Keeping the starter we gave you alive

Bread box subscribers get a small jar of our sourdough culture in their first box. It is the same culture that raises every loaf on Calder Row, fed twice a day since 2016. Looked after, it will outlive the jar.

The weekly routine

A starter kept in the fridge needs feeding once a week.

1. Take it out and stir it. Throw away all but a heaped tablespoon (about 20 g).
2. Add 50 g flour (half wholemeal, half white is ideal) and 50 g lukewarm water. Stir until smooth.
3. Leave it at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until it starts to bubble, then put it back in the fridge.

That is all. A grey liquid on top means it is hungry, not dead: pour it off and feed it.

Waking it up to bake

The day before you bake, feed it twice at room temperature, about 8 hours apart. It is ready when it has doubled, smells sweet and yeasty, and a spoonful floats in water.

A first loaf

• 100 g active starter
• 350 g water
• 450 g strong white flour
• 50 g wholemeal flour
• 10 g salt

1. Mix the starter and 330 g of the water, then add the flours. Mix, cover and leave for 45 minutes.
2. Add the salt and the last 20 g of water and squeeze it through the dough.
3. Over the next two hours, give the dough four sets of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart.
4. Leave it covered until it has grown by about half and feels airy, 3 to 5 hours depending on the kitchen.
5. Shape it into a tight round, put it seam up in a floured, cloth-lined bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Heat a lidded casserole in the oven at 250 °C for 45 minutes. Turn the dough onto baking paper, score it with a razor or sharp knife, and lower it into the pot.
7. Bake 20 minutes with the lid on, then 20 to 25 minutes with it off at 230 °C, until very dark.

Cool it for at least an hour before cutting. The crumb is still setting.