Two Methods of Making Sourdough Starter: Wild Yeast Method and Quick Method

Learning to make a good sourdough starter is a liberating experience. You can keep it in your fridge for years, literally a hundred years, if you can remember to feed it twice a month and protect it from unfriendly bacteria by keeping your containers scrupulously clean. Once you’ve made a good starter, you can make an endless array of sourdough breads, pancakes, buns, rolls and flatbreads. I especially like using it to make the sourdough Ethiopian flatbread called injera, as it saves me from days of waiting for the batter to ferment and allows me to make injera on the day I am craving it. I’ve included a traditional method of making sourdough starter and a quick method as well. The quick method cheats a little since the yeast isn’t derived wholly from the environment around the starter. Rather we start with a little commercial yeast and let it become sour over several days in the fridge. The traditional method results in a better flavor by far but the quick method is much easier. So, it all boils down to whether or not you are a purist in your pursuit of achieving a usable sourdough starter. 
 
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Two Methods of Making Sourdough Starter: Wild Yeast Method and Quick Method

Learning to make a good sourdough starter is a liberating experience. You can keep it in your fridge for years, literally a hundred years, if you can remember to feed it twice a month and protect it from unfriendly bacteria by keeping your containers scrupulously clean. Once you’ve made a good starter, you can make an endless array of sourdough breads, pancakes, buns, rolls and flatbreads. I especially like using it to make the sourdough Ethiopian flatbread called injera, as it saves me from days of waiting for the batter to ferment and allows me to make injera on the day I am craving it.
I’ve included a traditional method of making sourdough starter and a quick method as well. The quick method cheats a little since the yeast isn’t derived wholly from the environment around the starter. Rather we start with a little commercial yeast and let it become sour over several days in the fridge. The traditional method results in a better flavor by far but the quick method is much easier. So, it all boils down to whether or not you are a purist in your pursuit of achieving a usable sourdough starter. 
Course: Bread, Cooking Basics
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ethiopian, injera, sourdough, starter, vegan
Calories: 576kcal

Ingredients

Wild Yeast Method: Ingredients to be used over the entire 4 days:

  • 216 g bread flour divided into 33g (3 1/2 Tablespoons), 33g,  75g (1/2 cup), and 75g, respectively. (You can use any flour you prefer but the purpose of this video, I am using bread flour.), approximately 1 1/2 cups
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice divided
  • 2/3 cup filtered water or spring water

Quick Method: Ingredients for the entire day:

  • 141 g bread flour divided into 33g, 33g, and 75g respectively. (You can use any flour you prefer but the purpose of this video, I am using bread flour.), approximately 1 cup
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast I use Fleishmann's.
  • 75 g water 1/2 cup

Instructions

Wild Yeast Method:
Day One: Beginning in the morning
Ingredients:

  • 33g (3 1/2 Tablespoons Flour)
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice

Instructions:

  • Mix 33g flour (3 1/2 Tablespoons) and 1/4 cup pineapple juice. Stir vigorously until fairly smooth. Cover and allow to rest in a warm area of your kitchen or on a seedling mat. Stir two to three times during the day and before going to bed at night. You should not expect any significant activity in this starter for at least 48 hours, and possibly not even then.

Day Two:

  • After 24 hours, the starter is completely inactive with some of the pineapple juice having separated and floating on the surface. Stir vigorously and replace lid, stirring again several times during the day, at least twice, and again before retiring for the night.

Day Three:
Ingredients:

  • 33g (3 1/2 Tablespoons Flour)
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice

Instructions:

  • After 48 hours, we will feed the starter regardless of whether it is showing any activity.* Stir to combine and feed with another 33g flour and 1/4 cup pineapple juice, stirring vigorously to whip in air and fully incorporate the flour and juice. Cover and allow to rest overnight once again in a warm area of your kitchen or on a seedling mat.

Day Four:
Ingredients:

  • 150g (1 cup Flour) divided
  • 150g (2/3 cup water) divided

Instructions:

  • By the next morning (around 60 hours) you should start seeing some activity. Feed with 75g flour (1/2 cup) and 75g (1/3 cup) water, stirring vigorously to combine. Allow to ferment throughout the day.
  • Six hours later, or once the starter is active and bubbling, feed it again with a 75g flour-to-water ratio. Continue doing this until you have the amount of starter you want to have on hand. Refrigerate overnight unless you plan to wake up in the middle of the night to feed your starter. Once you have the amount desired, refrigerate until use, remembering to feed it every week or two. Be sure you have it in a container that will allow the starter to rise 30% without spilling over or erupting from outgassing.
  • (*Note: if there is no activity after 48 hours, throw the starter out and begin again. Something has gone wrong.)


Quick Method:
Ingredients for the entire day:

  • 141g (approximately 1 cup) organic unbleached bread flour, divided into 33g, 33g, and 75g respectively. (You can use any flour you prefer but the purpose of this video, I am using bread flour.)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice (divided)
  • 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast (I use Fleishmann's.)
  • 75g (1/2 cup) water

Instructions:

  • Mix 33g flour, yeast, and 1/4 cup pineapple juice. Stir vigorously until fairly smooth. Cover and allow to rest in a warm area of your kitchen or on a seedling mat.
  • After about 2 1/2 hours, check to see if the yeast has become active. If not, your yeast is bad. Throw out the batch and start again with fresh yeast. More likely, the starter is active, full of bubbles and has risen quite a bit. Stir to deflate and whip in more air.
  • After another 2 1/2 hours (the yeast should be quite active) feed the yeast again with 33g flour and 1/4 cup pineapple juice.
  • After another 2 hours, transfer to a four cup bowl and feed with 75g (1/2 cup) flour and 75g (1/3 cup) water. Refrigerate and allow sourdough flavor to develop for several days before using. You can use it on the second day but the flavor will be only mildly sour.

Notes

Feed every week or two with a 75g flour-to-water ratio, keeping refrigerated between uses.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 189g | Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin C: 11.8mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Below are the equipment and products I used in this recipe. Click on the photo to order yours through my affiliate link with Amazon.com, for which I receive a small advertising fee. Please visit my Store for more information.

Balloon Whisks

Danish Dough Whisk

Hydrofarm Seedling Heat Mat