[0:00] - Welcome to my laboratory. (laughs)
[0:02] I've been so excited to
share this tutorial with you.
[0:05] We are making a sourdough starter.
[0:07] I think this is the thing
that intimidates people
[0:10] and keeps them from
making amazing sourdough.
[0:12] And I'm gonna show you
exactly how to make it.
[0:14] It is so easy.
[0:16] Literally two ingredients:
flour and water.
[0:19] And you're gonna be a pro
at making sourdough starter
[0:22] in no time.
[0:23] Alright, let's do this.
[0:26] One of the best investments you can make
[0:28] in your sourdough journey
is a digital kitchen scale.
[0:31] This will save you tons
of time and dishes,
[0:33] and it'll be way more accurate.
[0:35] You can use a regular mason jar,
[0:37] but I love using my Weck jar
[0:39] because it weighs exactly 400 grams.
[0:41] So it's really easy to
calculate measurements.
[0:44] Start by zeroing out the jar.
Then add 100 grams of flour.
[0:48] You can either use whole
wheat flour or rye flour.
[0:51] Using a whole grain flour
to start this off will give
[0:54] your starter a lot more food to grow.
[0:56] Next, add 100 grams of filtered
room temperature water.
[0:59] If you have spring water,
that's even better.
[1:02] If you keep your house cooler,
you can use lukewarm water,
[1:05] but no warmer than 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
[1:08] Also, avoid adding cold water,
[1:09] which will really slow down the growth.
[1:11] Initially, the mixture
will be super thick,
[1:13] which is why I like to mix
it together with a fork.
[1:16] This is especially true
if you're using rye flour.
[1:19] But this is totally normal.
[1:21] Mix it together. Scrape down the sides.
[1:23] You see how thick that is.
[1:26] Then put a rubber band around your jar
[1:28] to the level of the starter.
[1:29] This will help you keep track
of the starter as it rises.
[1:33] Cover that with the lid.
[1:34] And I love how the Weck jar
comes with a loose-fitting lid.
[1:37] If you're using a standard mason jar,
[1:39] just set the lid over the
top and do not tighten it.
[1:42] You definitely want air
to escape from the jar.
[1:44] To keep track of your starter,
[1:46] slap a label on there with the start date.
[1:48] 24 hours later, we see
nothing is happening.
[1:51] It actually looks exactly the same.
[1:53] Continue to let it rest
for another 24 hours.
[1:56] Then on day three,
you'll see some bubbling.
[1:58] Also, make sure to let this
rise at room temperature,
[2:01] and don't be tempted to
put it in a warm place.
[2:03] Otherwise, it'll rise too
quickly and exhaust the yeast.
[2:06] Since we're seeing
bubbling action in the jar,
[2:09] we're gonna do our first feeding.
[2:10] Discard half of the starter,
[2:12] and you should have about 100 grams left.
[2:14] You can see what I mean about
easy math using a Weck jar.
[2:18] The jar weighs 400 grams.
[2:20] We have about 100 grams
of starter in there.
[2:23] Now we're gonna feed it with
100 grams of all-purpose flour
[2:26] and 100 grams of room temperature water.
[2:29] Thoroughly stir that together.
[2:30] You wanna make sure
[2:31] there aren't any bits of
dry flour left in there.
[2:34] Should be really well combined.
[2:35] And once you've got it all mixed together,
[2:37] scrape down the walls of
the jar to keep it clean.
[2:40] Also, adjust your rubber band
to the level of your starter.
[2:44] This way you can keep an eye on growth.
[2:46] Cover that with your lid,
[2:47] and let it rest for another 24 hours.
[2:50] For best results,
[2:50] try to stay on a consistent schedule
[2:52] and feed the starter at
the same time each day.
[2:55] We are now on day four,
[2:56] and we're definitely seeing some growth.
[2:58] We a lot of rise above
that rubber band line
[3:01] and plenty of bubbling inside.
[3:03] You wanna keep 100 grams
of starter in the jar.
[3:06] Go ahead and discard the rest.
[3:07] Again, a kitchen scale will help you track
[3:09] exactly how much starter
you need left in your jar.
[3:12] Now feed it the same way.
[3:14] You'll need 100 grams of all-purpose flour
[3:16] and 100 grams of room temperature water.
[3:19] Thoroughly stir that together
[3:20] until it's really well combined.
[3:22] You'll also notice as time goes on
[3:24] that the mixture will
loosen up quite a bit
[3:26] and be a lot easier to stir together.
[3:28] Once it's well combined, scrape
down the sides of your jar.
[3:32] And I also like to clean
the rim if it gets messy.
[3:34] This will ensure
[3:35] that the lid doesn't
get glued onto the jar.
[3:38] Your starter needs to be able to breathe.
[3:40] We are now on day five, and
we're seeing more growth.
[3:43] If you get to day five
[3:44] and the growth seems to have slowed down,
[3:47] don't worry, just continue to feed it.
[3:49] In all of my testing,
[3:50] I've had several starters
take a little pause
[3:52] around day four or five,
and it's totally normal.
[3:55] Just keep going.
[3:56] Keep 100 grams of the starter in the jar
[3:59] and discard the rest.
[4:00] Then feed it again the same way,
[4:02] 100 grams of all-purpose flour
[4:04] and 100 grams of room temperature water.
[4:07] Thoroughly stir that together
[4:08] until all of the flour is incorporated.
[4:11] Then clean the lid again if needed.
[4:13] Cover with a loose-fitting lid
[4:15] and let that rest for another 24 hours.
[4:17] By day six, we're seeing
quite a bit of growth,
[4:20] lots of bubbling on top
and throughout the mixture.
[4:23] Keep 100 grams of your starter in the jar
[4:25] and get rid of the rest.
[4:27] Once you have a mature starter,
[4:28] you can definitely use that discard
[4:30] for so many great, delicious projects.
[4:33] But while you're growing your starter,
[4:35] you just wanna get rid of it.
[4:36] Feed your starter exactly the same way,
[4:38] 100 grams of flour and 100
grams of room temperature water.
[4:42] Thoroughly stir that together.
[4:44] Then scrape down the sides of your jar.
[4:46] Wipe off the rim.
[4:47] Cover with the lid and let it rest.
[4:49] When it's ready to use,
[4:50] your starter should
reach its peak bubbliness
[4:52] between four to six
hours after you feed it.
[4:55] You'll see it's more
than doubled in volume,
[4:57] and it's super airy and bubbly.
[4:59] Okay, it is day seven.
[5:00] This is exactly what the
starter should look like.
[5:03] Sometimes it'll start
doing this by day six,
[5:06] and I've even had one do this by day five
[5:08] where it more than doubles in volume.
[5:11] Boom.
[5:11] You wanna use it
[5:12] when it's more than
double in volume like this
[5:14] before it starts to go back down.
[5:16] This is like peak performance.
[5:18] This is ready to make
the best sourdough bread.
[5:22] Let me show you this texture.
[5:23] Take a look at that bubble-ish.
[5:25] It really doesn't get
any better than that.
[5:27] This is amazing.
[5:28] I feel like I'm gonna ruin it.
[5:30] That's okay. I have to show you.
[5:32] And it smells good.
[5:33] So that's one way to know
[5:35] that the sourdough starter is
done is to do the sniff test,
[5:39] and it smells so good.
[5:41] It's like sour and just, mm.
[5:43] It makes you want sourdough
bread. I'm telling you.
[5:46] Just sit here and smell it.
[5:48] And then it is so bubbly.
[5:50] Look at this, the texture here.
[5:53] Look at these bubbles go.
[5:56] I mean, wowie, wowie.
[5:59] The way that you know that
it has enough rising power
[6:02] and that it's ready to use in recipes is
[6:05] if you take a dollop of it
[6:06] and you just kerplunk it into some water.
[6:09] Oh, it's a big dollop. (laughs)
[6:12] It doesn't wanna let go.
[6:13] It'll float.
[6:14] Look, it's floating like a little turd.
[6:16] We've got a floater. (laughs)
[6:19] Oh okay.
[6:20] And there you have it,
[6:21] how to make a homemade sourdough starter
[6:23] with just two ingredients.
[6:25] Easy peasy. It just takes some patience.
[6:27] And make sure to follow all of our tips
[6:29] for how to make sourdough starter.
[6:31] Remember to use room temperature water.
[6:33] Don't be tempted to use too warm-up water
[6:36] because you don't wanna
speed through this process.
[6:38] You wanna give the yeast and bacteria time
[6:41] to grow and develop at room temperature.
[6:44] If you speed through it, you
can slow down your results.
[6:47] I've had that happen.
[6:48] So follow the process.
Trust in the process.
[6:51] And before long,
[6:51] you guys are gonna be making
the best sourdough bread
[6:54] and sourdough recipes.
[6:55] I cannot wait to share more with you.
[6:57] We definitely have a great
sourdough recipe coming your way.
[7:01] I've made hundreds of loaves,
and I have perfected it.
[7:04] I cannot wait to share it.
[7:05] Let me know where you
spotted sharky in the video.
[7:09] Also, if you have any recipe requests,
[7:10] maybe sourdough recipe requests,
[7:12] I would love to hear from you.
[7:14] Once you've got your sourdough
all active and bubbly,
[7:17] you can also store it in the fridge,
[7:18] which is what I do,
[7:19] and then I just take it out of the fridge
[7:21] and bring it to room
temperature overnight,
[7:23] and it's ready to feed
and use the next day.
[7:25] It's so convenient
[7:26] 'cause I cook sourdough bread once a week.
[7:28] I make a couple loaves.
[7:29] It lasts us all week. And I love it.
[7:32] Also, if you're going on
vacation, put it in the fridge.
[7:35] It's really so easy to maintain.
[7:37] You don't have to do it every day
[7:38] once your sourdough starter is made.
[7:40] So that's the good news.
[7:41] I will share all of my tips and
tricks also in the blog post
[7:44] on natashaskitchen.com.
[7:46] And let's see what else.
[7:48] The cookbook. (laughs)
[7:50] Every time, if you haven't already,
[7:51] our cookbook is available for sale.
[7:53] I will link to this in the notes.
[7:57] (laughs)
[7:58] I don't know what happened there.
[8:00] Bye.