brot | Making your own starter for sourdough bread

Since this blog is called 'Das Brot' I thought I'd start with something bread related. I love sourdough bread, but it's almost impossible to find in the small Swedish town I live in. So I have to make it myself. The problem is you need a good sourdough starter. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is - if you know what you're doing! I tried several times to make my own starter, but something always went wrong along the way, resulting in a stinking, slimy mess. But I've finally managed to find a recipe that's simple and results in delicious, chewy sourdough bread!

Measuring glass filled with water, measuring glass filled with rye flour and a bottle of honey

You need...

2dl (= 200ml) hand-warm (non-chlorinated) water
2.5dl (= 250ml) unbleached, wholegrain rye flour
1 spoon honey
1 large glass jar

Adapted from this recipe.

Top of glass jar covered with plastic foil, with rubber band wrapped around it to keep the foil in place

Day 1: Dissolve honey in water, then add the flour. Mix with spoon until well blended. Cover with plastic foil, then put in a warm, draft-free place and wait for two days.

Starter in glass jar, a glass of wate, and a small measuring cup filled with rye flour

Day 3: Add 1dl (= 100ml) hand-warm (non-chlorinated) water and 1dl (= 100ml) unbleached, wholegrain rye flour. Mix with spoon until well blended. Cover again with plastic foil, then put in a warm, draft-free place and wait one day.

Starter in glass jar with newly added water and rye flour on top of it

Day 4: Add 1dl (= 100ml) hand-warm (non-chlorinated) water and 1dl (= 100ml) unbleached, wholegrain rye flour. Mix with spoon until well blended. Cover again with plastic foil, then put in a warm, draft-free place and wait one day.

Starter in glass jar with small bubbles on top and increased in volume

Day 5: Your starter is ready. It should smell freshly, with a hint of sour smell.

How you take care of your starter

Keep your starter in the fridge where it will slow down its activity. Place a lid on the jar, but don't screw it down tight. Make also sure you have no baking yeast loose lying around (keep the baking yeast air tight in a box). I've read somewhere that otherwise the yeast bacteria will take over and replace the starter bacteria.

To keep your starter alive, you need to 'feed' it every 4-5 days.

Top of starter glass jar covered with plastic foild; jar is placed on a shelf,

Take it out of the fridge and and add 1dl (= 100ml) hand-warm (non-chlorinated) water and 1dl (= 100ml) unbleached, wholegrain rye flour. Mix with spoon until well blended. Cover with plastic foil, then put in a warm, draft-free place and wait for one day.

The next day, your starter is active again and ready to use. Put back in the fridge what you don't need.