Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Starter

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp. sugar or honey
• 1 tbsp. active dry yeast
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions:

• Pour the water into a 2-quart glass or ceramic jar or bowl. Stir in the sugar or honey to dissolve. 
• Stir in the yeast.
• Gradually whisk in the flour. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or dishcloth (not plastic wrap) and place it in a warm area. 
• Let it develop 2-5 days, stirring once a day due to the separation that will occur. 
• When bubbling has subsided and a sour aroma has developed, stir once more and refrigerate until ready to use.

Storing and Maintaining Your Starter

Once your starter is stored away in the refrigerator, it only needs to be replenished once every two weeks or so. You should feed your starter each time you remove a portion for use in baking, but if it has been two weeks and you don’t intend to bake with it immediately, simply remove a cup of the starter and discard. For every 1 cup of starter removed, replace with 1 cup of flour and ½ cup of water. Stir to blend, and let sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours before returning to the refrigerator.