Idiot-proof sourdough starter recipe

[GrouchyKiwi]

I'd like to get back into making sourdough bread so need a starter recipe. The last one I used wasn't fantastic (Paul Hollywood's recipe from How To Bake) so does anyone have a starter that's worked well for them?

Bumping cos I'd like to know this

Take a sterilised jam jar and ask at a local bakery (and supermarket ones count) if you can have a lump of theirs.

There are no guaranteed zero-input recipes, as you're reliant on just the right sort of airborn yeast to drop in to your starter pot. It works maybe quarter the time, but would you recognise a good one from a bad?

Ha! Was always free when I baked bread. Obvious gap in the market, I guess.
Won't eat bread-like things now, too fat and trying to cut out easy-to-trough carbs. Siiigh.

Here's my recipe- may not work for everyone but I have had some success with it and it is quite forgiving.

50g Rye Flour
50g Strong Bread flour
125/150ml Water - Mix to consistency of thick double cream, different flours can take different amounts of water.

Once mixed keep warm 25/26 oC
keep covered but not airtight.

Try to use unbleached organic flour - at least to get started, once healthy and active I use own brand.

Use water that has been through a filter, if you don't have a filter sit a bowl of cold water out overnight with a squeeze of lemon juice in, this will help to de-chlorinate it a bit. Again once healthy & active normal tap water will be okay.

When I can start to see some activity (day 2/3ish), bubbles up the side of the bowl etc, I take half of the old mixture out and add in the same 100g flour/125ml water mix. I use it from about day 7.

I've messed with mine before adding a teaspoon of sugar or honey to speed up the process, and kept it in the fridge to slow it down too & have frozen it before and revived it. It is a bit of a labour of love!

This is the best one we've used, it starts to take form after a week:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/10/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-recipes-sourdough

I'm using the Dan Lepard recipe, it's been great so far, way better then the ones I bought even.

Basically, it was the 1:1 water flour with a bit of yoghurt and some raisins. Stir each day, feed, discard a bit, then day 4 strain, continue to feed.

I lobbed a bit of kefir in mine and it's cracking.

Thanks, everyone. I'll give it a go and if I fail again I'll buy one!

www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-sourdough-starter-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-47337

I'm currently using this one.

I really recommend Alex the Frenchman on you tube. He does tutorials on starters and different types of flour and then sourdough loaves techniques including using a Dutch oven.
I’ve had the best results ever...
I have this in the oven just now...

I've just spent the day making sourdough with a fantastic baker. Very happy tonight.

That looks good, Ianhislopsconscience.

My first attempt at the starter failed. Trying again today.

I asked the bread dude about adding commercial yeast and he said it kills the sourdough ones.

Not having success with my second attempt (from the Kitchn blog) either. I don't know what I'm doing wrong!

I'm going to watch the Alex chap on YouTube now.

I bought one from a company called freshly fermented. I'd try to make my own in the past without success. This was definitely idiot proof!

I’ve had good results from the starter recipe in the River Cottage: Bread book by Dan Stevens

Having watched the French Guy it seems I haven't failed yet, it's just taking a while to get going. It looks like I'm halfway there.

My 2-year-old loved him, though I had to distract from the "fucking"s that appeared from time to time.

If you've still not had any success I can second freshly fermented. I tried a few recipes and had no joy but their starter was perfect