I get asked a lot about my sourdough, and how to get started with sourdough, what you need, tips and tricks and beginner recipes etc. So, I thought I would do a blog about it as a reference for those who want to start, need some inspiration, pointers, or who are just curious about the process and how it all works!

I will link below all the tools I use on a regular basis that you will need/want and or will just make the process easier. 

So first of all, I did not start my own sourdough starter, I ordered on off of Thrive Market ( I believe Amazon carries it as well) which I will link below. Maybe at some point I will attempt this, but doing a dry starter was just the easier option for me and easier for my brain to wrap around! 

Also, another thing I learned through this process is that you want to save your discard!! There are so many things you can make with it. And also, I am not a doctor and just sharing my experience, but I have a gluten sensitivity due to my Hashimotos Autoimmune Disease, and sourdough so not flair my autoimmune disease up. 

So I would recommend getting the San Francisco Style Sourdough Starter Culture by Cultures for Health (I will link everything below) I have done this one twice (My first one I threw away after I found out I had Hashimotos not knowing sourdough was different that straight gluten and doesn’t effect me and also has so many health benefits) 

The top things you will need when you start your starter are weck jars or a wide mouth mason jar (2 is best) make sure they are wide mouth, I love the weck jars the best, they also have a glass top which is really nice. I also love using the reusable jar “bags” they are cotton lids that allow air flow into your jar, and also contain if your sourdough is super happy! And then good filtered water, food scale, and organic unbleached bread flour. The nice thing about this sourdough starter is that it walks you through step by step to get it reactivated. It takes about a week to get it to the point of being ready to use. The instructions are super easy to follow, and honestly it seems very intense, but sourdough is so easy! My first time around I definitely over thought it, and this time around I was much more lax with it and it is almost therapeutic at this point now and second nature!

Once your starter is at the 7 day mark, start a secondary mason jar to keep your discard for discard recipes, I have a few posted on here, but will post more as I perfect them, and also share links to ones that are a repeat that I have found. 

Every time you feed your starter whatever is left over pour into your discard jar and keep in the fridge. The discard recipes are truly endless, pizza dough, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, cookies! Yes….cookies! 

Sourdough Starter- https://a.co/d/aqpKddD -this is the one I used. 

(they do have a gluten free one also, I will link it here- https://a.co/d/dHZLeI1 )

Weck Jars –https://a.co/d/hdRklvp -these are perfect for feeding your sourdough- I have two so I can rotate them when I am feeding my sourdough so I always have a clean one on hand. 

Mason Jar (perfect to store discard) – https://a.co/d/4DTz5S4

Sourdough Proofing Basket- https://a.co/d/bDMdkiW

Adjustable Measuring Cup- https://a.co/d/2IK4Z7I (this is best for the beginning steps of starting your starter, once you get it to the initial stage then using a scale, I find is easiest. But some recipes still use cups for measurements. I find grams to be easier personally!

Dutch Oven- https://a.co/d/2B07FNw a must for making sourdough loaves, I am a cast iron lover! Much better than the nonstick brands that are out there and low/non tox.

Bowl Covers- https://a.co/d/9QkACGe -perfect for when you are letting anything rise overnight, and perfect for your starter after feeding it to ensure there is still proper air flow. 

Food Scale- https://a.co/d/3boCreQ -this is what I use now when I am baking anything sourdough, most recipes are in grams. 

I have not used this-I started seeing them after I embarked on my sourdough journey, but it looks like a pretty neat tool https://a.co/d/h6dXqGO (I used a rubber band to track my growth, and also keep my starter by my ice machine to make sure the temp is within range)

Another thing that can make the process easier (depending on the recipe of course) is a stand mixer. I have noticed with sourdough loaves, the stand mixer tends to overmix it, so I would do sourdough bread loaves by hand. But there are some recipes such as hamburger buns that I would highly recommend using the mixer for. Here is a link to the mixer I have; https://a.co/d/ilM58ex and like I said this is not a necessity, you can make sourdough without this, it just makes the process easier on certain recipes. 

Feeding your sourdough after it is ready;

Once you have hit the mark where your sourdough is ready for use, you will feed your sourdough…I am currently doing the following measurements;

50 grams of starter

100 grams of filtered water

100 grams of organic non bleached bread flour

**these measurements can vary depending on your climate too**

I usually feed my sourdough around noon when I want to make something so it has a good 6-8 hours to double in size. You want to make sure it is very active and has doubled in size for recipes. When you feed it you will pour your starter in to a clean jar with your water and flour and mix and leave on the counter in an area that is at least 70 degrees. Whatever is leftover in the jar, pour into your discard jar and place back in the fridge for your discard recipes. If you are not planning on making anything, wait for it to double in size and come back down-usually the next day and you can place it in your fridge to let it go dormant. You can leave it in the fridge for 7 days before it needs to be fed again, at that 7 day mark feed it, let it sit and rise to double and you can either bake something with it, or let it go back down put the lid back on and place it back in the fridge.