So you have an active starter, congratulations!!! Keep it alive and you can have it for your entire life! I am not even kidding there are sourdough starters that are 900 years old! This can be intimidating, so let me walk you through exactly what to do with it!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Bread Flour
1/4 cup Filtered Water
Everyday Directions:
Discard 1/2 of your starter and add 1/3 cup flour, and 1/4 cup water.
Using your wooden spoon mix this together. You want a thick pancake batter consistency. If it is too thick add a little extra water. If it is too thin add a little flour.
After combined scrap the sides and mark the top of your sourdough mixture with a rubber band.
Cover the top with a paper towel and secure with a rubber band or jar ring. If your jar has a lid you can use it just set it on top, do not secure it , you want the starter to “breath”
Set it in a warmer area in your kitchen, and wait for it to rise!
Repeat these steps, every day to keep your starter healthy and alive!
Wait a minute, I have to do this every single day?
Only if you plan to use it regularly! If you like to make your sourdough every once in a while all you have to do is follow the steps above, SECURE your lid (you will want a real lid for this), and place in your fridge until you are ready to use it again!
When you are ready to use it again, take it out of your fridge and follow steps 1-6 every day until your starter has doubled in size. Once it has you can use it however you like!
How do I know when my starter is ready to use?
When your starter has doubled in size it is ready to use!!!
There are better times to use your starter, but you can use an active starter anytime to make sour dough bread.
Pro tips:
If you want that beautiful, airy, classic sour dough it is best to start your bread when your starter has JUST begun to stop rising.
How can I tell if its stopped rising?
If your starter is domed at the top it is still rising. If your starter is flat at the top and just starting to fall, this is the PEAK time to use it!
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