Go Back
–+ servings
Close up of a freshly baked sourdough loaf.

Bec's Yoghurt Sourdough Starter

4 from 2 votes

5 stars tells us you love the recipe

becs-table.com.au
The yoghurt sourdough starter is a quick and easy way to get a sourdough starter up and running.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 6 days
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 6 days
Difficulty Easy
Course Bread
Cuisine Various
Servings 1
Method Conventional

Equipment

  • 1 1 litre jar

Ingredients
  

  • 20 g skim milk powder Skim milk powder
  • 160 g cool boiled water I just grab it from the jug
  • 80 g Pot set yoghurt No flavour/No sugar
  • 500 g Plain flour plain works well; it doesn't need gluten here.

Instructions
 

  • Day 1
    Sterilise your 1 litre jar. I do this by washing and rinsing really well. Dry the outside with a t-towel and pop it in the microwave. set it for 5 seconds. Yep with nothing in it but the little bit of water that remains from rinsing.
  • Weigh the yoghurt and milk powder into the jar and mix well to combine. Then weigh in the water and mix again.
  • Pop the lid on the jar and sit it in a bowl. Pour enough hot tap water in the bowl for the water to come up to the same mark as the liquid inside. We don't want boiling water here, just hot enough to gently warm the liquid inside to start the process. Now set this aside in a warm place for 24 hours
    Jar of sourdough yoghurt starter sitting in a bowl of water
  • Day two
    You may notice that the liquid inside has separated a little, don’t worry, it's fine. Remove thelid and weigh in 120 g bakers flour and mix well with a fork.  I use a fork because you want to try and create some air bubbles if you can.  I also chose a fork that will fit inside my jar with the lid on. Lazy I know. ;-) Now set the jar aside in a warm place for 2 whole days.
  • Day four
    Remove the lid and weigh in more flour 135g and cool boiled water 135g, mix again with the fork. Leave until tomorrow
  • Day five
    This is the first time and only time you should need to throw some starter out. It's only because we need to fit more in the jar. (You could add it to another jar and have two going I suppose or use it in pancakes or the like ;-))
    You should now be seeing signs of life, loads of tiny bubbles throughout your starter.
    Remove 1/2 the starter from the jar and weigh in another 130 g flour and 130 g water and mix.
    set aside until tomorrow.
  • Day six
    Today's the day you can make your first loaf. Go on, what are you waiting for? Use this starter with a pinch of dried yeast for a month or two while it builds its strength. Hey, I said a pinch no more. ;-)
    oh, you want a recipe?

Notes

When you first create a sourdough starter, it may be weak and take a month or two to gain strength. However, a yoghurt starter develops faster because it adds the culture that a sourdough naturally develops over time.
The longer you have your starter, the stronger it will become. BUT, If you find that your starter is still weak, you can add a very small pinch of dry yeast to your bread recipe to help it along. But remember, do not add it to your starter.
Adding it to your first few loaves will also help, because the technique of making sourdough has to be learned.
Feeding it after 6 days.  Remove what you use and feed it again 50/50 water and plain flour.