Make Your Own Rye Sourdough Starter. 7 steps tutorial .

In the last year the amount of bread that my family eats have been reduced by half, if not more. It is not because we have fallen victims of the popular Gluten-Free diet fad. We all absolutely love breads and pastas. Why stop eating it then? Simply because not only the waistline was ever expanding but also both my husband and myself felt bloated all the time.

All the yeast, preservatives and additives that make the breads soft and fluffy have negative impact on our health. We have started noticing the difference during our travels, when we indulged in a freshly baked banquettes or pizza and did not feel bloated after the meal.

That got me thinking that not only the look, taste and texture of breads in North America are different, but the ingredients must greatly differ. The best solution was to reduce the amount we were eating. I actually stopped eating bread all together and lasted for about 6 months.  It has been very hard to break the lifelong habit of having a sandwich for lunch.

Recently I have decided to try my skill at baking bread at home. I also decided that I did not want to bake with yeast. Hey, why make it easy?!

Here is a simple recipe for Sourdough Starter. This recipe is from a book by James Hamelman “Bread”

This starter has wild yeast and bacteria, that will make bread rise naturally.

Day 1

225 g dark rye flour

225 g water (room temperature)

Mix the ingredients and place in a clean jar. Cover with foil and leave for 24 hours in the warm place (23-27 C). In my experience 25 C is an optimal temperature. In 22-23 C range the starter takes a lot longer to get active.

Day 2

Use 112 g of mixture from day 1

112 g dark rye flour

112 g water

Mix well, place in a clean jar and cover with foil.

Day 3/4/5/6

112 g of mixture from the previous day

112 g dark rye flour

112 g water

If possible on days 3 to 6 feed the mixture every 12 hours – 112 g mixture from previous day, 56 g water, 56 g flour in the morning. In the evening add 56 g water and 56 g flour. 

Do not worry if you do it all in one step like on day 2. You will end up with a good starter anyway.

By day 3 your starter should be doubling after a few hours. It will drop down afterwards but that is normal so do not fret.

On Day 7 your starter should be ready to be used.

To store the starter – cover it and put in the fridge. Remember to feed it ONCE A WEEK by adding 50 g of rye flour and 50 g of water. Take the jar out of the fridge for about an hour so it warms up a bit. Add flour and water. Stir well and leave out for another hour. Once you see that it starts to grow or form bubbles put it back in the fridge.

Share your experience with making bread at home and favorite recipes. Check back soon for my tried and delicious bread recipes.