Okay, so I’ve been messing around with sourdough for a while now, and let me tell you, it’s a journey. Today, I want to share something that took me a bit to figure out – feeding the starter without using a scale. Yeah, I know, scales are handy, but sometimes you just don’t have one around, or maybe it’s broken, who knows.
Getting Started
First things first, I grabbed my jar with the bubbly starter in it. It’s been sitting there, doing its thing, getting all nice and active. Now, the whole point is to feed this little guy so it stays happy and ready to make some killer bread.
The Feeding Process
Instead of weighing stuff, I went with the good old volume method. I scooped out about half of the starter – just eyeballed it, really – and dumped it in a separate container. I usually use that discard for other recipes, like pancakes or something, so it doesn’t go to waste.
- Add Water: Then, I took some filtered water, made sure it was kind of warm, like bathwater warm, not hot. I poured in roughly 1/4 cup of this water into the jar with the remaining starter.
- Add Flour: Next up, the flour. I used unbleached all-purpose flour, the regular kind you’d use for most baking. I added about 1/2 cup of flour to the jar.
- Mix It Up: After that, I grabbed a spoon and mixed it all up. You want to get it to a thick, pancake-batter-like consistency. It takes a bit of stirring to get all the flour incorporated, but you’ll get there. No rush.
Setting It Aside
Once it was all mixed, I put a loose lid on the jar. You don’t want it airtight, just something to keep the dust out. I found a nice warm spot in my kitchen – it’s usually around 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit – and let it sit there. The warmth helps the starter do its thing.
Repeat and Observe
I did this every 12 hours for the first few days. It’s like feeding a baby, you gotta keep a schedule. Then, after about five days, I switched to feeding it once a day. It’s fascinating to watch the starter change over time. It gets all bubbly and rises, then falls. That’s how you know it’s alive and kicking.
Wrapping Up
So, that’s my no-scale method for feeding sourdough starter. It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it. No fancy equipment needed, just some water, flour, and a bit of patience. It might seem a little intimidating at first, but trust me, it’s worth it when you bake that first loaf of delicious, homemade bread. Just remember to keep an eye on your starter, and it will reward you with some amazing results. Happy baking, folks!
