Grandpa’s Easy Sourdough Starter

Questions? Always start out at GRANDPA'S SOURDOUGH COLLECTION INDEX

Grandpa’s Sour Dough STARTER from SCRATCH

If you would rather make your own starter, you can use this simple recipe. We’ve tested it, so know that it works.

Ingredients to get started

1 C flour
– – – Ideally start with 1/4 C rye flour and 3/4 C AP flour
1 C BOTTLED water (some people prefer to use milk instead)
– – – DO NOT USE TAP WATER
1 package yeast mixture (or 1 TBL)
2 tsp sugar
NO SALT ! ! ! !

Step by Step

1. - DAY ONE (Saturday)
2. Mix yeast and sugar in 1/2 CU warm water.
3. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
4. Mix all other ingredients together and put in glass container with loosely fitting lid (to allow gasses to escape) OR Plastic Wrap with a toothpick hole in the top
5. Let sit at room temperature overnight (12 hours) on first day
  - DAY TWO (Sunday)
6. On the Second Morning, stir in 1/2 C more water and 1/2 C more flour
7. Mix well and place back in the fridge
  - DAY THREE (Monday)
8. On the Third Morning Share or Discard 1/2 of the mixture. Keep approx 1/2 C starter in a container with a lose fitting lid or a glass bowl as described in Step 3.
  If you share it, tell the other person to start with Step 8 & 9 tonight, and then continue with Day Four tomorrow
9. Stir in 1/2 C more water and 1/2 C more flour
10. Mix well and place back in the fridge
  - DAY FOUR (Tuesday)
11. Nothing to do today. Just let it continue to age in the fridge
  - DAY FIVE (Wednesday)
12. Your starter is alive and ready to use
13. Remove half your starter to a mixing bowl and add to pancakes, bread, rolls or biscuit dough
14. Feed your remaining starter by adding 1/2 C more water and 1/2 C more flour – Mix well
15. Place back in the fridge in a glass jar with a loose fitting lid, or a lid with a tiny hole in the top.
16. Repeat from Step 11 at least once a week
17. About once a month, add just a pinch of sugar

Sour dough from places such like San Francisco have their “special” taste because of the molds and yeasts indigenous to that area. If you pay for a Sour Dough Starter, it will have the taste of the area from which it originates initially, but as you halve the starter (each time you use it) the tell-tale taste will diminish each time, until it takes on the characteristics of YOUR region.