De Smedt’s starter specs

The water used for a starter should be chlorine-free. Use tap water but let it stand for 12 hours, or filter it. White flour, wholegrain, rye, stoneground, spelt… The type of flour doesn’t matter all that much. Be mindful that it isn’t a readymade mix for one type of bread. Just use pure flour.

Rye or wholegrain flour will normally absorb a bit more water. I always try to achieve the consistency of an apple sauce: not too liquid, but not too thick either. It mixes more easily.

Day 1: Mix 50g of roomtemperature water with 60g of flour in a jar. Clean the rim and cover lightly. The jar doesn’t need to be fully sealed … just make sure no bugs or other crawlies can get in. Leave it out to rest for 24 hours.

Day 2: Add another 50g of water and 60g of flour and leave to rest.

Day 3: Add yet another 50g of water and 60g of flour and leave to rest. You should begin to notice that something has sprung to life: an odd bubble here and there, as well as the start of a particular smell. This is when many think they’ve failed. Far from it! The yeast and lactic acid bacteria are competing for the same food and are trying to find a balance. Right now, the yeast is winning, but not for much longer.

Day 4: Remove half the sourdough from the jar and set it aside. You can add an egg, some sugar and a little bit of baking powder to it and make pancakes with it. Add another 50g of water and 60g of flour to the rest of your remaining mixture.

You now need to repeat this process until the sourdough begins to smell lightly sour, like yoghurt. This can take up to 7 days.