Pictured Above: rye sourdough starter used to make batter with millet flour
Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe
There are many books, blogs, courses and probably podcasts teaching the exquisite art of sourdough bread making. This is not that. This is simply an easy and foolproof sourdough starter recipe.
The starter can then be used for making loaves of bread, pancakes, crumpets, pizza bases, crackers, focaccia, hot cross buns and more!
You can also share your starter with friends, just ask them to bring a clean pot to take some home! Elle carried hers home like it was a newborn baby.
We have the greatest success with wholegrain rye flour and it gives a really yummy super tangy flavour.
Some Benefits of Sourdough
- whole grains are a food group we encourage you to include in your every day diet due to the mineral, protein and fibre content being superior to that of refined grains, so be sure to choose a wholegrain sourdough like this one
- sourdough bread is more nutritious than bread made with baker's yeast because the lactic acid bacteria lowers the pH of the bread, deactivating the mineral-binding-phytate, making the nutrients in the grains more accessible
- sourdough contains prebiotic fibre that fuels the healthy probiotic bacteria in the gut
Sourdough Starter Method
In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of room temperature filtered water with 2 cups of whole grain rye flour.
Cover bowl with tea towel and leave out of fridge on the countertop.
After 1 day, add 1 more cup of rye flour and 1 more cup of water.
Mix gently.
After 3-4 days*, the mixture should be frothy / bubbly. You will be able to smell the fermented sourdough smell. (*may happen more quickly if warm weather).
That is it! The sourdough starter is now ready to use.
I usually use half and save half.
Keep the half you are saving in the fridge in a clean, non-porous container with a lid, but it should not be air tight (sourdough makes gas - it could explode!) Glass containers work well.
You should feed the mixture in fridge with 1/2 cup rye flour and 1/2 cup water every few days or once a week if you want to keep it alive.
When you want to use it again, take it out of the fridge for a few hours and it will become frothy / bubbly again. It all depends on how warm the room is.
Note: Dough made with sourdough starter rises more slowly than with yeast.
Pictured below: rye sourdough starter and millet pancakes cooking in a pan with olive oil
