makes about two cups 
Nothing says “old-fashioned homestead” like a crock of bubbling sourdough starter. When I first began to research sourdough years ago, I was completely turned off by the complicated methods and tutorials I found. However, I’ve since realized maintaining a starter is much easier than I originally thought. I figure if the pioneers could handle keeping sourdough in their covered wagons, we should easily be able to fit it into the rhythms of our modern homesteads, don’t you think?
½ cup whole wheat flour
Non-chlorinated water
All-purpose flour for maintaining the starter
Glass jar
To begin: Start the process by adding ½ cup whole wheat flour and ¼ cup water to the jar. Stir thoroughly and cover with a towel and rubber band. Let sit for 24 hours at room temperature. (Try to keep it in an area of your house that is somewhat warm. Very cool rooms tend to slow the action of a starter.)
The first feeding: After 24 hours, check the mixture for bubbles. If you see some, add ½ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ cup water. If you don’t see bubbles, give it a stir and let sit 24 more hours.
The second feeding: After 24 hours, check for bubbles again. If you still don’t see any, dump out the mixture and start over. If you do see bubbles, discard half of the starter, add ½ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ cup water and stir thoroughly. Let sit 24 hours.
The third feeding: Discard half of the starter, and feed with ½ cup all-purpose flour and
¼ cup water, stirring thoroughly. Let sit 24 hours.
Continue this routine until the starter is consistently bubbling and doubling in size within 8 hours of each feeding. At this point, you can store the starter in the refrigerator and feed it about once per week. When you plan to use the starter, pull it out of the refrigerator 24 hours in advance to feed it and allow it to warm up and grow.
kitchen notes • If you’ve repeatedly attempted sourdough starters with dismal results, it could be that, depending on where you live, the wild strains of yeast floating in the air may not be well suited to sourdough. You can easily overcome this hurdle by purchasing a dried commercial starter for a minimal fee. Cared for properly, your starter should last for many, many years.
If you have other ferments or cultures in your kitchen, keep your starter at least several feet away from them to prevent cross-contamination.
Have chlorinated tap water? Simply set the water out in an uncovered container for 24 hours before using it to feed your starter. This allows the chlorine to evaporate so it won’t kill the little yeasties.
Once the starter has fully matured, you can share some of the daily discarded starter with your sourdough-loving friends.
Use your starter to make Sourdough Flapjacks, Sourdough Crackers, or Fudgy Sourdough Brownies.