Close
Prep Time:1 hrAdditional Time:4 days 23 hrsTotal Time:5 daysServings:24Yield:12 ouncesJump to Nutrition Facts
Prep Time:1 hrAdditional Time:4 days 23 hrsTotal Time:5 daysServings:24Yield:12 ounces
Prep Time:1 hr
Prep Time:
1 hr
Additional Time:4 days 23 hrs
Additional Time:
4 days 23 hrs
Total Time:5 days
Total Time:
5 days
Servings:24
Servings:
24
Yield:12 ounces
Yield:
12 ounces
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients4 ⅓cupswhole-wheat flour (1 pound, 6 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding2 ½cupswarm water (85 degrees F), divided, plus more as needed for feeding2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (4 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
4 ⅓cupswhole-wheat flour (1 pound, 6 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding
2 ½cupswarm water (85 degrees F), divided, plus more as needed for feeding
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (4 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding
Directions
Day 1: Combine 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water in a 2-quart plastic or glass container. Do not use a metal container. Stir until the flour and water are well mixed. No dry flour should remain. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a loose-fitting lid. If you are using a glass jar, do not tighten the lid. Expanding gasses can break the glass. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours in a warm place, 75-90 degrees F. If the temperature is lower, the starter may take a few days longer to fully develop.
Day 2: Discard half the starter, leaving 4 ounces in the container. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water. Stir well and cover loosely. Let the starter sit for 24 hours. Near the end of day 2, the mixture should have expanded a little and some small bubbles should have appeared.
Day 3: Repeat the feeding process from Step 2, discarding half the starter and adding 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water.
Day 4: The starter should have expanded and should have a distinct, sour odor. More bubbles should be visible on top. Begin a 12-hour feeding schedule: In the morning, repeat the feeding process from Step 2, discarding half the starter and adding 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water. Repeat the feeding process again 12 hours later.
Day 5: The starter should have a ripe, sour odor. Small bubbles should be abundant throughout the mixture. Discard half the starter, leaving 4 ounces in the container. This time, feed with 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water. Continue the 12-hour feeding schedule, discarding half the starter and using 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water for each feed until you are ready to bake. Or, store the starter in the refrigerator and feed once per week.
Associated Recipe
Whole-Wheat Sourdough Bread
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlike traditional bread, which is leavened using yeast,sourdough breadgets its rise from fermenting flour and water. The fermentation in sourdough has health advantages, including making nutrients like calcium, phosphorous and iron more available to the body. Like other fermented foods, sourdough is also good for your gut and helps with digestion. Sourdough bread also ranks lower on the glycemic index compared to bread that is not fermented, which means that it can help with blood sugar management—the added fiber in whole-wheat sourdough just adds even more benefits for blood sugar.
We suggest using a digital kitchen scale to weigh flour because it tends to settle and cause inaccurate volume measurements.
It may take the sourdough starter 7 to 10 days to fully develop when the room temperature is lower than 70°F. Try storing the starter in a warm spot in your home, such as the top of the hot water heater or in the laundry room.If you have refrigerated your starter, a day or two before you are ready to bake bread, remove 4 ounces of the starter and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Then feed it and wait 12 hours. If growth is strong, feed again and wait 4 to 6 hours before making bread. Otherwise, resume the 12-hour feeding schedule until the starter is at full strength.Use 4 ounces of the whole-wheat starter to seed a new batch of starter that uses 100% all-purpose flour if you want to make white sourdough. After a few feedings, the white flour will have replaced the wheat.If 8 ounces of starter is not enough for your recipe, don’t discard the starter in excess of 4 ounces for a couple of feedings. Keep adding 4 ounces of flour and 4 ounces of water each cycle. Feed in this manner until you have the amount needed for the recipe.
It may take the sourdough starter 7 to 10 days to fully develop when the room temperature is lower than 70°F. Try storing the starter in a warm spot in your home, such as the top of the hot water heater or in the laundry room.
If you have refrigerated your starter, a day or two before you are ready to bake bread, remove 4 ounces of the starter and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Then feed it and wait 12 hours. If growth is strong, feed again and wait 4 to 6 hours before making bread. Otherwise, resume the 12-hour feeding schedule until the starter is at full strength.
Use 4 ounces of the whole-wheat starter to seed a new batch of starter that uses 100% all-purpose flour if you want to make white sourdough. After a few feedings, the white flour will have replaced the wheat.
If 8 ounces of starter is not enough for your recipe, don’t discard the starter in excess of 4 ounces for a couple of feedings. Keep adding 4 ounces of flour and 4 ounces of water each cycle. Feed in this manner until you have the amount needed for the recipe.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, June 2018
Rate ItPrint
Nutrition Facts(per serving)43Calories9gCarbs1gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
Carrie Myers, M.S.
