Diogo Oliveira de Melo

Making sourdough starter

I have found very precise instructions about how to make sourdough starter on Emma Christensen’s post and I decided to follow the instructions contained there. This post is a replication of the experiment proposed on Emma’s post. Considering handling bacteria is a very delicate subject, especially for newbies, this experiment has very high chances to end in the garbage. On the other hand, I have the help of my wife, who can balance the odds for a more positive outcome.

Day 1

I have measured 120 grams of flour and 120 grams of water. I mixed them together in a plastic container until it looked homogeneous, and left it resting for 36 hours. I’ve used a wooden spoon. The scale is made of plastic. No metal has got into contact with the dough.

It was left resting in a fresh, dry place with no direct sunlight. I’m using a dishcloth to cover the container.

Day 2

When I opened the container I noticed a lot of bubbles, an increase in volume and a fresh smell, like Emma had predicted. Also noticed that it had a slight change in color; it was a bit darker. When I mixed it, I noticed that it was only a thin layer that was in contact with the air. Beneath, the color was the same as the day before.

I added 120 grams of flour and 120 grams of water to the mixture, stirred it until it became homogeneous again and left it resting for another 24 hours.

Day 3

When I got home on day three I noticed a funny smell in the house. It was the sourdough starter. The smell reminded me of butter; it was a bit strong, sour. As far as I understand it might be due to the lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli. Although it is considered normal, a starter rich in lactic acid bacteria may result in a fast leaven and denser final product, which is not desirable.

The dough had even more bubbles, seemed a bit darker than the original mixture, as in day 2. After stirring it, to feel the texture, it was clear that the mixture was no longer homogeneous. A transparent liquid had separated from the dough. I added 120 grams of flour and 120 grams of water, stirred it carefully not to pour the liquid from the container. This time, the texture was not batter-like, as on the previous days, but a bit more liquid.

Two hours after stirring it, I took more pictures:

I covered it with a plastic lid this time, to avoid the smell getting around the house, and let it rest for another 22 hours.

Day 4

I made a terrible mistake yesterday. I sealed the sourdough starter with the plastic lid of the container. When I went to look at it today, it had the same smell and color as the day before but no bubbles at all.

I will assume the bacteria are still alive, and they have not fed on the flour and water I added yesterday, because of the lack of bubbles. So I will loosely cover it with the dishcloth and wait until tomorrow.