Sourdough

Over the last few months I’ve baked a lot of sourdough. Over the last few weeks I’ve given away 20+ starters for others to bake with. My starter now has grandchildren! They grow up so fast.

Sourdough FAQ

Where is the starter from? 

I took a workshop from Sour Flour in June 2014 and got the starter from them. They said something like their starter was 7 years old and from Costa Rica if memory serves. Now the starter’s name is Puff.

What recipes have I used? 

I read Tartine Bread and Flour Water Salt Yeast to start, then found some good videos like this from Food52 and lots of time browsing /r/sourdough. I put together this adapted recipe, mostly based on Tartine with a few changes. It works well! Example images below. I’ve also made baguettes, english muffins and focaccia using the same starter. 

Where can I buy bread flour?

I’ve had the best luck with restaurant supply stores – get a 25lb bag for $15! Try gocheetah.com as well.

How do I feed / maintain my starter?

I follow a 10/50/50 ratio. Keep 10g of the original starter and toss (or use) the rest. Add 50g water and 50g flour. I normally use bread flour, but AP works just fine. Mix it all up and leave it on the counter overnight to get bubbly. If you’re baking often you can leave it out all the time and feed it every 2 days or so. Otherwise stick it in the fridge and you can go weeks between feedings.