Here is how to make your own sour dough starter from scratch using einkorn flour. Sour dough adds a wonderful flavor to bread that actually does not have to be sour at all. Sourness comes from an imbalance of acetic and lactic acid, both produced during the natural fermentation of just flour and water. Sour dour bread from San Francisco or also from Germany have a characteristic pungent sour flavor. What we are going to share is closer to French sour dough, yielding a nice flavor with just a hint of sour that you will learn to love much more than the flavor of dry active yeast. Plus, the enzymes produced in this lovely and miraculous process, will help predigest the wheat, making it even easier on your stomach. Pure einkorn wheat made with sour dough yields a bread you can really feel good about!

First, consider the day and time to start. Your loaf will be baking on the fifth day or fourth day after you start, but you will have to be home to refresh and be home most of the last day for kneading, proofing and baking. We started on Monday at 2pm and had bread baked on Friday at 8pm. (That is just the first time, after this, it will take the normal time that it takes to bake bread.)

DAY 1

• 3 tbsp. (45g) warm water
• 1/2 cup (75g) of einkorn flour

Mix flour and water together in a small bowl to form a wet dough that is firm enough to form into a ball. It will stick to your hands, but try not to add much more flour as you do not want it to be dry. Store in a sealed glass container, with lid and/or plastic wrap for 48 hours at room temperature in a kitchen cabinet.

DAY 3

• starter (discard the surface)
• 3 tbsp. (45g) warm water
• 1/2 cup (75g) of einkorn flour

With a spoon, push and remove the darker surface and don’t worry, it is not mold. Spoon out the remaining starter to a small bowl, add water and flour and follow the steps from Day 1, but you can dust with a little bit more flour if needed, but always being careful not to dry it out. Store in the sealed container, making sure it is thoroughly clean and dry, for 24 hours.

DAY 4
Repeat the same steps from day 3, but store for roughly 12-16 hours to suit your schedule.

DAY 5
You do not have to discard the surface of the starter anymore. First, you will set aside and refresh (or feed more flour and water) a portion of the sour dough for future baking. Record the date so you will be able to tell people how old your starter is if you keep it going for years, as many people do.

REFRESHING YOUR STARTER

• 1 tbsp. (10g) starter
• 2 tbsp. (25g) warm water
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. (45-50g) of einkorn flour

To refresh, dissolve starter in warm water, add flour and knead briefly to form a ball of dough. Store in a kitchen cabinet in a sealed glass container for 10-12 hours, no more than 18 hours. When it is hot in the summer or if you live in a warm climate, 6-8 is better, as everything is accelerated with warmer temperatures.

This starter will be maintained by refreshing and storing in the refrigerator what is not used to make bread. We recommend refreshing at least once a week to maintain a good flavor.