Making the Starter

Cup of Yum
1. Making the starter is going to take a minimum of four days. Rather than splitting the steps up into individual numbers, we’re going to cover what should be happening on each day!

Day One

1. In a large jar, add 1 ounce of spelt or wheat flour with 1 ounce of water. Once mixed, make sure that you scrape the sides down into the mixture. You don’t want this to dry out.
2. Then, cover the lid of the jar with a saran wrap or paper towel, and secure it with a rubber band. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day Two

1. At roughly the same time that you worked with the starter the previous day, check your starter. The mixture should have some bubbles forming. If not, it just needs more time. In a separate bowl, mix together another ounce of flour and water. Once mixed, add it to your jar, then seal it again and leave out at room temperature.

Days Three & Four

1. Repeat the process from Day Two. At this point in time, you’ll have a lively mother culture. It’ll form larger bubbles, and it will have a fruity scent. If larger bubbles haven’t formed yet, repeat the process from Day Two, again. This process might take a while, so be patient. Once you’re happy with the starter, you can refrigerate it until you’re ready to make a Poolish.

Making the Sourdough Loaf

1. To make a low FODMAP sourdough loaf, you’ll need two days. Don’t worry, we’ll explain why later on! Each day is going to have actions to take in the morning and the evening, and we’ve got them clearly labeled.

Day One - Morning

1. The first morning, you’ll want to feed your starter. This is going to call for discarding half of your starter culture, and replacing it with half strong flour, and half water. If you’re worried about the strong flour, you don’t have to be! After it’s been added up, you’ll leave it somewhere cool to ferment for the day.

Day One - Evening

1. This is the time that you’ll make your Poolish. From your starter, take about 1.5 ounces of the mixture. You’ll mix this with 5 ounces of strong spelt or wheat flour, and 5 ounces of water. After it’s been mixed, you’ll cover it and leave it out at room temp.

Day Two - Morning

1. The morning of the second day you’ll have your Poolish. You’ll mix the Poolish with 9 ounces of strong spelt or wheat flour, 5.5 ounces of water, and 2 teaspoons of salt. After they’ve been mixed, you’ll knead the dough until it’s elastic and smooth. Cover it, and leave it to prove for the day.

Day Two - Evening

1. You’re ready to shape and bake your sourdough loaf now! Dust a counter with flour, and tip the dough out onto it. Scoop the dough, and contain the sticky side. This leaves the “skin” of the dough on the outside. Shape the dough into a loaf, and place it onto a flour-dusted baking tray. Cover it with a cloth towel, leaving it for 2 to 3 more hours.
2. Enjoy!