Five Simple Steps to the Perfect Sour Dough Starter

I've been around the internet a time or two by now and I have seen many complicated recipes for sour dough starter. While they differ on many points - some call for just white flour and water, others wheat or even rye flour, sometimes with a bit of sugar or honey - there is one theme that seems to run through them all. Every single person I have seen give a recipe for sour dough has said that every time you feed your starter you must throw most of it away.

I've read various reasons given for this, but the primary one seems to be to keep you from having an excess of starter. In some recipes, they say it is in order to transition from wheat to white flour by this method. Most recipes don't give any reason for it whatsoever. Regardless, I completely disagree. I've never thrown a bit of mine away and I've never ended up with too much - and my starter works like a dream in sour dough recipes, so I know it works just fine.

Keep in mind that while the steps are simple, this process is not quick. Depending on the temperature (outside as well as in) and other conditions where you live, the sour dough starter process can take anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week. Because this method requires such a small amount of ingredients, however, it will usually yield results in a shorter time than other recipes, often in under 48 hours.

Materials: Flour, water, a spoon, a small (1-2 cup) container with several holes in the lid, and a dark hand towel.

Step 1 - Add 2 tablespoons each of white flour and water to the container. If you have had trouble getting a starter going in the past and feel that starting with wheat or rye will give you a kick start, just add a pinch to the white flour and water.

Step 2 - Mix the flour and water well. Use your finger to get all the mixture off the spoon and into the container, then stir again and scrape it down again. Do not skip this step. There is yeast in the air and on your skin. I'm sure you washed your hands before you started, so there is nothing icky about this. It is a good idea to smell the mixture at this point, as you will need to know later if the mixture smells different.

Step 3 - Cover the container with the lid and the towel and place it in the warmest spot in your house for 24 hours (12 if it's particularly warm).

Step 4 - Open the container and smell the mixture. If it still smells like fresh flour and water - even if it smells a bit sour, too - add another tablespoon each of flour and water, mix. and replace the lid and towel. Repeat this step every 12-24 hours until the mixture smells quite sour with no trace of the "clean" flour smell.

Step 5 - LATER USE: Add ¼ cup each fresh flour and water to the starter, mix well, cover, and refrigerate until needed, feeding a tablespoon of fresh ingredients every week or two. IMMEDIATE USE: Use up to 3/4 of the starter to create the sponge for your sour dough recipe and follow the "later use" instructions above with the remaining starter.

Note: Once refrigerated, the starter may separate with a grayish liquid forming on top of the denser dough. Simply stir this back in when feeding.