Cottage Kitchen: Sourdough Starter

I have made it a goal to get good at making sourdough bread. I have mastered the starter and made sourdough pizza crust for a few years now, but I wanted to make the perfect loaf of everyday sandwich bread. 

 

The starter recipe I follow is from King Arthur Flour. It seems complicated until you make it several times, and then it becomes a routine you get familiar with. Here I have measured out by weight 113g of whole wheat flour, and I am pouring in 1/2 cup of cool water.

Make sure you mix it in a glass container. On reviewing these photos, I probably shouldn't have used the aluminum canning funnel.* I will change that and just pour the flour in without it.  

It seemed to work great this time but the next few times-this was day two- I fed the starter, and it started to go without as much activity. It might have been that canning funnel.*

Anyway, this is the activity you want. Nice fluffy starter. I have used less fluffy starter, and it still makes good bread, but it is always a work in progress. 

*Note: the aluminum canning funnel may have been the reason my starter started to go "flat." I am no expert on sourdough by any means, but I did remake it several times without the aluminum canning funnel, and the results were more active, like in the photos above.

My sourdough bread results coming soon! 

In Victory,

Sherry