Now you can ask me why even try. With so many different brands and choices of dry and fresh yeast available. Why would you want to waste your time to make something we can buy so easily for a small amount of money? The answer is simple. You will enjoy growing something new. Something alive. And you will get to know the process called fermentation so much better.

This recipe is for a sourdough starter and it will take you roughly a week. But before we get to the equipment and ingredients let us just remind you about a small thing called yeast. For more recipes go ahead with How To Make Your Own Cheese.

Our friend the yeast

Yeast is a single-cell organism that exists all around us. They feed on carbohydrates and as they do so they release CO2. Because of that, yeast is used to leaven bread and convert carbs to alcohol. In baking, yeast is used as a leavening agent where it converts the fermentable sugars from the grains in the dough into CO2. This causes the dough to expand or rise as gas forms pockets of bubbles.

Wild yeast is a natural microorganism that can be found almost everywhere. On the surface of the trees, on the skins of vegetables, on our hands. There are wild yeasts everywhere around us. Wild yeasts and some bacteria are the basis of starter doughs. When used they create more complex flavors than using commercial yeast.

Lets make some sourdough starter

When you are about to start this project make sure to stay patient. It will take you about a week to grow your first starter. The list of equipment and ingredients is very simple and one of the reasons we recommend making your own starter for any beginner in fermentation. All you’re going to need is:

• a clean glass jar
• some dechlorinated water
• flour, you can choose what type of flour you want to use.

For starters just whisk a cup of flour and a cup of lukewarm water together and put it in a jar. Seal the jar tightly and let it sit for a day at room temperature. Make sure it’s not too cold.

After that, you will need to start with daily feedings. On days two and three you will need to feed your starter once a day. That means taking out half of the starter and then mixing a cup of water and flour to replace it.

On days four and five you will notice there is some activity in your jar. It will start to slowly expand. You will need to feed the starter twice daily with 12 hours in between. So just feed it as you did on the previous days. Discard half of the jar and replace it with fresh flour and water.

When you notice your starter doubling in size that means it’s ready. It usually happens on day six but not to worry if it happens a little later. You need to be patient and let nature take its course. You can feed it once more and transfer it into a fridge where you can keep it until you are ready to start making bread.

If it doesn’t double in size by day six just continue feeding it every 12 hours until it does. It just means that your starter is a little lazy and needs more time. May the power of fermentation be on your side. Go and bake some bread now.