What type of flour is ideal for sourdough?
I have found a recipe for sourdough starter culture that calls for 50 grams of flour with 50 ml of water, but the recipe does not state what specific type of flour you should use. Can you use any type of flour for the sourdough starter or are there types of flour that will give a better result?
EDIT: I'm especially curious if Self-Raising flour would be suitable?
Best Answer
Tartine Bread by Chad Roberts (which is a wonderful book, by the way, and the bread is fantastic), recommends using a 50/50 mix of white and whole wheat bread flour. He also says all-purpose flour is fine for a starter as well.
Self-raising flour would definitely not be appropriate, since it has baking powder in it.
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Quick Answer about "What type of flour is ideal for sourdough?"
Any flour containing starch is suitable for a sourdough starter, since it is the sugar that the microbes feed on. Glutenous flours, such as spelt, einkorn, rye, and wheat, tend to work best.Should I use bread flour or all purpose flour for sourdough?
If you're a sourdough beginner, I recommend using either bread flour or all purpose flour! My recipe for homemade sourdough bread uses mostly all purpose flour with a little bit of whole wheat flour added for flavor. However, you can easily substitute all the flour for bread flour if that's what you prefer!Can you use normal flour for sourdough?
Substituting all purpose flour in a sourdough recipe that specifically calls for bread flour is not always an even swap. You'll need to REDUCE the total amount of water first. All purpose flour absorbs less water than bread flour, which can make the dough too sticky to work with otherwise.Do you need whole wheat flour for sourdough?
Whole wheat flour is used to jumpstart the fermentation process. If you do not have whole wheat flour, just use all purpose flour instead. The starter will be fine.How does flour type affect sourdough?
White flour makes the bread easier to knead and shape and also yields a more reliable rise. Sourdough loaves baked with white flour will be light and soft, with larger air holes. Whole wheat flour loaves, in comparison, will be dense with nuanced flavors. These distinctions can be credited to the make-up of the flour.What's the best type of flour to feed a sourdough starter?
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