Gerald is a sourdough starter. He lives in a ceramic crock on the second shelf of the prep kitchen, he gets fed twice a day on a mixture of stoneground white and wholemeal flour from Shipton Mill, and he has been going continuously since we opened in March 2019. He has survived a kitchen renovation, two power cuts, and one incident in 2021 that we do not talk about. He is, by any measure, thriving.
What a sourdough starter actually is ¶
A sourdough starter is a live culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, kept alive by regular feeding with flour and water. The wild yeast provides the leavening that makes bread rise. The bacteria produce lactic and acetic acids that give sourdough its characteristic tang. The balance between these two things, and the specific strains present in your starter, is what makes every starter different. Gerald tastes and smells different from a starter made in London or San Francisco, because the wild yeasts in our kitchen are different.
The feeding schedule that works for us ¶
Gerald gets fed at 7am and again at 3pm. The ratio is 1:2:2, meaning one part starter to two parts flour to two parts water by weight. We use a 50/50 blend of Shipton Mill stoneground white and wholemeal. The wholemeal adds complexity and feeds the bacteria as well as the yeast. In summer, when the kitchen is warmer, we sometimes adjust the ratio to slow the fermentation down slightly. In winter, we keep him closer to the oven.
What goes wrong and how to fix it ¶
The most common problem is a starter that smells of acetone or nail varnish remover. This usually means it has been left too long between feedings and the acetic acid has built up. The fix is to discard most of it and feed it more frequently for a few days. A healthy starter should smell pleasantly sour, a bit like yoghurt or mild vinegar, not sharp or chemical. If yours smells like cheese or has pink or orange streaks, discard it and start again.
Why the bread is better in summer ¶
Warmer temperatures speed up fermentation, which means the wild yeast is more active and the dough develops more quickly. This can produce a more open crumb and a more pronounced flavour. The key is to watch the dough rather than the clock. In summer, our bulk fermentation might take four hours instead of six. We judge it by how the dough looks and feels, not by the timer. Gerald seems happier in the warm too, for whatever that is worth.
If you want to start your own sourdough starter, we are happy to give you a small amount of Gerald to take home. Just ask when you visit. We have done this for a few regulars over the years and it always makes us happy.