What is Sourdough Starter?

According to Wikipedia, sourdough starter prep starts with "a pre-ferment (the "starter" or "leaven", also known as the "chief", "chef", "head", "mother" or "sponge"), a fermented mixture of flour and water, containing a colony of microorganisms including wild yeast and lactobacilli.

The purpose of the starter is to produce a vigorous leaven and to develop the flavour of the bread. In practice there are several kinds of starters, as the ratio of water to flour in the starter (hydration) varies. A starter may be a liquid batter or a stiff dough."

Simply put by Bread&Basil, "a sourdough starter is an active colony of wild yeast and good bacteria cultivated by combining flour and water and allowing it to ferment."

So basically, water + Flour + bacteria = bread.

How Will I Know When My Starter is Ready For Baking?

This super-helpful article by TasteofHome breaks it down to three factors:
1. Look for Bubbles
2. Check the Volume
3. Will it Float?

Definitely read this article and once you've determined that your starter IS ready, it's time to get baking!

Sourdough Starter Recipes

Many, many bakers around the world have their own starter recipe: with a little water, flour, and some basic ingredients, within five to seven days you’ll have the formula for leavening some really tasty sourdough bread!

Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe–– this recipe by TheCleverCarrot is a great tutorial that stretches the process of creating sourdough starter from scratch over seven days, so take your time and don’t stress out. You can do this!

Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe for Making Sourdough Bread Without Yeast–– this recipe by AttainableSustainable is very easy-peasy: flour, water, and wild yeast. This process also takes seven days to complete, so have fun with this one.

This Homemade Cracker Recipe Is The Best Use Of Your Leftover Sourdough Starter–– this BuzzFeed article has a recipe for your leftover starter. This might be one your can do with the kids!

Sourdough Pizza Crust–– this recipe by GoodCheapEats is a real crowd pleaser and is easy to make once you've made your own your starter. Just add your favorite toppings, pop it into the oven and it's dinnertime!

Superstone® Stoneware

One of the most important things about perfecting a recipe is the cookware you use to prepare it. The absolute 100% best way to bake crispy, crusty breads and pizzas is with the Superstone® La Cloche and a Superstone® BBQ Pizza Stone.

As everyone knows, the Superstone® La Cloche replicates a professional brick-lined oven, creating a really tasty bread with a light crumb and crusty exterior. 

The Superstone® BBQ Pizza Stone can be used in any conventional or convection oven, as well as the grill, giving this stone the most versatility. The unglazed Superstone® stoneware pulls moisture from the dough, resulting in a super crispy and delicious crust.

Serve it Up

If you need accessories for cutting and serving, look no further–– Sassafras® has a wood-handled spatula and a silicone-handled spatula for all your baking and bread carving needs.

We hope that you enjoy these recipes–– be sure to give us feedback and Tag and Share your photos using Sassafras® products on social media. Happy Baking!