Bread starter and how to make it at home: all it takes is flour, water, and a lot of patience
When it's raining outside and your'e forced to stay at home, try putting your cooking skills to the test. If you've already mastered main dishes and desserts, we suggest trying a recipe that's a little more complex. Having only 2 main ingredients, you wouldn't think it would be such a laborious task. It is, however, when you're talking about making bread starter. Also known as mother dough, bread starter usually consists of wheat flour, water, and a leavening agent (although optional). This method of bread-making allows a longer fermentation period, which creates greater complexities of flavor.
Mother dough is great for all bread-making purposes. It's easier to digest than store-bought breads and rises better than the instant kind. So how do you prepare it? With flour, water, and a lot of patience, of course!
To prepare yourself a batch of mother dough, you'll need 1 ⅔ cups of unbleached flour (200 gr), ½ cup of lukewarm water (100 ml), and a glass container. In a large bowl, knead the two ingredients together until the mixture has reached a smooth consistency. Place the mixture inside the glass container and slice an "x" through the surface. Cover the container with a damp towel and saran wrap and leave it sit in a warm place for 48 hours.
You should start seeing signs of life after 24 hours. Once 48 hours are up, add another 1 ⅔ cups of flour and ½ cup of lukewarm water to the mixture and let it sit for another 48 hours. You will repeat this process for another two weeks.
The fermentation period is obviously very long and tedious, but it's important that you follow the instructions to perfection. Like any other recipe, the internet offers a myriad of variations of how to make bread starter. We think this particular recipe, however, is simple enough to follow and guarantees delicious results if you do everything correctly.
Happy bread-making!
