying it. I tried a sourdough starter before, and it was much more complex and took much longer. I finally gave up, because I decided there was no way I would keep up with it. This one I think I can do. I’ve just got to find my two large jars and I’m going to get started. I also love the fact that it’s whole wheat and that I can use my grinder. I’m still really just learning to use it regularly, etc. so any extra help is ALWAYS needed. THANKS!
Mine’s starting to smell a little sour! I had quite a bit of brown liquid again today.
Do you know why it needs to be moved to a new jar each day instead of adding to the same jar? Just curious.
Hi!
I’ve just recently started watching your blog!
I am new to all this, but I was wondering if I can do a starter w/out using wheat?
Trying to stay away from wheat right now.
Thank you!
Tarena
I just found your blog and absolutely love it!!! I’m on day 3 of the sourdough starter and just accidentally added hot water, is it going to matter? Will it kill my starter? Thanks for your help!
Hi Laura, I am on day two of my “sourdough starter adventure”. But, guess what, I am using whole grain brown rice flour. Do you think it will work? I am keeping it in the oven with the light on and it is warm and toasty in there, and even has a scent of something beginning to happen. I have wanted to do this for so long, and now I am gluten intolerant, so pray this works OK.
Thank you so much, Michelle not possible.
Hi Laura, I am looking at my email to you and wondering how the “not possible” got on there, it doesn’t make sense and I don’t remember typing it. I mean I must have, but why?
Hi Laura, it’s me again, I got so side tracked by the “not possible” that I forgot to tell you about my rice flour sourdough starter. Well, there really isn’t much to tell, it was going along nicely. I was doing as you directed and it was bubbling away, content to be in the oven with the light on. I chickened out though, and just went to look at it still in the oven, and how long has it been, sense July the eighth. Maybe that “not possible” was my subconscience. I mean I went to every sourdough starter site I could find to read up on it and I was just scared to death to use it. I’m a chicken and I know it and I don’t like to start new things alone. But I am willing to try it again if I knew it would work with brown rice flour. It is nice of you to email me, it gives me courage. Thank you, Michelle
Hi Laura, it’s me again, I got so side tracked that I forgot to tell you about my rice flour sourdough starter. Well, there really isn’t much to tell, it was going along nicely. I was doing as you directed and it was bubbling away, content to be in the oven with the light on. I chickened out though, and just went to look at it still in the oven, and how long has it been, sense July the eighth. Maybe that “not possible” was my subconscience. I mean I went to every sourdough starter site I could find to read up on it and I was just scared to death to use it. I’m a chicken and I know it and I don’t like to start new things alone. But I am willing to try it again if I knew it would work with brown rice flour. It is nice of you to email me, it gives me courage. Thank you, Michelle
Thank you so much for the new site, I went there and got totally absorbed in all the wonderful bread recipes, that I can’t make, but I love to read about anyway. I will do what they recommend a try. But, before I do that I want to try your way again. My starter was doing well, I just didn’t follow through.
Thank you so much for the new site, I went there and got totally absorbed in all the wonderful bread recipes, that I can’t make, but I love to read about anyway. I will do what they recommend a try. But, before I do that I want to try your way again. My starter was doing well, I just didn’t follow through.
Thank you so much for the new site, I went there and got totally absorbed in all the wonderful bread recipes, that I can’t make, but I love to read about anyway. I will do what they recommend a try. But, before I do that I want to try your way again. My starter was doing well, I just didn’t follow through.
Thank you so much for the new site, I went there and got totally absorbed in all the wonderful bread recipes, that I can’t make, but I love to read about anyway. I will do what they recommend a try. But, before I do that I want to try your way again. My starter was doing well, I just didn’t follow through.
So I woke up this morning to check on my dough & it had erupted from the jar & was running down my refrigerator. LOL I wanted to take a picture of it but I’m in the middle of packing to move & couldn’t find it (my place is a mess right now as you can imagine). I’ve put it in a bowl now but I’m afraid it is going to continue to outgrow my bowls. Do you think it would be okay to add just 1/2 c of flour & water each day rather than an entire cup?
I’m late in answering this…so sorry!
Yes, you can add smaller amounts each day and still achieve the same result.
I start Day 3 tomorrow, and I’m a little nervous. I have lots of bubbles and fermenty-like action happening in my jar. Is that normal on day 2/3? My jar has lots of airbubbls in the flour and a layer of murky water at the bottom. Still good? I’m afraid it might mean that I have LOTS of bacteria and yeast in our kitchen(I do bake our bread) and the starter is having no trouble at all catching what it needs. Should I be nervous? Thanks!! –Kathy
I’m obviously very behind in getting questions answered, but I’ll answer this anyway!
Your starter should be just fine…in different climates and such, everyone’s starter is going to look and act a little differently. Hopefully your bread turned out great!
On a side note – have you ever baked with yeast water? I just started that along with my sourdough breads (btw – your instructions are some of the best out there) and love using the yeast water instead of commercial yeast.
Hmm, I’ve never heard of yeast water. Interesting!
Short instructions:
Raisins (organic is the best – no wax on them), water & a bit of
sugar to speed things up (I use 1 box of raisins [the kind you get
for the kids lunchbox], about 2 c of water and a tbsp of sugar).
Mix together in a jar with a loose lid (that you can tighten) and
shake it up. Set on the counter (with lid loose) and leave for 24
hrs. Tighten lid, shake and loosen lid and leave for another 24 hrs
– you should start to see bubbles as it starts to ferment.
When you see the raisins float and the water bubble a bit, you can
use the water. This usually takes 3 – 5 days (if you start with an
old batch of water, it can be as little as 1 day).
Once the water is ready, then you add 3.2 oz of water to 3.5 oz of
flour and make a pre-ferment. Let double (about 6 hrs) and then
make a wet dough and let double (another 4-6 hrs) and then you
can make a firm dough, pizza dough, bagels, etc
I have pictures at http://mumscafe.blogspot.com/
I am making baguettes with these and they are awesome – light
crisp crust with a sweet aftertaste. You can add a bit of
sourdough starter to this dough to give it some tang.
I’ve been experimenting with the sourdough starter you have and
so far the taste is awesome.
thanks again for your pictures (I’m a visual learner) – love your
instructions.
my sourdough is getting a little sour. It’s stinky. Is this ok?
Should be fine.
I am so excited!! I’ve tried making sourdough before, using regular white flour, and using different methods, for as long as 2 weeks… nothing. I would get some bubbles, but no growth whatsoever. I started this 3 days ago, following your instructions exactly, and using freshly ground wheat flour… my starter is now TWICE THE SIZE that I put into it!!! Yeah!! I have made yeast!!! Thank you so much, Laura, you ROCK!!!!