During the COVID19 pandemic, many of us tried our hands at starting new hobbies, and a big one was baking sourdough bread from scratch. I continually killed my sourdough starter because I always messed it up when I had to take out some of the starter and add in more flour and water. I finally gave up on it, but then found this TikTok for a no-discard sourdough starter from Love at First Loaff, and I am ready to try again!
In the caption, Love at First Loaff said that this recipe is as simple as it gets, and in just 9 days, your dough will be ready to make bread. It only takes a minute to start, literally. The video below is for day one, and really, it doesn’t get an easier than this!
You can head to Love at First Loaff’s page to see Days 2-9. She also has a pinned video explaining how to care for your starter once it’s ready for use. It literally takes just a minute or two each day to feed your starter, though it might less or more time to grow since it’s based on the environment that it’s in. If your home is cooler, it might grow slower than if it was in a warmer house. That’s why it’s important to check on it each day. I had to set a daily reminder on my phone or else I’d forget!
Commenter @Hailey Marra was ready to try to start her own, “Thank you – I will be using your instructions because I don’t wanna throw away so much. It’ll be my first time!” Others shared their sourdough starter’s names; it’s a big thing to name your starter! @Laura Korepanow made me laugh when she explained why she chose her dough’s name, “I made my first starter dough three days ago. I named her Wanda. “I Wanda if she’s going to obey???” Haha!” @Ccone also got creative, “I named mine ‘The Big Doughbowski,’ I just started my starter today… I’m following your instructions.” Mine starter is going to be Doughlores after my grandmother Dolores who was an amazing baker!
Related: Baker Finally Demystifies KitchenAid Attachments For Us
Tips for a Successful Sourdough Starter
King Athur Baking shared some tips to help get our sourdough starters on the right track. One that I’ve always been told is to always start your dough in a glass jar or bowl. “We wouldn’t recommend using a bowl that’ll react with sourdough’s acidity — for instance, don’t mix or store your starter in cast iron or uncoated aluminum — but other than that, glass, plastic, stoneware, acrylic, stainless steel — take your pick, all are acceptable.” Also use an acrylic spoon to stir your starter instead of using metal. And don’t forget to scrap down the sides of the jar or bowl!
Make sure to check on your starter daily, and feed as well. Missing a day, especially when you’re first getting started, can cause all kinds of issues – or if you’re like me and forget about it – you’ll need to start over.
Does Your Sourdough Starter Stink?
It’s probably not anything to worry about. “When it comes to how your starter smells, it’s fairly common for a fledgling starter to go through a stinky period (think teenagers’ sneakers), but an established starter should never smell awful. That being said, if you’ve neglected your starter in the refrigerator longer than usual and it smells a little off, a few days of room-temperature feedings will likely restore it to its usual pleasant aroma.”
And as King Arthur Baking reminds us, “Always remember: there are no baking police. Plain and simple, if you’re happy with the sourdough bread you bake, it’s a success.” A great reminder that it doesn’t have to look perfect to taste good!