Sourdough bread has been a hot topic since 2020! And it doesn’t look like the craze is going away anytime soon which is great! Sourdough & fermented products have so many health benefits that more people should be consuming them in order to obtain a healthier digestion system. To make Sourdough bread you need something really easy to create which is sourdough starter.

What is Sourdough Starter?
Imagine a dough with yeast already inside of it. That right there is pretty much what sourdough starter is! When you ferment flour (pretty much any flour of your choice) you are able to capture wild yeast. Yeast is what allows your baked goods to rise and be nice and fluffy. The specific bacteria that is involved with this process is called lactobacilli. If you are familiar with probiotics, lactobacilli, is just that! So a healthy gut is just a by-product from beautiful bread!
Lactobacilli is also found in yogurts, sour creams, milk kefir and, so much more!
How to Choose the Right Flour for your Sourdough Starter.
This is where sourdough starter is very forgiving and if anything needs time.
When I started my sourdough starter, about a year or so ago, I started with brown rice flour. I started with brown rice flour because I just was too scared to try anything else since I had to be gluten free due to being EXTREMELY sensitive. With some filtered water and 1:1 ratio with feeds my sourdough starter came alive!
That being said after time went on I found I was going to test the waters after doing some research. By that I mean adding REGULAR unbleached all purpose flour!
I had many studies and testimonies that have proven fermenting grains allows the human body to digest it better.
If anyone knows gluten free food, it can get pretty pricey pretty face as well as a sacrifice with taste (for the most part).
Each time I tried baking another loaf I would add a couple of regular flour each time. Thats when I realized I was handling it really well!
Because of the finding I know makes ALL my breads from scratch from home! I am so thankful of tip-toeing out of my comfort zone.
How to Begin your Starter
When I started my started I let it intimate to to much. Each time I discarded some I made sure to measure exactly 1/2. I did the same when adding new water and flour.
Though that is a great way to get in the habit of keeping a healthy starter, it doesn’t have to be that precise. As long as you discard and fed to the consistency of pancake batter you will do just fine. Just keep it stored in a jar with a loose cover and you will be solid!

Thats it?
Yep, thats it! Crazy? Isn’t it? Pretty much just making a beautiful loaf of bread from some water flour and time to kill! It is an amazing and therapeutic art! Give your sour about a month to be well established and you should be well on your way!
If for any reason wonder if its not ready preform the hydration test!
The Hydration test is when you take cup of water and drop some starter in to the cup. When you put the starter into the cup be sure that is stays together like a clump. If the starter does not stay together in a clump it is not yet ready to use!
Another tall tell sign that your starter is ready to use is jut by looking at it! It should be all full of holes and bubbles!
Enjoy the beautiful hobby of sourdough baking!

Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
- Filtered Water
- Unbleached all Purpose Flour (or any flour of your choice)
Instructions
- Mix 1/4 C of flour of your choice with 1/4 C or less of water to get a pancake batter consistancy
- Mix well
- Let is for 12-24 hours
- Discard desired amount
- Add another 1/4 C of flour and 1/4 c filtered water
- Repeat
Notes
If you are not in need of your starter for longer periods you can store your starter in the fridge to slow the fermenting process down.

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