Starting a Natural Sourdough Culture

The lure of creating your own sourdough culture from scratch is strong in most dough-heads.  It's not all that difficult.  But it's a darn sight harder if you don't have a clue as to what you're doing.

I can not too strongly recommend that sourdough beginners DO NOT ATTEMPT to grow their own cultures!

But, if you simply must grow your own, at least keep some of these simple tips in mind.

Okay, you've been warned and here we go...

What you'll need:

Several pounds of full grain rye flour.  Purchase ready made if you must, but freshly ground or milled from fresh, whole rye grain is best.  Remember, cleaner is better!  So take extra care with it.

Next, you'll need about a gallon of clean, pure water.  Distilled or de-ionized is a good bet because it's relatively germ free.  However most any good water can be used...even tap water.  Just keep in mind that "city (tap) water" most often contains chemicals that are designed to kill little critters.  So you're going to have to keep that in mind as well.  That's why I recommend bottled water.

Next, you'll need a glass or plastic container.  Most anything between a pint and a quart will do.  While it must be able to be covered, having "see-through" visibility and a wide-mouth for easy cleaning is a plus.

Next, something to measure your materials is necessary.  Professional bakers and pro baker wanna-be's use scales.  They are the best and most accurate method.  However, I and most other less pretentious folks use a simple set of measuring cups.

Next, locate a place that's relatively dark, and can be made to hover between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit.  A stove turned off is a great place.  Besides, most stoves have  a light--this helps in looking in on your culture.

Finally, don't start this process unless you're willing to devote 5-10 minutes, several times a day for the next 3-14 days.  While skipping a step is by itself not a fatal flaw, it does nothing to promote good growth and a healthy culture.  Remember, this is the most crucial step in making sourdough culture.  You really should make sure that you do at least this step well.

Here's how:

Your culture is now ready to be used.  Keep in mind that "wild cultures" are notoriously unreliable.  They may work/taste exceptionally well, or they may be utter garbage.  Only you and your taste buds will know...


Lifted, and considerably massaged, from one of Samartha's better pages--Ed.