How Do I Make My Own Natural Yeast Starter?
I like to use quart size canning jars to keep my starters in. Start with one quart size canning jar and measure 1/2 cup water into the jar. Mark a line with a sharpie at the top of the water line. Repeat this with 1 Cup water and 2 Cups water. This will help you know how much yeast you have as it grows.
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When you're done gently set your canning lid on top of the jar. Do Not screw the lid on. The yeast needs air to breathe and grow but it will dry out if you have no lid on it at all. I also like to mark where my yeast is at with a rubberband so I can see better how much it's risen or if it's risen at all.
Leave the jar on your counter, out of the sun. Take the lid off and stir the mixture three times a day. Then wait for bubbles to form. If you see bubbles form feed it again with 1/4 cup water (stir until mixture is dissolved) and a little more than 1/4 cup flour. Stir to aerate three times a day.
Your goal is to get your yeast to double in size with nice bubbles in it. Of course this is easier said than done.
If your yeast has bubbles and you're feeding it regularly you're going to find that you soon have too much mixture to fit in your jar. You will need to start throwing out about half of your mixture and then feeding it in a 1:1:1 ratio. What I like to do is throw out the yeast until it reaches the 1/2 cup mark. Then I add 1/2 cup water, mix until everything is dissolved and then add 1/2 cup flour or more until I have a sticky paste again.
What do you do if you have no bubbles at all? This is probably the case more often than not when you are first trying to create your own sourdough. First of all, be patient. Keep stirring three times a day and feeding your yeast with the above technique every 48 hours. Keep your jar out of the sun but on the counter. Here is a great flowchart I relied on when I was first trying to get my yeast started. I looked at this many many times. He suggests giving your yeast pineapple juice to get things going. I tried this technique but it still took a few more days to see much progress. Sometimes I had really small bubbles but the mixture wasn't rising. I tried baking with it and produced several delicious smelling bricks. They were only good for breadcrumbs. However you can use your unrisen yeast to make pancakes or crepes if it's too hard for you to throw it down the sink every time you go to feed it. There are some good recipes for that in The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast. Most importantly remember that it will most likely take several weeks before your yeast becomes very active.
I Have My Own Natural Yeast Starter What Do I Do Next?
Getting some starter from a friend or neighbor is a great way to start. I usually take a little of my yeast and put it in a jar, then feed it before giving it away. But if you get a little bit that looks like this
Feed it 1/4 cup bottled water and stir until dissolved. Then stir in at least 1/4 cup unbleached unbromated flour, maybe a little more until you have formed a sticky paste.
Gently set a canning lid on top of your jar and leave it on the counter until it has doubled in size. I like to mark where the mixture is at with a rubberband so I can see how much it has risen or if it is rising at all.
Your yeast should begin to rise and should eventually more than double in size. This is after about 3 hours...
This is after 4-6 hours, depending on the overall temperature in your home. It generally takes longer to rise in the winter as the temperature in your home is cooler.
Once your yeast has come near the top of your jar it is ready to be used. I have found that it is best to use all of my yeast in my recipes. I pour the whole jar into my mixing bowl without scraping the sides or bottom.
I then feed what is left in my jar 1/4 cup water and a little more than 1/4 cup flour forming a nice paste. Once this has doubled I feed it 1/2 cup water and a little more than 1/2 cup flour. I can then put it in the fridge to wait until I'm ready to use it again or use it immediately if I'm a bread making machine.
What Do I Do If My Natural Yeast Starter Has Been In The Fridge For Awhile?
This is not a problem. You will notice that the longer your starter is in the fridge the more it will shrink back to the rubberband marking where you originally fed it. This is okay as long as you still see bubbles in your jar. Your starter will be happy in the fridge for up to two weeks without being fed. Although it is generally happier if you take it out sooner than that. However, if you are using a whole wheat starter you will notice that the top has significantly darkened and there may even by liquid on top. This liquid is alcohol which is a by product of yeast. I just pour off the alcohol and scrape off the top half of my yeast. Even with my white flour yeast (that doesn't seem to get dark on top) I usually scrape off the top half and throw it away. Then I just feed my starter the 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup or so flour and it's usually good to go! (If it doesn't seem happy throw most of it out and start over with 1/4 cup flour and water). I do know some people who have even neglected their starter for over a month. We just scraped off the top, fed it and watched it grow. This is pretty resilient stuff once you get it going.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions! I would love to help!
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