For the next week or so you will need to stir your starter once in the morning and once at night. You will also need to “feed” your yeast starter by adding three more tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of water to your mixture each day.
In a few days, the mixture will become frothy as the yeast population grows. The froth is caused by the carbon dioxide that the yeast is generating. The starter will also have a bacteria, lactobacilli, in it. This lends to the slightly acidic flavor of the bread by creating lactic acid! The alcohol that the yeast creates and the lactic acid together are the source of sourdough bread’s unique flavor!
If you see a watery substance floating to the top, stir it. Sourdough bakers call this “hooch” and is completely harmless.
At this point you can do one of two things:
- You can store it in the refrigerator to slow down the yeast. Then you will only have to feed it every 5 or 6 days.
- Or keep it on the counter and feed it every day. However, unless you’re doing a lot of baking, this will quickly become too much.
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