How to Grow a Sourdough Starter {the easy way}

Growing a sourdough starter is stupid easy, though it did take me a few tries and a few different ratios until I found what worked best for me. 

The ratios that I give below suit me perfectly as I bake one loaf of sourdough bread per week and using these ratios, I throw out very little sourdough starter, aside from the first few days in the initial period of growth. If you are baking more, simply increase the ratios. 

Literally all you need is a clean jar, flour, and water

Grab a clean pint sized jar and fill it with equal parts (for me this is two ounces) water and flour. Mix well and cover with a piece of cheese cloth and a rubber band - leave to sit on your counter overnight. 

The next day, grab a new pint size jar. Measure out equal parts of flour, water, and the flour/water mix from yesterday (throw out what is left). Mix well and cover again with cheesecloth and a rubber band. Leave out on your counter overnight.

Continue this process for 3-4 days. You will know your starter is ready to bake with when it doubles in size and is bubbly within a few hours of "feeding" -- feeding meaning: adding new water and flour. Once your starter is ready, go ahead and bake with it. With the ratios I use, I will have ended up with 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of starter. The bread recipe I use calls for 1/2 cup of starter. This leaves me with 1/4 cup of starter left over. I put this 1/4 cup in the fridge until I am ready to bake again. 

The night before I am ready to bake again, I take my 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of starter out of the fridge. I "feed" it equals parts (so, 2 ounces each) flour and water and leave it on the counter overnight. It usually just takes the one feeding for it to be ready, so in the morning it has already doubled in size, is super bubbly and ready to bake with. 

And just look at this beautiful loaf it made! Click here for the recipe that I use - it's super easy -- you don't even have to knead it! Happy baking :)

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