Mmmm…bread! And my favorite is sourdough. I have always been in love with sourdough bread. While this starter isn't your traditional flour and water starter it tastes amazing and is easy to maintain. This quick and easy sourdough starter recipe is hearty and packs a lot of flavor.
I first published this recipe in 2015 and am still using the same starter with no issues. I use the starter in everything from bread to pizza, adjusting the additions to the base dough recipe as I go.
Quick and Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe
You'll need a simple mason jar for this recipe and if you want to let it ferment on the counter I recommend using cheesecloth instead of a lid so it can easily breathe. Your local dollar store should have all the supplies you need.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp instant potatoes
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a covered container. Let the mixture sit for on your counter, lightly covered, 6 days stirring the container to make sure it is combined.
- On the morning of the 6th day, feed the starter with 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water. The same night, take out 1 cup of the starter to use in a sourdough recipe. Put remaining starter in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Every six days or so, remove the starter from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Feed the starter 3 tbsp instant potatoes and sugar with 1 cup water. If starter is to be used in a recipe, let the fed starter rest at room temperature 6 hours before use. If starter is not being used in a recipe, keep refrigerated and discard 1 cup of starter after each feeding.
Notes
What I love most about this starter recipe is once you have it healthy and fed you can keep it in the fridge. Simply remove from the fridge, bring to room temperature and feed. After that, you can use it as you see fit. The best part of this quick and easy recipe is you can have natural yeast to use within a week.
If you're looking for a basic dough recipe check out our sourdough bread recipe.
1 Comment
I’ve used this starter recipe for about three months. I discard when I feed it and don’t have time to bake with the discard. I was skeptical about leaving it on the counter, as my mother always refrigerated hers, but it has worked out well until I went to feed it yesterday. I had noticed that it was working less and getting really soupy with the potato flakes. The smell yesterday was no longer a yeasty/sourdough smell but closer to a vomit smell. Out it went, and I started a new one today. It will also remain on the counter, but evidently this has a definite shelf life, no pun intended, if not refrigerated.