Introduction to sourdough baking
To awaken your dry sourdough starter, plan on giving it daily feedings for about a week. It’s advisable not to start this process right before going on vacation. Aim for feedings spaced roughly 24 hours apart, although precision in timing isn’t essential. Choose a convenient time during the day that aligns with your routine and is easy to remember, whether it’s in the morning, around dinner, or before bedtime.
Rest assured, once your starter is back in action, it won’t demand daily feedings. We typically store our sourdough starter in the refrigerator and feed it every other week. Occasionally, we extend the intervals between feedings even further.
Ingredients
- Dried sourdough starter
- White flour (all purpose)
- Water (room temperature)
Before you start you need to have
- A package of “SURIS” starter powder.
- All-purpose flour for reactivating your dry sourdough starter.
Note: that while organic flour is preferable to the microbes, it’s not absolutely necessary. We’ve successfully used both types.
3.Filtered water or spring water is ideal for activating and maintaining a sourdough starter, as it should be free of chlorine.
- You’ll need a jar with a lid of about 5 dl to begin the reactivation process.
- You’ll have to have a larger glass storage container, which will become the permanent home for your activated sourdough starter. We typically use a 1-liter jar.
How to wake up SURIS?
Day 1: Begin by adding 5 g (about half of Suris, save the rest) of dried sourdough starter into a glass jar. Then, pour in 50 g (0,5 dl) of water and give it a gentle stir until the dried starter is fully soaking in the water. Allow this mix to sit for a few minutes. Add 20 g (about 0,5 dl) of flour and give it a good mix until everything mixed together. On the first day, we’re adding a bit more water than flour. It’s like a hydration boost for the yeast and bacteria to kickstart their party. Lastly, pop a lid on the jar and let it hang out at room temperature for a 24 hours.
Day 2: Start by grabbing 10 g of your starter mix and moving it to a fresh jar. Then, mix this 10 g of starter with 25 g (about 0,5 dl)of flour and 25 g (0,25 dl) of water, making sure everything gets nicely blended. Pop a lid on the jar and let it rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 3: The mixture might look smooth and a bit thin. You might spot a few bubbles. Grab 10 g of your starter mix and toss it into a clean jar. Then, stir in 25 g (about 0,5 dl) of flour and 25 g (0,25 dl) of water until you’ve got it well-mixed. Top it with a lid and give it another 24 hours at room temperature.
Day 4: You probably won’t see a ton of changes from the day before, just a few extra bubbles. Take out 10 g of your starter mix and toss it into another fresh jar. Mix in 25 g (about 0,5 dl) of flour and 25 g (0,25 dl) of water until it’s all nicely mixed. Lid on and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 5: Your starter is throwing a bubble party! There’ll be small and big bubbles not just on the surface but also underneath the mixture (take a peek from the side of the glass jar). Congratulations, at this point you’re good to go for some baking adventures.
Every time you bake sourdough you must leave behind at least a half a cup of starter to feed and continue on. Therefore, we need to add a bit more bulk to the starter, and also move it into a larger container – her forever home.
Having problems?
- Possible causes: Home temperature too low, or starter consistency incorrect.
- Runny Starter: If it’s too thin, gradually thicken it by adding flour.
- Cold Environment: Warm it up by placing it near a heat source or in the oven with the light on.
- Hungry Starter: After rising and falling, it needs fresh flour to rise again. Discard half, feed, and follow ongoing care.
- Dark Liquid on Top? Indicates your starter is active but underfed. Mix or remove it, then feed as usual.
We wish you all the luck!
