EQUIPMENT LIST

• A tablespoon of dried sourdough starter (one packet if you’re using our starter which is available to buy on Amazon.)
• Clean glass jar with a rubber band (such as an 850ml Weck jar) and a cover such as a lid or strip or fabric
• Small Rubber Spatula or wooden spoon
• Organic Flour such as stone milled locally sourced strong bread flour or all purpose flour (12-14% protein is ideal)
• Digital Scales are strongly recommended over volumetric measuring as they are best for accuracy and consistency, which is important in baking.
• Thermometer or Probe to ensure consistency of water temperature
• Notebook and pen – optional, but helpful for recording time and perhaps temperature.
• Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home – optional but the best for guaranteed temperature control.

Watch our tutorial video below to see the process and hear more tips:

DAY ONE

• 10g (1 1/2 tsp) dried starter fine powder
• 15g (1 tbsp) lukewarm water (75 to 78°F/24 to 26°C)
• 10g bread flour

1. Place all the dehydrated starter into a small clean mixing bowl or jar.
2. Add the water and allow the starter to rehydrate for about 10 minutes.
3. Mix it all together thoroughly with your spatula or wooden spoon until a paste is formed, 1 minute.
4. Then, add 10g (1 tbsp) bread flour or all purpose flour. Mix it all together thoroughly so there are no dry lumps and transfer it to a clean jar.
5. Cover and leave this in a warm (72 to 75°F/22 to 24°C) draft-free place for 24 hours covered with with a loose fitting lid.

Now the friendly bacteria and wild yeast will start feeding and creating CO2. Over the next few days, we will see bubbles appearing and the starter growing in size, but not immediately so be patient!

DAY TWO

• 10g (2 tsp) lukewarm water (75 to 78°F/24 to 26°C)
• 12g bread flour (1 tbsp)

1. Add the water to the starter in the jar, and then add the flour.
2. Mix it all together thoroughly with a spatula so there are no dry lumps and transfer it to a clean jar.
3. Add a rubber band or make a mark on the side of jar to monitor how much it rises.
4. Leave this in a warm (72 to 75°F/22 to 24°C) draft-free place for 24 hours covered with with a loose fitting lid.

DAY THREE

By now, you should see some bubbles in the starter and it should have a sour scent, rather than the smell of raw flour.

• 5g (1.5 tsp) lukewarm water (75 to 78°F/24 to 26°C)
• 12g (1 tbsp) bread flour

1. Add the water to the starter in the jar, and then add the flour.
2. Mix it all together thoroughly with a spatula so there are no dry lumps and transfer to a clean jar.
3. Add a rubber band or make a mark on the side of jar to monitor how much it rises.
4. Leave this in a warm (72 to 75°F/22 to 24°C) draft-free place for 24 hours covered with with a loose fitting lid.

DAY FOUR

There should be a lot of height between the marker and the top of the starter now, the starter should have doubled in size.

• A small mixing bowl
• 50g (1/4 cup) lukewarm water (75 to 78°F/24 to 26°C)
• 50g bread flour

1. Pour the water into the bowl.
2. Add 50g of the starter to the water in the bowl (it should float if it is active). Clean your jar so it is ready for step 4.
3. Add the flour to the bowl. Mix it all together thoroughly with a spatula so there are no dry lumps and transfer it to the clean jar.
4. Put 50g of the mixture back into the jar. Leave this in a warm (72 to 75°F/22 to 24°C) draft-free place for 12 hours covered with with a loose fitting lid.

There will be some discard which you can save to make recipes in the “Zero Waste Chapter from page 311 of BReD: the cookbook. Alternatively, the discard can be used to make bread or stored in the fridge in an airtight container (to avoid a dry skin forming) for future use.

DAY FOUR (12 HOURS LATER)

By now, the starter should be very bubbly, elastic, and active, but you may need a bit more time, especially if your home is a little cooler. If your starter hasn’t risen much, leave it another 12 hours before feeding it again. Follow the feed recipe below if you’re ready to go:

• A medium-sized mixing bowl
• 100g (1/2 cup) lukewarm water (75 to 78°F/24 to 26°C)
• 50g starter
• 100g (2/3 cup) bread flour

1. Pour the water into the bowl.
2. Add the 50g of starter to the water in the bowl (it should float if it is active). Clean your jar so it is ready for step 4.
3. Add the flour to the bowl and mix it all together well. Let the mixture rest and relax for a couple of minutes.
4. Put the mixture back into the jar. Leave this in a warm (72 to 75°F/22 to 24°C) draft-free place for 12 hours covered with with a loose fitting lid.

DAY FIVE

The starter should have grown at least twice its size by now. If so, you’re ready to make bread! There should be enough starter to make two loaves. Remember to reserve 50g of starter for your future bakes. Refer to page 27 of BReD: the cookbook for instructions on how to maintain your sourdough starter.