Many new sourdough bakers struggle with creating sourdoughstarters. The most common problem I seeis new bakers trying to create a starter with 100% all-purpose flour (or 100%bread flour).
The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purposeflour.
I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and breadflour.
Why do you need to use these two types of flour?
When establishing a new sourdough starter, the vast majorityof the yeast cells and lactic acid bacteria cells come from the flour. The microbes attach themselves to the wheatberries in the wheat field and are lying dormant in the bag of flour. Contrary to popular belief, the microbes inyour kitchen that come from the air, or your hands, or your utensils are an infinitesimallysmall contributor to the microbial population of a new starter.
The beneficial microbes (yeast and lactic acid bacteria) arefound on the outside hull or shell of a wheat berry. When you buy a bag of whole-meal flour (wholewheat or whole rye), it includes 100% of the wheat berry (the hull, theendosperm and the germ). So, the microbesattached to the outside of the wheat berry are ground up in the milling processand end up in your bag of flour.
With processed flours like bread flour and all-purposeflour, much of the bran (the hull of the wheat berry), is extracted from theflour and discarded in the milling process.Many of the microbes attached to the outside of the wheat berry are discardedwith the hull and do not end up in a bag of bread flour or all-purpose flour. Refined flours, like bread flour and all-purposeflour, are also subject to more mechanical milling which can damage the cell membranesof the microbes – reducing the viable population of microbes.
Lastly, whole-meal flours contain unique nutrients andenzymes which are beneficial to jump-starting the microbial population in a newsourdough starter.
Why not use 100% whole-meal flours?
You can create a starter with 100% whole-meal flour, but, inmy experience, you will get best results with a blend.
As the yeast and lactic acid bacteria populations begingrowing, they need a food source (sugars and starches). Bread flour or all-purpose flour provide amore readily available food source than whole-meal flours. Refined flours are easily converted to sugars,which are the essential food source for your new starter.
A simple way to think about a 50/50 flour blend is – the whole-mealflour provides the “bugs” and the refined flour provides the “food.”
Do I need to continue feeding the 50/50 mix forever?
Once your starter is established, you can transition tofeeding it 100% bread flour or all-purpose flour. An established starter (e.g., 14-30 days aftercreation) has a robust microbial population, and the feedings from that point forwardare primarily providing the food, not additional microbes.
I feed my starter a 50/50 mix of bread flour and whole-wheatflour, but many bakers maintain strong starters with bread flour or all-purposeflour.
FAQs
What kind of flour should I use to feed my starter? Unbleached flour is always best for sourdough. The chemicals in bleached flour are a deterrent for starters. It breaks down all the healthy bacteria that makes sourdough starters so strong.
What is the best flour to start a sourdough starter with? ›
Over the past decade-plus of baking, I've tested all manner of flour from whole grain wheat to spelt to einkorn, and while they all do work, my preferred flour to use when creating a sourdough starter is whole grain rye flour and white flour (this can be all-purpose or high-protein bread flour).
What flour makes the most sour sourdough starter? ›
For more tang: Incorporate some rye flour and/or whole wheat flour early in the bread-making process, such as when feeding the mother culture and the preferment. Rye flour in particular will help your culture produce some acetic acid.
Is white or wheat flour better for sourdough starter? ›
Since it is minimally processed when you compare it with white wheat flours, whole wheat flour is said to be packed with nutrients and potential microbes, providing faster fermentation for a starter.
What is the best strong flour for sourdough? ›
Sourdough Flours - The best flour for making Sourdough
- Matthews Cotswold Churchill Strong White Bakers Flour 16kg. ...
- Matthews Cotswold Organic Premium Wholemeal Flour. ...
- Matthews Cotswold Organic Stoneground Wholemeal Bread Flour 1.5kg, 4.5kg & 7.5kg. ...
- Matthews Cotswold Organic Strong White Bread Flour 1.5kg, 4.5kg & 7.5kg.
The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour.
Can I just add flour and water to my sourdough starter? ›
Simply put: a sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of flour and water. Once it's fed with additional flour and water (and left in a warm spot to rise, ideally 75+ F), it becomes bubbly and active. A small portion of this active starter is used to make bread dough rise. Instant yeast is not required.
Is bleached or unbleached flour better for sourdough starter? ›
What Flour Should I Be Feeding My Sourdough Starter With? You can feed your sourdough starter with any flour you like, as long as it provides the starches the wild yeast in your sourdough starter need to convert to Co2 to rise your dough. The flour you choose should always be unbleached flour.
Is organic flour better for sourdough starter? ›
Organic flour has not been exposed to any chemicals or toxins and therefore contains a higher mineral content and more wild yeast than non organic flour. Benefits of using organic flour for sourdough: Sourdough starter will rise more quickly than non organic flour due to wild yeast contained in the flour.
What makes sourdough more or less sour? ›
The ideal dough temperature for most breads, post-kneading, is in the 75°F to 78°F range. Water temperature: The higher the temperature of fully kneaded dough, the more likely your resulting bread will be more (rather than less) sour.
Ideally your strong flour should be between 12.5-14% protein and non organic, especially if you are new to sourdough as non organic flours are stronger and will make your introduction into sourdough smoother.
Can I use tap water for sourdough starter? ›
Myth 2: Sourdough starter requires fancy water
The key to sourdough starter success is using water without chlorine, which can cause the starter to die. While bottled water is chlorine-free, you can also use filtered tap water for our sourdough starter recipe.
How often should I feed sourdough starter? ›
The process for feeding sourdough starter is so simple and takes only a few minutes. For refrigerated starters, feed once a week and start with step 1, but for room temperature starters, feed once a day and start at step 2 (or 3).
What is the best flour to use for a sourdough starter? ›
Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.
What is the best flour for sourdough in Italy? ›
Flours milled from grano duro are recommended for making pasta and some breads, especially those associated with the southern regions of Italy. Grano tenero flours are generally used in Italy to make both bread and pastries. Typo 2 (type 2) flour is high in bran, and still slightly coarse.
What makes sourdough bread rise more? ›
The yeast in your sourdough starter digest the flour in your dough and produce the gas which rises your dough, creating a beautiful loaf. And as I often say during my online bread making classes, treat your yeast just like you'd like to be treated! Yeast like to keep cosy and warm and have plenty of food available.
What flour is best for sourdough pizza starter? ›
Using high-protein white flour (13-14% protein) in your sourdough pizza dough can lead to a chewier pizza. If you'd like to reduce the chewiness, try using a lower protein flour for the pizza dough (like all-purpose flour or Type 00 with lower protein).
What is King Arthur all-purpose flour? ›
What is this? King Arthur All-Purpose Flour: Unbleached, unenriched, unbromated flour. 11.7% protein content. Made from hard red wheat.
Can you make a sourdough starter with old flour? ›
short answer, yes, though it takes far longer for AP flour to go bad. I've had dull Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye that smelled fine and was still long before its 'use-by' date screw up my starter (fortunately, the switch to a fresher local brand led to a full recovery.)
Do you need to use rye flour for sourdough starter? ›
Whole wheat and rye flours provide more nutrients for your starter and ferment more actively, but working with rye flour makes starter maintenance easier than whole wheat. Rye provides increased fiber and nutrients similar to whole wheat flour, but because of its lower gluten amount it's much easier to stir.
