Sourdough starter is a leavening agent that is formed naturally by microscopic wild yeast and bacteria present in the air of your home. It gives amazing flavor to pizza dough, scones, chocolate cake and more!
Start by adding 1 cup of all-purpose flour to a cake pan and place it on a shelf in your home, away from pets and other debris. Allow the flour to sit like this for 2-3 days.
Add flour to a jar then add a scant cup of warm water. Cover and leave it in a warm place. The temp should be between 70 - 90F. Allow this mixture to sit until bubbles start to appear in 1 or 2 days.
Your sourdough starter will have developed hooch at this point, which is a light brownish colored liquid on top. Hooch on sourdough starter means that it’s hungry! When you see this, try to feed it as soon as possible.
If you want a healthy and usable starter, you need to “feed” it regularly. Feed your starter with flour and water twice a day until you see it double or triple in volume within 6-8 hours. When you see this, you’re ready to use it for baking!