Whole grain sourdough starters allow you to incorporate complex flavors into your sourdough baking, and they’ll allow you to bake with 100% whole grains, no white flour required.
Whole grain sourdough starters often create more complex flavors, as the cultures are fed on a more complex diet, and different strains arise over time in different flour bases.
Personally, I love working with a rye sourdough starter, and it give amazing flavor to my homemade breads. Even if I’m baking an otherwise white flour loaf, just 5 to 10% rye from the starter (and the accompanying complex culture in the sourdough) yields incredible bread.
The trick is, making a sourdough starter can be a bit different when working with whole grains. Thankfully, I came across a lovely guide to making sourdough starters with different flours in Whole Grain Sourdough At Home by Elaine Boddy.
I asked the publisher if I could share an excerpt with you, and they graciously agreed.
Before we start talking about working exclusively with whole grains, it’s helpful to review the basic process for making a sourdough starter in general.
Basics of Making a Sourdough Starter
Making your own sourdough starter is a simple, yet rewarding process that lets you harness the power of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria to naturally leaven bread. It only requires two ingredients—flour and water—and a little patience.
To start, mix equal parts flour and water, about 100 grams (roughly ¾ cup of flour and ½ cup of water) in a clean jar or bowl. Many people begin with a mix of whole-grain flour (like whole wheat or rye) and all-purpose flour since the whole-grain flour contains more nutrients that help the yeast get going. Stir it together until it’s smooth, and cover loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap. Let this sit at room temperature, ideally between 70-75°F (21-24°C), for 24 hours.
Over the next few days, you’ll need to feed your starter daily. This means discarding half of the mixture and adding more flour and water. The purpose of discarding is to keep the starter manageable and to encourage the growth of wild yeast and bacteria. Each day, throw away about half (roughly 100g) of the mixture and add another 100g of flour and 100g of water. Stir it together, cover it loosely, and let it sit at room temperature. As the days go by, you’ll start to see small bubbles forming, and the starter will develop a tangy, sour smell. This is a good sign that the fermentation process is working!
After about 5-7 days, your starter should be bubbly and rise and fall within a few hours of feeding. It should also have a pleasant, mildly sour scent. To test its readiness, try the “float test”: scoop a spoonful of starter and drop it into a glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready to use in baking!
Once your starter is established, you can keep it alive by feeding it regularly. If you bake often, continue to feed it daily. If you’re not baking as frequently, you can store the starter in the fridge and only feed it once a week. When you’re ready to use it again, just pull it out, give it a couple of feedings, and let it come back to life at room temperature before baking.
Remember, the key to a successful starter is consistency. Keep feeding it, and soon, you’ll have a thriving, bubbly starter that’s ready to make all kinds of delicious sourdough bread.
Reprinted with permission from Whole Grain Sourdough At Home by Elaine Boddy. Page Street Publishing Co. 2020.
How to Make a Whole Grain Sourdough Starter
The process and number of days required to make starters with flours other than strong white bread flour is the same; however, they all differ slightly due to the consistency, texture, and strength of each flour.
Exactly the same tips and guidelines apply as previously discussed. One of the main differences when making these starters will be the smell.
Especially around Days 3 and 4, they may smell quite bad, but it is all normal; just keep going, and the smell will reduce. You may also find that the top layer of the mixture becomes darker than the mixture beneath it; it is all part of the process. Just keep stirring and following the steps.
Different starters can be directly swapped for one another in sourdough recipes, and they’ll create different flavors and textures in the resultant loaves and are great fun to play with.
Please note that the flour in the dough does not need to match the flour in the starter.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter
I would recommend using a strong whole wheat flour, ideally with a protein content of 13 to 15 percent.
If you use very strong whole wheat flour, initially the starter may look like an elastic blob, resisting the water it is being mixed with. Keep stirring it and following the steps and it will go on to become a beautiful textured bowl of power.
Einkorn Sourdough Starter
A whole grain einkorn starter can look like a bowl of brown slop, but within that sloppy mixture is the power to lift beautifully risen loaves. When you first mix it, it will look like a paste and it will also resist the water. Keep stirring it regularly; the water will mix in and the starter will become activated.
Emmer Sourdough Starter
Whole grain emmer flour responds wonderfully for making a starter; it is lively and very active. When first mixed, it will also resist the water, so stir it regularly. Emmer flour quickly becomes a nice bouncy mixture rather than a paste, like einkorn. Emmer produces a wonderful smelling and acting starter.
Spelt Sourdough Starters
I would highly recommend using whole grain spelt flour, as opposed to white spelt flour, for making a starter. The whole grain version has more texture and strength. These starters are beautifully textured beneath a smooth surface and smell inviting once established.
Khorasan Sourdough Flour
Whole grain Khorasan flour creates a thick mixture when you use it to make a starter and can look spongy rather than vivaciously bubbly. However, as you stir it, you will see texture and activity beneath a smooth surface. A Khorasan starter generates a firm dough and great flavor.
Whole Grain Dark Rye Flour
Whole grain dark rye flour produces a thick mixture; you may find initially that you need to use 15 grams (1 tablespoon) more water than flour to begin making the starter, then revert to equal weights once it is established.
Whichever flour you choose to make your starter, nurture it and allow it time to develop. And most of all, have fun. Enjoy the process!
How to Make a Starter in High Temperatures
High temperatures and/or humidity can affect your starter greatly. Both can make your starter work a lot faster, which means it works its way through the flour more quickly and thus can become thin and weak.
Follow all the same notes, tips, and timetables for making a starter, but store your new starter in the fridge during the day at the highest temperatures.
Watch and assess how your starter behaves. If at any point the starter is becoming thin or is developing a dark murky liquid on the surface, it is working fast in the heat. Stir it well and feed it only flour until it is back to its previous thickness. You can do this as many times as necessary to maintain the consistency.
How to Use a Whole Grain Sourdough Starter
When you plan to make some dough, work the timings backward to plan when you need to take your starter from the fridge and when to feed it. See the timetables on page 183 for assistance.
Take your starter from the fridge, let it sit on the counter with its lid on, and let it come up to room temperature (see photo 1 on the next page). Please note that you can feed your starter while cold, but the liquid will be thick and resistant and it will take longer to come up to play.
Once it is at room temperature, it may well start to bubble even before you have fed it–this shows how wonderfully happy and strong it is. Now, feed it with your chosen flour and water.
For a single full-size dough based on my master recipe, feed your starter 30 grams (1⁄4 cup) of flour and 30 grams (1⁄8 cup) of water (see photo 2 on the next page).
Stir it well (see photo 3 on the next page). You do not need to stir until it is perfectly smooth; it can be lumpy. Your starter will eat through the flour quite happily. Replace the lid firmly and leave it on the counter to work.
Always feed all of your starter; you do not need to separate out a portion for feeding.
The process of “feeding” your starter is doing just that: The additional flour and water provide it with nourishment and energy. As your starter eats its way through this new food, it gains energy and power, which make it bubble and grow. Once it has used up all of the nutrients from the feed, it will become still again and will start to drop back down. Starters do not remain bubbly and active forever, only for a period of time after feeding, just as when we consume a meal, it only nourishes us for a while before we need to eat again.
When it is grown and blossomed, happy, bubbly, and active, begin your dough (see photo 4).
By feeding your starter 30 grams (1⁄4 cup) of flour and 30 grams (1⁄8 cup) of water, it will generate the 50 grams (1⁄4 cup) of the bubbly starter that you need to make your dough; then, when you take into account whatever is stuck to the spoon and you stir down the rest of the starter, it will return it back to your base amount.
Remember: If you ever find that you are building up a larger amount of starter, use some up in another recipe and return it to your perfect base amount. Such recipes as the biscuits (see pages 107–115) or crackers (see pages 175–181) are a great way to use up extra starter.
Tips: If you want multiple loaves, feed it multiples of 30 grams (1/4 cup) of flour plus 30 grams (1/8 cup) of water accordingly. For example, to make 2 loaves, I feed my starter 60 grams (1/2 cup) of flour plus 60 grams (1⁄4 cup) of water; for 3 loaves, I feed it 90 grams(3⁄4 cup) of flour plus 90 grams (scant 1⁄2 cup) of water; and so on.
Please note that when you feed your starter more flour and water, it may take longer to become active.
The time your starter takes to be ready to use will depend on the temperature in your kitchen.
If it is cold, well below 64°F (18°C), it will take longer. If it is warmer, well over 68°F (20°C), it will be faster.
If you have sunshine coming into your kitchen, sit your starter in the sunshine for 1 to 2 hours for a boost of heat.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour Choose a strong variety with 13-15% protein content
- 1/2 cup water filtered, chlorine-free, room temperature
Instructions
- Mix the Starter: In a clean jar or bowl, combine 100g of whole wheat flour with 100g of water. Stir until you have a smooth mixture with no dry flour pockets. Cover the jar loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap to allow airflow and prevent contaminants. Let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 24 hours.
- Daily Feeding: After 24 hours, you'll begin the daily feeding process. Discard half of the mixture (about 100g), and then feed the remaining starter with 100g of fresh flour and 100g of water. Stir it well, cover loosely, and let it rest at room temperature. You’ll repeat this process every day for 5 to 7 days, making sure to discard half each time and replace it with fresh flour and water. As you continue, you’ll see the starter become bubbly and active, with a pleasant, sour smell developing.
- Watch for Signs of Growth: As the days pass, your starter will start to rise and fall within a few hours of feeding. This is a good sign! You’ll see small bubbles forming and the texture will change as it becomes more lively. By Day 5 or 6, your starter should be bubbly and ready for baking.
- Testing Readiness: To test if your starter is ready, try the "float test": drop a small spoonful of starter into a glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready to use for baking! If it sinks, give it another day or two of feedings to strengthen it.
- Storage and Maintenance: Once your starter is fully established, you can store it in the fridge to slow down its activity if you're not baking regularly. Be sure to feed it once a week to keep it healthy. When you’re ready to bake, remove the starter from the fridge, let it come to room temperature, and feed it a couple of times before using it in your dough recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
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