Alright, let’s talk about this yeast jar thing I got going on. Been wanting to try my hand at making my own starter for a while now, you know, capture some of that wild yeast floating around. Seemed like a neat little project.
Getting Started
First things first, I needed a container. Didn’t want anything fancy. Found an old glass jar in the back of the cupboard, probably held pickles or something once. Gave it a really good scrub with hot, soapy water, then rinsed it like crazy. Gotta make sure it’s super clean, don’t want any bad stuff growing in there.
Then, the ingredients. Dead simple, really. Just needed flour and water. I grabbed the bag of unbleached all-purpose flour I had. Some folks say use whole wheat or rye to start, but I figured I’d just use what I had on hand. Poured maybe half a cup, maybe a little more, into the clean jar. No exact science here, just eyeballed it.
Mixing and Waiting
Next, I added some water. Started with roughly the same amount as the flour, maybe a little less. Wanted a thick paste, kinda like pancake batter but maybe a bit thicker. Used a wooden spoon to mix it all up right there in the jar. Stirred until there weren’t any dry bits of flour left. Scraped down the sides a bit too.
Now, the covering part. You can’t seal it airtight, the yeast needs to breathe, and gases need to escape. I just took the jar’s metal lid, flipped the rubber seal part upside down so it wouldn’t seal tight, and screwed it on loosely. Some people use cheesecloth or a coffee filter with a rubber band, that works too. Found a spot on my kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight but kinda warm.
And then… I waited.
- Day 1: Nothing much happened. Just looked like wet flour paste.
- Day 2: Still quiet. Maybe a tiny bubble or two if I looked really close, but could have been my imagination. Started to smell a little bit, not bad, just… floury.
- Day 3: Okay, now we’re talking! Definitely saw some bubbles. The mixture looked a bit puffier. Had a slightly sour smell starting. Time for the first feeding.
Feeding the Beast
So, the feeding process. This is where it gets into a routine. The idea is you gotta discard some of the old stuff and add fresh flour and water. I scooped out about half of the mixture in the jar and tossed it. Felt a bit wasteful, but apparently, it’s necessary.
Then I added fresh flour and water, about the same amounts I started with – roughly half a cup of flour and enough water to get back to that thick paste consistency. Mixed it all up again, scraped the sides, put the loose lid back on, and left it on the counter.
I kept doing this feeding thing once a day for about a week. Sometimes, if it was really active and bubbly, I’d feed it twice a day. You kinda get a feel for it.
The Result? Success!
After about 7 or 8 days, the stuff in the jar was really active. It would reliably double in size within a few hours after feeding, get super bubbly, and have that distinct tangy, sour smell. Not a bad smell, just… yeasty and sour. That’s how I knew it was ready!
It worked! I had my own yeast starter going in a simple jar. Pretty satisfying, I gotta say. From just flour, water, and whatever invisible yeast was hanging out in my kitchen. Now I keep it in the fridge and feed it about once a week to keep it happy. It’s become a neat little kitchen pet.
