YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER TROUBLESHOOTER

Sourdough bread is made with a natural leaven or rising agent (called a starter) instead of dried or fresh yeast. The starter is made by mixing flour and water, which harnesses the action of naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria in the flour and in the air. After a few days, the starter begins to bubble and ferment, developing its typical sour aroma. But what should you do if your starter is not bubbling or looks mouldy?

NEW STARTER (1 TO 6 DAYS)

• The amount of bubbles in a new starter varies greatly. If it doesn’t look very lively, keep it in a comfortably warm room, feed it for an extra couple of days with flour and water and it will soon be bubbling happily.

2-WEEK-OLD STARTER

• If you’re not planning to bake for a few days, keep your starter sealed in the fridge, which slows the fermentation process down.

After two weeks (in the fridge) liquid will have collected on the top (it will smell acidic and alcoholic). Pour it away and scrape off any mould that may have formed. Keep the starter in a warm room and feed it with 2 tbsp strong white flour and 2 tbsp water (it should have the consistency of thick pancake batter). Feed your starter this way every day for 2-5 days – it’s ready when there are lots of bubbles in the jar.

AN OLDER STARTER

• Spoon out any mould and pour off any acidic-smelling liquid, then sniff (it will be very alcoholic and acidic). If you think it’s just too pungent, weigh out 2g, put it in a clean jar (discard the rest), then add 20g flour and 20ml water. Leave in a warm room for 8 hours or overnight, then repeat with another 20g flour and water. Continue doing this until the starter is really bubbly – it may take a few days.

MORE TIPS FOR STARTER SUCCESS…

• Organic flour doesn’t contain pesticide residues, which can prevent the growth of natural yeast. If you don’t want to use organic, buy top-quality strong plain flour such as Doves or Shipton Mill.

• Thoroughly rinse all your equipment in hot water before you start, as residues from some anti-bacterial washing-up liquids can kill the sourdough starter.

Tips from the expert team at delicious.

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