Homemade Rye Sourdough Starter

The necessary leavener for rye flour doughs: Homemade Rye Sourdough Starter

I am not sure why such a simple process is so mysterious and considered “difficult”. “How did you make your own sourdough starter?” or “You made your own?” is often expressed with amazed excitement clearly, due to lack of simple experience. It is so embarrassingly easy to make. I recall asking that very question in that very manner. Now, I know.

And so will you! Rye or Wheat Sourdough starter is made in exactly the same fashion; however, if you are making rye bread, you do need a rye sourdough starter to leaven your loaf. Yeast will not do it. Yeast leavens wheat flour; rye sourdough starter leavens rye flour. I am 60 and still learning the most basic facts. Slap my face! Above, 50 grams of gorgeous organic rye seed is in the Thermomix bowl. The TM5 will mill a maximum of 250 grams of grain effectively.

After one minute on speed 10 and 2 seconds 3 times on Turbo, voilá! Gorgeous fresh organic rye flour. Of course, if you don’t own a Thermomix, just buy the flour!

Day One: Mix 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of tepid water together

Equal amounts is key; start small.

Stir to combine and that’s all she wrote – almost!

Place this mixture in a sterilized sealable one litre jar.

As I made a double batch for sharing, you see two.

This can be simply set in a warm place in your home. However, placing it in the oven with the oven light on for 4 days gives this little sourdough-starter-to-be the perfect environment to grow within. The temperature of the oven with the light on is about 70°F or 21°C. Perfect. Leave it in the oven for two days.

Day Three: Add 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of tepid water

Stir the newly added flour and water into the starter with a spoon to combine well.

Place back in the oven with the light on to grow.

Day Four: Add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of tepid water

Again, stir into the starter with a spoon and replace into the oven with the light on. Do you see the bubbles, above? It is growing and fermenting!

Day Five: Take out of the Oven and Store in the Fridge

Or, use it immediately! Instructions for feeding are in the recipe. Now, is that not easy and such a beautiful thing. Oooo, the fermented sour smell is intoxicating! And the flavour of the bread! Mmmmm!

Above, the starter is added to the flour to create a dough for German Brown Bread that uses both rye and wheat flours (and therefore, both yeast and rye sourdough starter). The rule of thumb is 50 grams of starter per loaf.

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Homemade Rye Sourdough Starter

Use 150 grams of this starter to make the Brown Rye German loaf; retain 250 grams to feed the starter so there will be more for the next loaf, or two loaves.

Course Dough Starter

Cuisine Canadian

Prep Time 4 days

Cook Time 4 days

Total Time 8 days

Servings 400 grams

Author Valerie Lugonja via Matthias Reissner

Ingredients

Ingredients for Making the Starter

Day 1

• 50 grams organic rye grain or freshly milled rye flour
• 50 grams tepid water

Day 3

• 50 grams organic rye grain or freshly milled rye flour
• 50 grams tepid water

Day 4

• 100 grams organic rye grain or freshly milled rye flour
• 100 grams tepid water

Ingredients for Feeding the Starter

• • equal amount of flour to water until desired weight is achieved

Instructions

Instructions

Making the Starter

Step One: Day 1 - 3

1. Scale 50 grams organic rye grain into TM bowl; mill for 30 seconds on speed 10
2. Combine 50g organic rye flour with 50g tepid water
3. Place in a litre glass canning jar with a tight lid (plastic or metal); Seal and place in closed oven with oven light on for 4 days (oven bulb is about 25 W and will provide enough heat for this starter to grow)

Step Two: Day 3 (48 hours later)

1. Add 50g organic rye flour and 50g tepid water to the starter; mix with a spoon to combine
2. Place back in oven for 24 more hours; sealed with oven light on

Step Three: Day 4

1. Add 100g organic rye flour and 100g tepid water to the starter; mix with a spoon to combine
2. Place back in oven for 24 more hours; sealed with oven light on
3. Starter will start slowly growing

Use or Store the Starter

1. After 3rd step is completed, starter will keep 3 weeks in fridge or longer in freezer
2. To use, remove from fridge and rest to room temperature before use (about an hour)
3. If stored in freezer, place in fridge overnight, and remove to achieve room temperature before use (about an hour)

Feeding the Starter

Day One

1. For 250g starter left from 400g batch, if 150g was used to make Brown Rye loaf, add 100g organic rye flour and 100g tepid water to starter
2. Leave on counter overnight
3. Continue to add 50g of each every day, until desired weight is achieved
4. Keep ⅓ as starter for next batch; always add equal amounts of flour and water daily until desired weight is achieved
5. Store in the fridge, or freezer, once the feeding is completed and desired amount of starter is achieved

Recipe Notes

Matthias' Brown Rye bread requires 150g of sour dough per each loaf
This batch makes 400g of starter and 250g should be reserved to grow a new batch
50grams of starter per loaf, is the average suggested amount to use

Just a peak of the possibilities!