When I first began baking with sourdough, I remember hearing older bakers talk about creating a new starter by first burying wild grapes in the flour they planned to use. Wild grape sourdough starter, while it wouldn't ultimately perform any differently than starter created with "un-graped" flour and water, would become active more quickly, they said.
I never did try making that wild grape sourdough starter — until now.
The other morning, walking through a wild meadow with my dogs, I suddenly caught a whiff of grapes on the warm, humid air. I looked around and, sure enough, poking out of a thicket were the telltale heart-shaped leaves of grapevines.
I pulled aside brambles and twigs to find beautifully ripe grapes, some just starting to soften, others plump and firm. Eating a few, I found them thick-skinned and seedy, but wonderfully sweet.
Grabbing a handful of grapes, I headed home along the salt marsh, carefully holding them by the stem so as not to disturb their skin.
What's up with that? The skin of wild grapes (as well as berries) is positively seductive to wild yeast. Wild yeast floating in the air will collect on grape skins. So legend has it that burying wild grapes in flour will transfer some of that wild yeast to the sourdough starter you make with the flour.
Let's see what happens.
"Graping" the flour
Here I've buried a small handful of grapes in a scant 1 cup (4 ounces) of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. I'll leave them in the flour overnight, then remove them when I'm ready to make my starter.
Disclaimer: This isn't strict science. I didn't weigh the grapes, nor did I ascertain what type they are, nor "vet" them for their wild yeast content. This is simply a seat-of-the-pants food experiment — one which I encourage you to perform yourself, should you get the chance.
I'll compare my grape-enhanced flour against King Arthur Golden Whole Wheat Flour and plain King Arthur all-purpose flour.
Why the whole wheat flour? Starter created from whole wheat or rye flour quickly becomes active for the same reason grape-flour starter would: the microflorae in whole grains are attractive to wild yeast.
Three flours, three starters
Putting 4 ounces of each type of flour in three different jars, I add 4 ounces of cool water, lay the jar lids loosely on top, and set the jars on the counter.
The second feeding
Twenty-four hours later, the starters are beginning to work. At this point, the grape-flour starter (left) and plain flour starter (right) are a bit behind the whole wheat starter (center).
Look at the bubbles in each, though. It always amazes me that flour and water, given time, can become a bread leavener — a.k.a. sourdough starter.
I discard all but 4 ounces of starter from each jar, feed them each a scant 1 cup (4 ounces) of unbleached all-purpose flour and 4 ounces of water, and walk away, expecting I'll feed them again the next day.
A few hours later
But within just seven hours ... oh, my, look at those starters go!
The grape sourdough starter and plain starter are neck and neck, nearly to the top of their respective jars. But the whole wheat starter has poked its lid off and is starting to ooze onto the counter. The whole wheat starter has clearly maintained (and even increased) its early lead.
The takeaway
What can I conclude from this experiment?
There's nothing wrong with burying wild grapes in flour and making a grape sourdough starter; it should perform well.
But if you're looking for a fast start, begin with whole-grain flour, such as wheat or rye. You don't need to continue to feed your starter with whole grains. But using wheat or rye as the vehicle for first attracting and trapping wild yeast is a smart choice.
As is taking your starter and making a loaf of Rustic Sourdough Bread.
Want to make your own sourdough starter from scratch? See our blog post, How to make your own sourdough starter. And learn everything you need to know about sourdough baking in our sourdough baking guide.
FAQs
There's nothing wrong with burying wild grapes in flour and making a grape sourdough starter; it should perform well. But if you're looking for a fast start, begin with whole-grain flour, such as wheat or rye. You don't need to continue to feed your starter with whole grains.
What is the best grain to make sourdough starter? ›
Starter really likes whole wheat, whole grain, spelt, or rye flour, but I've always just used what I have on hand, which is usually bleached all-purpose flour, and it works just fine. Don't obsess over the flour unless you really want to! Just use what you have.
Does dried sourdough starter work? ›
Drying the starter, or dehydrating it, is a great safety / backup solution and lasts for years… It's also super easy to rehydrate and it doesn't take long to be ready to bake with. In the video I baked a good loaf of sourdough within 3 days of rehydrating the starter.
How long does it take for a sourdough starter to work? ›
How do I know if my sourdough starter is ready to use? When your starter is reliably rising to double or triple its size and falling in the jar anywhere between 4-8 hours after you feed it (dependent on your ambient conditions and the flour you feed with) it is ready to bake with.
Does sourdough starter make a difference? ›
Sourdough Starters Versus Commercial Baker's Yeast
Sourdough breads just taste better—they're more complex, more aromatic, and more adaptable to a wider range of flavors than commercial yeast.
What grain is best for sourdough? ›
Einkorn flour is certainly no stranger in my kitchen. I grind it fresh and use it in nearly every loaf of bread I bake. As the whole-wheat component for all artisan sourdough, I like the deeper, nuttier flavor it adds; but 100% einkorn sourdough is a whole other matter.
What is the oldest sourdough starter? ›
In 2020, Seamus Blackley, the creator of Xbox and a seasoned baker himself, baked sourdough bread from dormant yeast samples that are 4,500 years old, according to the Atlas Obscura website.
Why do you discard sourdough starter before feeding? ›
If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.
What is the shelf life of dried sourdough starter? ›
Dehydrating sourdough starter creates a shelf-stable starter with microorganisms held in an inactive/dormant state. In dehydrated form, the sourdough starter will last years. We had great success bringing back to life a 2-year-old dehydrated starter stored in a jar at room temperature.
What happens if you use bad sourdough starter? ›
Can moldy sourdough starter make you sick? Potentially, yes. While the side effects of consuming mold may be mild or even non-existent, there are plenty of severe experiences to justify caution. Mold can cause illness and disease, as it is a harmful bacteria and can have accompanying toxins.
It is important that you stir the sourdough starter every day in the morning and in the evening. Feed the starter. Add 60 g flour and 60 g lukewarm water, stir well to combine, and let sit out for 24 hours.
What is the healthiest flour for sourdough bread? ›
Compared to whole wheat flour, rye flour is said to be the most nutrient- and amylase-dense option for a sourdough starter. Overall, it has a lower gluten protein content than wheat flour, which means it produces slack, sticky, and dense doughs.
Can you leave sourdough starter too long? ›
The sourdough starters are quite resilient, and can be left unfed, but in the fridge, for quite a long time. The longest I've left mine was for 8wks. Lid loose. A dark watery layer, called 'hooch' (see this video) will appear on its surface, but that's absolutely normal – it doesn't mean your starter has died.
Can you overfeed a sourdough starter? ›
Premature discarding and overfeeding will weaken your starter and elongate the process. Don't discard and re-feed a weak starter before it shows increasing bubble activity or height from the previous feeding. If you don't see more bubbles or a faster rise each day, skip a feeding, and give it more time.
Is it better to buy sourdough starter or make it? ›
If you are new to sourdough baking or don't have the time or inclination to make your own starter, a bought starter may be a good option. However, if you enjoy the process of creating your own starter and want more control over the fermentation process, making your own starter may be the way to go.
What happens if you put too much starter in sourdough bread? ›
If you have too much starter compared to the additional flour and water you're adding, your hungry starter consumes all the nutrients and then it's not as bubbly.
What is the best material for sourdough starter? ›
Glass is the best material for sourdough starter jars because it's non-reactive, easy to clean, and allows you to easily monitor your starter's activity. Size: Your starter jar should be large enough to allow your starter to double or even triple in size during feedings without overflowing.
Is whole wheat or rye better for sourdough starter? ›
Compared to whole wheat flour, rye flour is said to be the most nutrient- and amylase-dense option for a sourdough starter. Overall, it has a lower gluten protein content than wheat flour, which means it produces slack, sticky, and dense doughs.
What makes a good sourdough starter? ›
A “ripe” starter is one that's fermented for some number of hours and is ready to use in a recipe, whether to make a levain or mix directly into a dough for sourdough bread-making. Generally, when a starter is ripe, it has risen, is bubbly on top, has a sour aroma, and has a looser consistency.
Is bread flour or AP flour better for sourdough starter? ›
The most common problem I see is new bakers trying to create a starter with 100% all-purpose flour (or 100% bread flour). The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour.
