Hydration Level Of Sourdough Starter - Cultures For Health (2024)

FAQs

Hydration Level Of Sourdough Starter - Cultures For Health? ›

So, a sourdough feeding ratio is the relative amount (referring to weight) of old sourdough compared to fresh flour and water. Typical feeding ratios are 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 (old sourdough: fresh flour: water). However, even extreme ratios like 1:50:50 would still work.

So, a sourdough feeding ratio is the relative amount (referring to weight) of old sourdough compared to fresh flour and water. Typical feeding ratios are 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 (old sourdough: fresh flour: water). However, even extreme ratios like 1:50:50 would still work.

When talking about a sourdough starter, 100% hydration simply means you're using equal amounts of flour and water. So if you had 50g of sourdough starter, you'd feed it 50g of flour and 50g of water.

The main reason bakers choose high-hydration doughs is to generate a more open crumb. So, if you prefer a sourdough bread that is airy with all of those classic sourdough holes, trying a recipe with higher water content may be right for you. In addition to an airy crumb, you also may end up with a thinner crust.

This is not always a bad thing, and sometimes extra flour is necessary to rectify a runny starter or make the starter peak at a later time. Feeding a sourdough starter too much water is worse as the starter won't have enough flour to feed on and it will be runny and less bubbly than it should be.

The most common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (sourdough starter: flour: water). This is also known as a 100% hydration starter. For example, let's say you have 40 g of sourdough starter in a jar. To feed it, you'll add 40 g of flour + 40 g of water.

Lower glycemic index: Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index (54) than commercial bread (71). That means sourdough bread doesn't raise blood sugar levels as rapidly as refined white bread. Healthy bacteria: Sourdough starter naturally contains prebiotic and probiotic bacteria.

Sourdough bread has a GI rating of 54 and a GL rating of 8, while bread made from white wheat flour has a GI rating of 71 and a GL rating of 9. This combination of a GI rating of 54 and a GL rating of 8 puts sourdough bread in a low GI category, according to international tables. Learn more about GI here.

Compared to whole wheat flour, rye flour is said to be the most nutrient- and amylase-dense option for a sourdough starter.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

Bakers usually experiment with sourdough hydration levels between 65-90% but the percentage that is best for you depends on factors such as your experience level, the ingredients you use, and climate (e.g. humidity, temperature, and altitude).

Hydration is the ratio of water to flour in a sourdough starter. You can maintain or adjust the hydration level with each feeding based on the ratio of water to flour you feed your starter.

Using Too Much Water In Your Dough

One of the most obvious causes of wet dough is using too much water in the dough. Sourdough can be a little tricky as it can take time for the flour to absorb the water during the autolyse process.

A stiff starter (lievito madre) has a hydration of 50% meaning you have half the water compared to your flour amount. The below table shows the different starter types compared to each other. This assumes you use 100 grams of flour to make a starter.

In a small bowl or jar, mix 5 grams of dehydrated sourdough starter with 15 grams of 80 °F water. Allow the starter and water to sit for about 2 hours, or until the dried starter dissolves. Stir in 15 grams of flour. Cover and put in the Sourdough Home or Proofer at 78 °F overnight, or for 12 - 14 hours.

Your starter may have a little bit of a smell if it hasn't been fed in a while, and your cooking projects will taste a little more sour to reflect that. So if you want to avoid the super sour sourdough taste, you might just need to feed it more often and not let it sit out on the counter as long.

A 1:2:2 feeding ratio would consist of one part existing starter, two parts flour and two parts water. For example, if you have 30g of existing starter, you would feed it 60g of flour and 60g of flour. The most common feeding ratios for daily maintenance are 1:1:1 or 1:2:2.