Sourdough Starter Week 1

Katie has me fascinated with baking bread. She told me about cultivating sourdough, and I decided today to see if I could make a sourdough starter.

As far as I can see, a sourdough starter is not as scary as it first appears. You basically mix flour with water, and let it cultivate with natural yeast (in the air, in the flour) and feed it every 8-12 hours with more flour and water. It just takes patience...

4.30pm

1/8 cup filtered water
1/8 cup plain flour

Mixed, covered lightly, and left in kitchen. (I put on top of the fridge to keep it accessible but at even warm temperature)

Sourdough Starter Day 2

I fed it again last night at midnight 1/8 cup water and flour and now this morning.

8am

Sourdough Starter Day 3

9am

This morning I added:

1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup plain flour

and put it in a bigger container. It is looking very bubbly! I also bid on (and won) a breadmaker on eBay, and I cannot wait to put it to good use! It was only $23 dollars, and $19 of that is shipping. So really, it was practically free. I cannot wait to use.

10pm
It was bubbly this evening with some liquid on top, the consistency was stringy and thick. I wanted to feed it but there was quite a lot so I decided to dump half, and double the remainder. There was 1 cup starter so I added:
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup plain flour

I hope tomorrow fun and amazing things will greet me in the bowl.

Sourdough Starter Day 4

8am

Quite a lot of liquid on top, and not as many bubbles as yesterday. I retained 1 cup of the starter and added:

1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup plain flour

It was raining yesterday and colder today, so maybe that has to be taken into consideration?

10pm -No movement really

Kept 1 cup of starter and added:
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup plain flour

Sourdough Starter Day 5

9am

Not much to report this morning... bubbles on the top, and a small amount of liquid. Not too many bubbles beneath the surface.

Sourdough Starter Day 6

Bubbles on the surface once more. And that is it. I am beginning to wonder how long this is going to take - it is meant to double in size after feeding when it is ready, and mine shows no sign of movement yet.

Sourdough Starter Day 7

I went out for my friend Ashley's birthday last night and failed to feed the baby last night... this morning it was looking foamy on top though!