Sourdough Starter

Ingredients

• 1 jar large enough to hold 4 cups.

  Weigh your jar before starting so you know how much to subtract when measuring content.

• 1 cup wholemeal flour

• 4 cups water

• 6 cups plain flour

Instructions

1. Add 1 cup wholemeal flour to a jar.

2. Add 1 cup of cool water and mix until all of the dry flour is well combined.

3. Cover with a paper towel and leave for 24 hours in a warm place.

4. On day 2, discard all but 110g of the mixture. Then add 1 cup plain flour and 1/2 cup cool water, mix well. Cover with a paper towel and leave for another 24 hours.

5. On day 3 you will start to see some bubbling and expansion with a fruity aroma. Again discard all but 110g of the mixture. Add 1 cup plain flour and 1/2 cup water, stir to mix well. Cover with a paper towel and leave for another 24 hours.

6. On day 4, repeat as per day 3.

7. On day 5, repeat again as per day 3. By about 4 hours after feeding your starter, the mixture should have doubled in volume and there should be lots of bubbles with a tangy aroma (if not, repeat process for another couple of days).

8. Once your starter is ready, discard all but 110g and feed as usual. Let the starter rest at room temperature for 6-8 hours. Bubbles should be breaking the surface.

9. Remove the amount of starter required for your bread recipe. Then leave 110g in the jar. Feed this reserved starter as above (1 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup cool water). Leave starter at room temperature for several hours to let it begin to grow again. Loosely put a lid on the jar (not airtight). Store starter in the fridge and feed as above once a week.