How to Make Sourdough Bread Starter
To make a sourdough starter, you need only two ingredients (and time): flour and water. Sourdough starter uses natural yeasts and lactobacilli from the air to grow; they settle into the flour-water mixture and feed on the sugars in the flour. The “sour” flavor is from fermentation by the lactobacilli, which produces sour-tasting lactic acid. Here’s how to make a sourdough bread starter:
Feeding Sourdough Starter
If you’re not using your starter immediately, keep it at room temperature and feed it by stirring in one cup of flour and ½ cup of water. Let it stand in a warm place overnight. Repeat daily. To slow down the fermenting process, store your starter in the refrigerator and feed it once a week. Let the starter come to room temperature before measuring and using it in a recipe. When you use your starter, remove the desired amount and feed the remaining starter. Then let it stand at room temperature for at least 24 hours before chilling the extra starter. When your starter gets to be too much, discard half of it before feeding.
How to Make Sourdough Bread
Once your sourdough starter is ready, gather the ingredients for our basic sourdough bread recipe that makes two loaves (10 slices each).
Step 1: Stir Together Ingredients and Chill
In a large bowl, stir together flour, water, and sourdough starter until smooth. Cover bowl with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature four hours. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill overnight.
Step 2: Add Remaining Flour and Knead
Stir the salt and the remaining flour into the mixture. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead in enough flour to make a smooth dough (two to three minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the surface of the dough. Cover and let rise at room temperature about two hours or until slightly increased in size (you might see a few bubbles).
Step 3: Separate and Shape Loaves
Line a large baking sheet ($12, Walmart) with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; divide in half. Shape each dough half into an oval loaf. Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature about two hours or until nearly double in size.
Step 4: Bake
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp knife ($70, Williams Sonoma), make three or four diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove the loaves from the baking sheet; cool on wire racks ($17, Target).
How to Make Sourdough Bread Without a Starter
If you’re looking for a quick sourdough bread recipe, this one is about as fast as it gets. For one thing, you can skip the process of making a starter. Follow these instructions to learn how to make sourdough bread without starter that’s ready to slice and eat in just a couple of hours.
6¾ to 7¼ cups all-purpose flour1 pkg. active dry yeast1½ cups water3 tbsp. sugar3 tbsp. vegetable oil2 tsp. saltOne 6-oz. carton (⅔ cup) plain yogurt2 tbsp. lemon juice
You can also make sourdough bread without a starter with this simple slow-cooker bread recipe. Got too much sourdough starter to handle? Put it to good use in a new recipe. Enjoy the freshly-baked sourdough bread as the base for your morning avocado toast or a classic stuffing. Get our tips for storing bread to keep it fresh as long as possible, or turn stale bread into croutons, French toast, or bread pudding.
