My first sourdough experience

Well…I have been wanting to work with sourdough for a while and always hesitated, because you have to feed the sourdough every day at a similar time. It’s difficult to fit something like that into a busy working mum- schedule. Work/Taking kids to their dancing classes/ doctor’s appointments/playdates….this list can go on for so much longer. But I gotta say – it is so worth it.

It is so much fun, working with sourdough and seeing the wild yeast create all these bubbles. Love it. My kids even gave the sourdough and the discards names, since these have to be fed.

Here is a basic recipe to start out with:

Day 1

• 50 grams of whole-meal rye flour
• 50 grams of handwarm water

Mix this together in a clean (glass) jar and cover this up with a glass lid or a piece of parchment paper and a rubber band. Make sure the lid does not close supertightly, a little bit of the air needs to get in/out.

Store this in a warm spot – close to a heater – but not directly on a heater.

Day 2-4

• Add 50 grams of whole-meal rye flour
• Add 50 grams of water

Mix all of this into the glass with the mixture from yesterday. You might see the first bubbles. So exciting!! Make sure to only work with clean utensils. Put it back in it’s warm position. The mixture should start to smell slightly sour.

Day 5

• Take 50 grams of the sourdough mixture and add 
• 50 grams of whole-meal rye flour
• 50 grams of water

In a new glass. This will be your new starter(ERNI). The remaining ‚dough‘ is now considered the discard – which does not have enough power to rise a bread on its own(ERNA). But you can use it in rolls or bread recipes and still add some yeast.

Day 6

• Take 50 grams of the new sourdough mixture from yesterday(ERNI) and add 
• 50 grams of whole-meal rye flour
• 50 grams of water

Stir with a clean spoon. The remainig dough from Erni will be transferred into the discard’s jar (Erna).

You should keep doing this until your sourdough doubles it’s height after 2-6 hours after feeding (fresh water & flour). Depending on the warmth in your kitchen- this may take something between 6-18 days. Then you can use the starter to bake a fresh bread with it. So satisfying!!

I will share some recipes with sourdough soon.

Have you worked with sourdough before? You should. It’s so much fun.

Love and Happiness,

Sue