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Starter recommendatation for white bread types.

BKSinAZ's picture
BKSinAZ

Starter recommendatation for white bread types.

I want to learn to make a mother starter, but this can be very confusing. First I will start with my favorite breads which are plain white French types and some "mild" sour dough breads.

Given that, can someone recommend a good starter that a beginner can try?

 

thanks in advance.

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

How to make a sourdough starter










This is a great video. Some things to add...

1. Don't be too concerned about the flour ratio he uses. Use bread flour with some wholegrains. Whole rye and/or whole wheat.

2. Keep warm! 

3. If you experience a quiet period then slow down your feedings. When it picks up then carry on. 

4. Patience is the key.

drogon's picture
drogon

It doesn't matter what technique nor what flour you use. Just get one going. Once it's lively you can transition it over to white wheat flour, rye, spelt, whatever - simply by taking 50g of the 'mother' and adding in 100g flour of your choice  and 100g water and let this mature. Even if you then use that directly to make bread then portion of original starter is so small to make virtually no difference to the end product, or keep that separate and give it a refresh - by the 3rd refresh (use the discard!) you're down to almost homoeopathic quantities of the original anyway..

I maintain 3 starters  - one is 100% white wheat flour, No. 2 is spelt - both these at 100% hydration, the third is rye at 150% hydration. The white wheat I started myself some years ago and I used that to kick-start the spelt. The Rye I was given coming from a 50 year old 'mother', but it works just fine.

-Gordon