Well, here we go again. With uncertainty around Friday evening's announcement on the future of the COVID-19 lockdown 2.0, many of us in Auckland are falling into some of the old habits that got us through the long days at home the first time around.
As I'm wearing only loungewear and going for my daily walks, I thought it was time to crank out the last element of the lockdown trifecta. No, not having a daily breakdown - I'm talking about making sourdough bread.
To make sourdough you need a 'starter': the sour, yeasty, probiotic formula that gives the bread its name.
But if you're anything like me, there's a good chance the starter you received from your mum's friend, colleguge or neighbour last lockdown has died by now if you haven't been feeding it - did you know you had to do that? I sure didn't.
According to Sylvia Fountaine, the home cook behind recipe blog 'Feasting at Home', feeding your starter is necessary to keep it "alive, happy and nourished".
"Feeding your sourdough starter is basically adding a mixture of flour and water to your existing starter," she explains. "Starter is full of wild yeasts that get hungry, just like we do. These yeasts need 'food' - in this case, more flour - to stay healthy and active."
Don't worry, to make a starter all you need is flour, water and a lot of time - and boy, do we Aucklanders have an excess of that at the moment.
I used this recipe from The Kitchn, but you'll find many options on the internet if you so desire. Making your own starter to create bread is a wonderful, grounding cooking ritual perfect for lockdown, or any other time.
Does this mean you can expect a sourdough recipe from Newshub if lockdown continues on next week? It sure does.
Sourdough starter recipe:
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (or a mix of all-purpose and whole grain flour)
- Water, preferably filtered
Equipment
- 2-litre glass or plastic container (not metal)
- Scale (highly recommended) or measuring cups
- Mixing spoon
- Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel
Instructions
Making a sourdough starter takes about five days. Each day you 'feed' the starter with equal amounts of fresh flour and water. As the wild yeast grows stronger, the starter will become more frothy and sour-smelling. It can take longer than five days depending on the conditions in your kitchen. As long as you see bubbles and signs of yeast activity, continue feeding it regularly. .
Day 1: Make the Initial Starter
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
Combine flour with water in a 2-litre glass or plastic container (not metal). Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel secured with a rubber band.
Place the container somewhere with a consistent room temperature of 21C to 25C (like the top of the refrigerator) and let sit for 24 hours.
Day 2: Feed the Starter
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
Take a look at the starter. You may see a few small bubbles here and there. This is good! The bubbles mean that wild yeast has started making itself at home in your starter. They will eat the sugars in the flour and release carbon dioxide (the bubbles) and alcohol. They will also increase the acidity of the mixture, which helps fend off any bad bacterias. At this point, the starter should smell fresh, mildly sweet, and yeasty.
If you don't see any bubbles yet, don't panic - depending on the conditions in your kitchen, the average room temperature, and other factors, your starter might just be slow to get going.
Weigh the flour and water for today, and add them to the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with the plastic wrap or kitchen towel secured again. Place the container back in the spot with a consistent room temperature of 21C to 25C and let it sit for another 24 hours.
Day 3: Feed the Starter
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
Check your starter. By now, the surface of your starter should look dotted with bubbles and it should look visibly larger in volume. If you stir the starter, it will still feel thick and batter-like, but you'll hear bubbles popping. It should also start smelling a little sour and musty. Again, if your starter doesn't look quite look like this, give it a few more days. Some starters happen to be particularly vigorous!
Weigh the flour and water for today, and add them to the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with the plastic wrap or kitchen towel secured again. Once again, pop it back to the place with a consistent room temperature of 21C to 25C and let it sit for 24 hours more.
Day 4: Feed the Starter
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
Check your starter. By now, the starter should be looking very bubbly with large and small bubbles, and it will have doubled in volume. If you stir the starter, it will feel looser than yesterday and honeycombed with bubbles. It should also be smelling quite sour and pungent. You can taste a little too! It should taste sour and somewhat vinegary.
Weigh the flour and water for today, and add them to the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter. It will look like a sticky, thick dough. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover the container with the plastic wrap or kitchen towel secured again. Place the container once again in a spot with a temperature of 21C to 25C and, you guessed it, let sit for 24 hours.
Day 5: Starter is Ready to Use
Check your starter. It should have doubled in bulk since yesterday. By now, the starter should also be looking very bubbly - even frothy. If you stir the starter, it will feel looser than yesterday and be completely webbed with bubbles.
If everything is looking, smelling, and tasting good, you can consider your starter ripe and ready to use! If your starter is lagging behind a bit, continue on with the Day 5 and Beyond instructions.
Day 5 and Beyond: Maintaining Your Starter
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 4 ounces water (1/2 cup)
Once your starter is ripe (or even if it's not quite ripe yet), you no longer need to bulk it up. To maintain the starter, discard (or use) about half of the starter and then 'feed' it with new flour and water: weigh the flour and water, and combine them in the container with the starter. Stir vigorously until combined into a smooth batter.
If you're using the starter within the next few days, leave it out on the counter and continue discarding half and 'feeding' it daily. If it will be longer before you use your starter, cover it tightly and place it in the fridge. Remember to take it out and feed it at least once a week - I also usually let the starter sit out overnight to give the yeast time to recuperate before putting it back in the fridge.
Are you a fan of making your own sourdough? Share your tips in the New Zealand's Greatest Foodies Facebook group.
