Sourdough – We are cultivating life

Sourdough isn't a trick – it's a small, friendly ecosystem that rests quietly on your counter. If you care for it with patience – keep it clean, give it warmth and feeding it regularly – it will thank you in its own time. In return, you'll be rewarded for years, even decades, with bread that has a deeper aroma, easier to digest and a keeping quality that stretches far beyond the day it is baked.

“An old friend with many names” - that is what sourdough is often called. It doesn’t bark or purr, but it is very much alive. Fed and kept warm, it gives something back in return: a quiet kind of patience, carrying notes of apples and grain. Those tiny bubbles? They are the promise of a good day ahead.

Bring the clean jars, the ones with the loose lids, and find a warm corner. Nothing too lively, just a calm, steady mixture that slowly learns to breathe. A starter is not something to rush, it is something to accompany. And once it has been seen rising and settling, like a gentle tide, it becomes difficult to imagine baking without it.

Inside that jar, there’s a quiet little world at work, lactic and acetic acid bacteria living alongside wild yeasts. They feed on flour and water, and as they go about things in their own time, they create gentle acids, a touch of alcohol, and carbon dioxide, the breath that lifts the dough.

Keep them somewhere between 24 and 28°C and they’ll stay happily active. A little warmer and the flavour leans softer and rounder; a little cooler and it becomes sharper, with more edge. You’ll taste it in the loaf. A moist, structured crumb with a fine honeycomb inside, and a crust that colours deeply, holds its crispness, and carries its aroma quietly through the room.

Sourdough housekeeping

There’s a quiet ritual to it, like tending something small and alive. Clean hands, well-rinsed tools, and jars that are truly free of soap. Choose glass jars with lids that rest lightly on top. In the early, active days, the starter can be covered but never sealed in tight. At the beginning, warm water, around 35 to 37 °C, gently wakes the culture. From there, it simply needs a steady, kind place to settle, somewhere between 24 and 28 °C. Not too close to a radiator, nothing that pushes it beyond 30 °C. A rye starter usually finds its rhythm in about four days, while wheat or apple and wheat starters can perk up faster – sometimes as little as two days – before settling into balance. The rest is patience. It’s not just a leaven that’s growing here, but a rhythm you learn together.

Let sourdough inspire you

Gluten free sourdough bread

Sourdough potato bread

Sourdough Starter Discard Banana Bread

Sourdough Bread with Olives

Nourish your starter

Once your starter is lively, we fall into a comfortable routine. It helps to keep a small amount aside, around 50 grams of ripe starter in the fridge, just in case. A rye culture likes to be refreshed every seven to fourteen days. A simple mix of 10 g starter, 50 g whole rye flour and 60 g warm water is enough to bring it back to life. Let it show signs of activity again, then tuck it back to rest. You will have some leftover starter, which we call discard. Think of it as a quiet extra. Don’t throw it away, you can create some fabulous recipes with it.

More bread inspiration

Protein-packed paleo loaf

Courgette and Carrot Loaf

Sesame and chia seed loaf

Seeded bread loaf

Wheat, and sometimes apple and wheat, likes a slightly quicker cycle, about every three to four days, with the same 10:50:60 ratio. Use wheat flour and a gentle ferment at 22 to 26 °C before it goes back to the cool to rest. If the mood ever takes you to change lanes, it's a piece of cake to convert one starter to another. It’s less a switch and more a slow conversation. You can make rye bread using a starter of 10 g rye flour, 50 g wheat flour and 50 g water. Leave it for 12 hours, then add another 50 g water and 50 g wheat flour. Leave it for another 12 hours, then repeat. By then, you've taught it to love wheat. The reverse journey, from wheat to rye, follows the same path.

Mini-FAQ

“Why does my starter smell like vinegar?” → It skewed acidic or stayed too cool; refresh more frequently and keep warmer (24–28 °C).
“Can I revive a sluggish starter?” → Feed at warm temps with fresh flour/water; repeat 1–2 cycles.
“Shall I use a tight or loose lid?” → Cover, don’t seal airtight during active fermentation.

What can go wrong?

There are days when the jar speaks clearly, and days when it asks for a little help. If you ever see anything unusual, like red, blue, black, green, or any sign of mould, don't argue with it. Just say ‘thanks for the lesson’ and start again. If it starts to smell like vinegar, it’s a sign it has become too acidic or has been sitting too cool for too long. Bring it into a warmer space and refresh it a little more often, and it will soften again. When the house feels chilly, we've got our own little tricks up our sleeve: a warm kitchen nook, away from direct heat, makes a quiet little nursery; even the oven light method can work if you're careful – warm it briefly with the light on, then switch it off and let the jar rest without overheating.

Practice Box

Warning signs

• Unusual colours (red, blue, black, green) or visible mould → discard immediately and start over.

• Strong vinegar smell signals excess acidity or cool conditions – refresh and add warmth.

Everyday hacks for warmth

• Warm home spots (kitchen, near but not on radiators with insulating board).

• Oven-light method with caution: briefly warm with light on, then turn off; avoid overheating.

Let’s keep it warm

Your Thermomix® is a great help through all of this. It heats water to exactly 35 to 37 °C when it’s time to feed, and measures every gram so your ratios stay accurate. Starter needs a stable, gentle place to mature and recover, especially on colder days. And when the time comes to move from jar to dough, remember to keep the water for main doughs cooler to manage the final dough temperature – your loaf will thank you in the oven.

Thermomix® is your reliable partner in the kitchen

• Precise heating: bring water to 35–37 °C for starter builds; maintain cool water for main doughs to manage final dough temperature.

• Exact weights: built-in scale for consistent feeding ratios.

Come and rest the lid gently on the jar and listen as the bubbles begin to settle. There’s a quiet kind of company here, a jar that breathes, a kitchen that waits, and bread that carries the taste of grain, time, and care. We’ll feed it again soon enough, and you’ll see, this little one, known by many names, will begin to fill your home with comfort long before the loaf ever reaches the oven.