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Sourdough Starter

Brenna May
Italian 00, Einkorn & Cassava StartersAll sourdough starters require flour and water and days to ferment.  Einkorn has a very viable natural yeast so starting this does not require additional yeast, whereas other variations do. I begin with equal parts flour and water for grain sourdough and different proportions for cassava.
Prep Time 3 d
5 d
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, European

Equipment

  • Large glass jar for starting and storing
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

Italian 00 Pizza Flour Sourdough Starter

  • 1/2 cup non-chlorinated, filtered water well water is usually fine
  • 1 tsp dry active yeast
  • 1/2 cup Italian Flour
  • 2 cups Italian Flour (set aside to feed the starter)
  • 2 cups non-chlorinated, filtered water (set aside to feed the starter)

Einkorn Sourdough Starter

  • 1/2 cup non-chlorinated, filtered water
  • 1/2 cup Einkorn flour
  • 2 cups Einkorn flour (set aside to feed the starter)
  • 2 cups non-chlorinated, filtered water (set aside to feed the starter)

Cassava Sourdough Starter

  • 1 cup non-chlorinated, filtered water
  • 1 tsp dry active yeast
  • 2/3-3/4 cup Otto's Cassava Flour (added slowly)
  • 1 ½ cups Cassava Flour (set aside to feed the starter)
  • 2 cups non-chlorinated, filtered water (set aside to feed the starter)

Instructions
 

Grain Based Starters other than Einkorn:

  • For grains we work in equal parts water and flour.
  • Start with 1/2 cup warm water in your container (not too hot or it will kill the yeast) and 1 tsp dry active yeast, and let sit for 10 minutes.
  • Add a 1/2 cup flour and stir.
  • Leave it to bubble for 24 hours and then feed it with equal parts flour and water again.  Do this for 3-5 days until you have the desired amount.  At this point you can refrigerate your starter or use it and feed it again with the appropriate proportions.

Einkorn Starter:

  • Start with 1/2 cup warm water in your container and add 1/2 cup einkorn flour.
  • Leave it to bubble for 12-24 hours and then feed it with equal parts flour and water again.  Do this for 3-5 days until you have the desired amount.  Wait 24 hours after last feeding and then refrigerate for up to a week.

Cassava Starter:

  • Start with 1 cup warm water + 1 tsp yeast and let sit for 10 minutes.
  • Scoop out 3/4 cup flour and start sprinkling it into the yeast water and leave it to swell slowly. I find the right balance is somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 cups but cassava takes some time to absorb the liquid.
  • When you have the consistency of thick pancake batter, leave to bubble for 24 hours and make a note of the amount of flour used.
  • Repeat the proportions on days 2 & 3 and then let bubble for 2 more days on the counter before refrigerating.

Notes

A NOTE ON JARS: Your starter will swell dramatically in the first few days, so be sure your glass container is large enough to handle many times the amount you originally place in it.
A NOTE ON WATER: Make sure your water is non-chlorinated & filtered, well water, or bottled from a service and contains no BPA. Chlorine will kill the ferment as will other toxins. I became more aware of toxins in food and water when I began fermenting in earnest... as it was extremely frustrating to see my hard work and investment ruined repeatedly by toxic ingredients, pesticides, plastics etc. And I started wondering what it was doing to my own microbiome.
A NOTE ON EINKORN: Einkorn flour is particularly sensitive.  You MUST leave the flour out for 18-24 hours after feeding to reach the balance it needs and then refrigerate.  If you leave it out longer you will get Kahm's yeast or mold, if you refrigerate right after feeding it loses it's potency, the bacteria suffers and it can mold as well.  Einkorn will need to be used and fed weekly if you do not want to get a dark hooch on the top.  Hooch is the liquid that settles at the top of the starter with lack of daily use.  If it is gray, it is not ruined, just pour it off and replace with fresh water, stir it up and use as usual.
A NOTE ON CASSAVA FLOURS: Different types/brands yield different proportions. I have found it can vary from 1:1 to 2/3:1 cassava flour to water depending on the brand. I prefer Otto's and have found it to be the most consistent.  If you use a different brand for your starter... adjust it with water until it looks like a thick pancake batter.
 
Keyword bread, cassava, cultured food, einkorn, italian flour, sourdough, sourdough starter