Whole-Wheat Sourdough Starter

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Whole-Wheat Sourdough Starter
This homemade sourdough starter recipe is the jumping-off point to making your own whole-grain sourdough bread (see associated recipe) at home. You need just two ingredients to make this starter--flour and water--but it takes at least 5 days for the starter to develop. Then, once it's ready, it's easy to maintain. Just store it in the refrigerator and feed it according to the directions below. Each time you feed the starter you discard half of it--but don't throw it away! It's perfect for using in pancakes or waffles.
active:
1 hr
total:
5 days
Servings:
24
Whole-Wheat Sourdough Starter

Ingredients

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.

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  • 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.

Tips

It's best to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh all ingredients for accuracy. Flour can settle and cause volume measurements to vary.

Tips

It may take the sourdough starter 7 to 10 days to fully develop when the room temperature is lower than 70 degrees 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.

Tips

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.

Tips

Use 4 ounces of the whole-wheat starter to seed a new batch of starter that uses 100 percent all-purpose flour if you want to make white sourdough. After a few feedings, the white flour will have replaced the wheat.

Tips

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.

To make ahead

Starter will keep, covered, in the refrigerator, but you need to refresh it by discarding half and feeding it at least once per week.

Associated Recipe

Whole-Wheat Sourdough Bread

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:
4 ounces, to make 2 loaves of bread
Per Serving:
0 calories; protein 0g; carbohydrates 0g; dietary fiber 0g; soluble fiber 0g; insoluble fiber 0g; sugars 0g; monosaccharides 0g; disaccharides 0g; other carbs 0g; fat 0g; saturated fat 0g; mono fat 0g; poly fat 0g; trans fatty acid 0g; cholesterol 0mg; water 24.7g; ash 0g; vitamin a iu 0IU; vitamin a re 0RE; vitamin a carotenoid 0RE; vitamin a retinol 0RE; vitamin a carotene 0mcg; vitamin b1 thiamin 0mg; vitamin b2 riboflavin 0mg; vitamin b3 niacin 0mg; niacin equivalents 0mg; vitamin b6 0mg; vitamin b12 0mcg; vitamin c 0mg; vitamin d iu 0IU; vitamin d mcg 0mcg; vitamin e alpha equivalents 0mg; vitamin e iu 0IU; vitamin e mg 0mg; folate 0mcg; vitamin k 0mcg; pantothenic acid 0mg; boron 1mg; calcium 0.7mg; copper 0mg; fluoride 20mg; iron 0mg; magnesium 0.2mg; manganese 0mg; phosphorus 0mg; potassium 0.2mg; selenium 0mcg; sodium 0.7mg; zinc 0mg; 40 butyric 0g; 60 caprioc 0g; 80 caprylic 0g; 100 capric 0g; 120 lauric 0g; 140 myristic 0g; 160 palmitic 0g; 180 stearic 0g; 161 palmitol 0g; 181 oleic 0g; 201 eicosen 0g; 221 erucic 0g; 182 linoleic 0g; 183 linolenic 0g; 184 stearidon 0g; 204 arachidon 0g; 205 epa 0g; 225 dpa 0g; 226 dha 0g; omega 3 fatty acid 0g; omega 6 fatty acid 0g; alanine 0g; arginine 0g; cystine 0g; glycine 0g; histidine 0g; isoleucine 0g; leucine 0g; lysine 0g; methionine 0g; phenylalanine 0g; proline 0g; serine 0g; threonine 0g; tryptophan 0g; tyrosine 0g; valine 0g; alcohol 0g; caffeine 0mg; energy 0kcal; aspartic acid 0g; glutamic acid 0g; thiamin 0mg; riboflavin 0mg.
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