Easy AP-Flour Sourdough Starter

With baking on the rise, yeast has become a hot commodity. Both flour and yeast have become scarce, but flour has restocked at grocery stores at a higher rate than yeast. The reason behind this is that manufacturing yeast is a longer and more difficult process compared to manufacturing flour as yeast is living and more delicate. It has been difficult for both flour and yeast manufacturers to keep up with the demand since this is usually the off-season for baking, fall and winter being when they manufacture the most. 

The short supply of yeast has been a problem for many quarantine bakers, but a simple sourdough starter is a perfect solution! A sourdough starter takes very little yeast to make, can be used instead of or with yeast in many recipes, and grows and replaces itself! 

To start:

Ingredients:

1 envelope of active dry yeast or instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)

2 cups of warm water

2 cups of all purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a plastic or glass bowl, mix yeast, flour, and water together
2. Cover the bowl loosely
3. Place in a warm environment

Feeding starter:

Ingredients:

¼ cup of warm water

¼ cup of all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Every day mix in warm water and flour into starter

When starter is ready:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of warm water

1 tablespoon of all purpose flour

Direction:

1. Test your starter with the float test (place one tablespoon of starter in a cup of water, if it floats it is ready) and the double test (if, after feeding, it doubles in 24 hours, it is ready)
2. If starter is ready, you may put it in a jar and seal it with a paper towel and rubber band
3. Place it in the fridge
4. Mix warm water and flour every week
5. Use in recipes calling for starter (bread, muffins, crumpets, pasta, cinnamon rolls, tortillas, etc.)

Troubleshooting:

If deemed too liquidy- add twice as much flour in the next feeding with the same amount of water

If it is orange or pink- throw out and start over

If it isn’t bubbly enough– add more flour and a dash of sugar