Care and Feeding of Sourdough Bread

Thanks to everyone who came out to March 22nd's Sourdough Class. 20 baguettes of sourdough were made - and some were even rumored to have made it home! Below are directions for care and feeding of your new sourdough starter if you took some home last night.

Care and feeding of starter by weight (using a kitchen scale):

Weigh your starter (ex. 8 ounces)

Divide this number by 2 (ex. 4 ounces)

Add equal parts flour (4 ounces) and water (4 ounces) to double the starter. Mix the water in first, followed by the flour.

Cover the starter and let double until ready to use or put back in the refrigerator.

Weigh your starter again and it should be right at or close to double the original amount.

Care and feeding of starter by volume (using measuring cups):

Measure your starter (ex. 1 cup)

1 cup equals 8 ounces, divide this by 2.

Add 1/2 cup (4 ounces) water to starter and 1 loose cup of flour (roughly 4 ounces).

Tip: Measuring by volume can be tricky. Flour has roughly double the volume of water by weight, hence 1/2 cup water = 1 cup flour. This let's you keep the starter close to proper proportions.

Also, remember that the starter can be modified to be either wetter (more sour) or stiffer (more mild). When doubling the starter to convert in either direction, simply change the ratio of water to flour that is being added. For example:

Converting to a wetter starter (by weight):

Original starter = 8 ounces

Add 6 ounces water and 2 ounces flour.

This will thin the starter to more of a crepe batter consistency.

Have fun experimenting and I'll have the bread recipe posted soon!

Happy baking!

Henricus