Oldest Sourdough Starter Recipe Ever

Sourdough starter, or the sponge as some call it, makes the best leavened bread, and it is more digestible due to its probiotic nature. This impressive leavening was possibly found thousands of years ago by an ancient lazy baker who simply forgot the flour and water mixture out in the open. Little did he know that he invented the most sought-after crusty bread starter among bakers.

All you need is a little patience to make an easy sourdough starter at home. But if you don’t have the time then go with the quick sourdough starter formula. You will also get the benefits of a healthier diet. Remember, whole wheat bread is not much healthier than white bread as most people think but sourdough sure contains many nutritious elements.

How to make classic sourdough starter easily?

It just takes water and flour for an amazing starter. Setting it up is absolutely not hard, just follow my lead.

Keep these in mind:

• Be careful to use a breathable lid to keep the starter alive and fermenting.
• Use a glass jar, it is the best way to check the fermentation process.
• Do not move or shake your starter much. You can put a rubber around the jar in order to measure the leavening amount each day. Some days it falls back, no need to worry.

Ingredients for easy sourdough starter

• 50 gr bread flour
• 50 ml (gr) water (bottled)

Tools: spatula (plastic or wood), glass jar with a breathable lid (or a loosely attached plastic wrap), digital scale (or measuring cups)

Steps for making sourdough starter from scratch

1. DAY 1: Put the flour and the water in the glass jar and mix well with the spatula, make sure everything is blended in. Scrape down the sides. Let it sit for 24 hrs.
2. DAY 2: Add 50gr flour and 50 gr water and stir.
3. DAY 3: Discard 100 gr of starter. Put the rest in a clean jar. Add 100 gr flour and 100 gr water and stir.
4. DAY 4: Discard 150 gr of starter and add 100 gr flour and 100 gr water.
5. DAY 5: Discard 200 gr of starter and add 150 gr flour and 150 gr water.
6. DAY 6: Discard 250 gr of starter and add 200 gr flour and 200 gr water.
7. DAY 7: Ready to use.

How does feeding the sourdough starter work?

Feeding the starter means discarding some portion of the matured starter and adding fresh water and flour. Once your starter is ready to use then you just have to feed it 3 times a week and keep it in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge 12 hours prior to using it in your bread and feed after you use.

A benefit of home-made sourdough starter is that you can easily make it organic by using organic flour and bottled water (no chlorine).

Overnight quick sourdough starter ingredients:

The trick is to add yeast in order to make a fast sourdough starter.

• 2 cups (256gr) flour
• 1 package dry yeast
• 2 cups (470 ml) lukewarm water

Mix all the ingredients and let it rest for 24-48 hours.

In Conclusion

Sourdough starter is essential for true artisan baking and no yeast can make this delicious bread with crispy crust. Some bakers keep their sourdough starters for years. I bet there are many who pass their starters onto their grandchildren like Lucille Clarke Dumbrill (had 122 years old sourdough starter).