Ive been given a sourdough starter. Now what?

[MelonUsk]

It's a half full jam jar now in my fridge.
I know I could look online but any top tips?
Please and thank you

Keep feeding it! :)

Do you want to make your own bread?

Someone at Serious Eats made sourdough his lock down project and wrote ever so much with pictures.

www.seriouseats.com/search?q=Sourdough

That link goes to lots of articles, do you know the name of the person?

Tim Chin and Donna Currie have most of them. They are broken down into steps and answered questions. Just have a scroll down the page.

Feed it everyday. 50g bread flour and 50g water, mix well.

That will keep it alive, it should be bubbly. If you want to put it to sleep you can pop it in the fridge and then bring it back by continuing to feed it when you take it back out. Tip off any liquid that gathers on the top.

Do you want instructions on making sourdough as well?

You don't have to feed it when it's in the fridge obviously, just take it out and leave it on the side when you're ready to start feeding and growing it.

Do you just cook it to make bread?

@OneAndDon3 yes please.
It's in the fridge, I haven't fed it. No bubbles.

No, you use the starter to make bread. It's honestly like actual magic. You get bread out of flour, water and salt. Nothing else.

But isn’t the starter flour and water?

would it become a crumpet if you fried it?

Ok. Take it out of the fridge. Keep it on the side of your kitchen and feed it every day. 50g of both water and bread flour every day. Once it starts to bubble it is ready to use.

Do you also have to throw half away? I’m just starting this this week

Throw it away. Now. Never give it to anyone.

Someone gave me one in lockdown and it was like having another child, little bubbling needy shit.

This is my point, if the OP doesn't want to commit to making bread with it then it really isn't worth it.

When I am making sourdough this is how I do it. But everyone has their own way and it's different for everyone. When you start to get into it you'll tweak and refine what you like.

I use (makes two loaves)

100g starter
550g water (lukewarm)
1000g bread flour

Mix the starter and water together. Add the flour mix to a rough dough. Cover and leave for thirty minutes.
Add 5g salt and another 50g water. Scrunch the salt in with your hands until smooth. Cover and leave for 30 minutes.

Every thirty minutes for two hours stretch and fold/coil fold.

Leave to rise for four hours covered

Knock back and divide into two and leave on a floured surface for 30 minutes.

Fold and shape then transfer to floured bowls or baskets.

Cold proof in the fridge over night.

Turn out, score and bake in a lined Dutch oven for 20 minutes with the lid on and then another 14 minutes with the lid off.

I don't throw any away, just keep adding flour until the jar is full. My measurements for bread are about 550g flour, 1tsp salt, 300g starter, 200g (I just weigh it, easier and allows me to rinse the bowl of the scales) of water.

Stir, knead for a few mins but it doesn't really require kneading like a traditional loaf, leave for 24hrs in a large bowl or proving basket. Turn out onto baking tin. You'll get some flatter ones, some beautiful round ones, some absolute pancakes, they'll all taste great.

Bake on 200 fan for about 45 mins but check at about 30. I put a tin of water in the bottom of the oven, apparently the steam helps the crust develop.

I find it does make a positive difference to use organic flour or part spelt or rye but it's definitely not essential. I've made plenty with Aldi bread flour. You can also add seeds.

Add more flour to the jar to keep the starter going.

I take a casual approach. Some websites are quite daunting.

Odds and ends of bread make a good casserole topping or panzanella. Even any failures can be used to great effect this way.

Enjoy!!

Actually probably more like 600g flour

I definitely want to try making bread.
But it will have to live in the fridge until Saturday
Then I'll start feeding it.
Then wait for ?? Days??
Until it bubbles.
Then make bread with some of it but keep feeding the part of the starter I don't use?

Days yes. Should take three or four days to get it bubbling away.

Have a look at this recipe it might help. I honestly don't bother faffing with levains.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/white-sourdough

www.pantrymama.com/how-to-bake-simple-sourdough-bread/

I make no-kneading sourdough every few days -

300g water
300g starter
350g flour (13% protein)
7g salt

Dissolve the salt in the water
Add the starter and the flour
Mix it with a fork
Leave covered for 18-24 hours at room temperature
Bake in a pre-heated dutch oven for 45 minutes and then another 10 with the lid off (240c)

The long proving time creates the gluten strands without kneading and (to my palate) gives a better flavour.

You really need to go onto you tube and find a few videos before you start. You need to feed the starter until it is bubbling and then use it to make a loaf. Keep some aside and feed that until you are ready to.make the next one.

This made me spit my G&T out! Like having a bloody Tamagotchi as an adult (no children or pets here so that’s the closest comparison I could come up with).

My DP is very into his sourdough though so “Bugsy Malone” lives on under a new carer as the first one almost killed him several times (and not always by accident).