an effective starter for all sourdough recipes.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Additional Time: | 3 days 11 hrs 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 3 days 11 hrs 20 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 1 to 3 cup starter every days |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons instant mashed potato flakes
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
Instructions
- Combine instant potatoes, sugar, water, and yeast in a covered container. Let the starter sit on a counter for 5 days, stirring daily with a wooden spoon.
- On the morning of the fifth day, feed the starter with 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water. In the evening, take out 1 cup of the starter to use in a sourdough recipe. Refrigerate the remaining starter.
- Every five days, feed the starter 3 tablespoons instant potatoes, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 cup water. If starter is to be used in a recipe, let the fed starter rest at room temperature 6 hours before use. If starter is not being used in a recipe, keep refrigerated and discard 1 cup of starter after each feeding.
Reviews
This is a terrible recipe. Sourdough starter is made from equal parts flour and water. This recipe over complicates that for no good reason.
Thank you, thank you, thank you I have been looking for the potato flake starter for years. Thanks again.
This is my go-to sourdough starter. I have been using it for years. Made it again a few times, when I get tired of making bread and use up all my starter. Sourdough Bread I is the best recipe, as well!
This is my favorite starter!
This is the perfect starter! It has worked well for me for many years.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this starter. I sometimes forget to feed it in the 5 day mentioned I’ve waited as long as probably 10…when that happens I go on and add some yeast when I feed it and leave it sitting…to start the cycle over with just in case I ‘killed’ it. The only thing I do different, overall, is I’ve never refrigerated it. The smell of my starter is awesome. I’ve had this one going for a year and a half. There are periods of time where I just pour out the extra starter rather than make bread—almost kills me to do that! LOL Everyone loves the rolls I make with this starter. I don’t usually do the loaf because my family does prefer the rolls. There are a few other things I’ve tried with it and all have turned out wonderfully.
For those who are having problems… make SURE you are using Potato FLAKES… not the granules.. I have missed having this in my refrigerator. So happy to find this recipe and get restarted.. the problem is… hubby and I can eat a half a loaf after 10 minutes out of the oven. We RV’d and I made it all across the US… and gave starters to people. I was really devastated when we lost it due to illness… they do die if no one feeds it properly. I have searched and searched… but all I could find until now was the flour starters. Just not the same.
Same starter my grandmother used many years ago. I have used this recipe for years. It is easy and delicious!!!
I like this recipe because it is rather simple and gives the same outcome as those more complicated recipes and more mature starter (that has been refreshed multiple times) . The bread becomes more flavorful after multiple times of bread making.
I used this recipe successfully for years. Thanks for posting. It is so reliable and tasty.
Awesome starter same one my grandma used??
This starter works miracles! but it will fool ya. After the first day, sometimes looks like it has died, but it will still work just fine. After feeding I do leave it on the counter an extra day, and it bubbles up with a great sour aroma. I’ve used several different types of potato flakes, but the best are called ‘potato gem’s, more like freeze dried chunks than flakes, and I throw in a teaspoon of ground flax seed for good measure.
This turned out great! I had an old started that “died” while I was away for a bit. So I made this one. It smells amazing.
This is a very tasty starter. I have even made sour dough cinnamon rolls that get rave reviews!
not a good active starter. did not taste very well or sour good either.
I have used this starter 2 times and my sour dough bread came out wonderful.
This makes the BEST sourdough bread. I was soo thankful to find it again on this site.
I’ve made this bread before but always with starter given to me. What container is best for the initial starter. (The one that sits on the counter for 5days). Several reviewers talked about exploding tops. What did you use. Thanks- can’t wait to start making loaves again!
This is a fantastic sour doughbread recipe. I received this starter from my sister and then lost the recipe. It makes super cinnamon buns with a glaze frosting. LoriCanada
This was simple and when used with her recipe for sourdough it turned out great!
This is a really good starter, but like with anything that is fermenting, you cannot seal it up tight, ever… One of the byproducts of fermenting is carbon dioxide, which occurs with, wine, beer, sauerkraut, yogurt (slightly), kefir, starters using flour, and so on. While not due to any fermenting, the bubbles in soda are the same carbon dioxide. Get the book “Wild Fermentation” for more information on fermenting. Great book.