A sourdough starter is natural yeast added to your dough. It is made up of flour and water that will create its own living yeast and bacteria as you store it for long periods of time. But that is if you keep it alive by assuring that it is well fed.

As the yeast propagates it naturally leavens your bread. To make sourdough bread, you mix in a sourdough starter with flour to create dough.

To create a living starter, follow the steps below:

• First you should look for a container where you can store your sourdough for long periods of time. It is highly recommended to use a wide-mouthed glass jar. But if you don’t have one a Tupperware or a Rubbermaid will suffice. But if you can find an alternative to a glass jar like recycling a wide-mouthed mayonnaise or pickle jar, then that is better. Be wary of metallic containers because some of its components react to the starter’s ingredients. Same as mixing the starter; avoid using metallic utensils.

• Mix the recipe inside the chosen container. The recipe is very simple; All you need is a cup of warm water, a cup of flour, and a little bit of yeast (optional). The yeast will give a boost to the starter, but even without using it the starter will be fine. Be careful in using too much yeast because it tends to produce a bread with less tangy taste than the pure one.

• To grow your starter rapidly, you may store the starter in a warm place, about 70 to 80 degrees F. Never forget to feed your starter. To feed it you have to throw the half of the old starter away and add a new half cup of flour and half cup of water to the remaining starter. Feed your starter every day. It will take three to four days for the starter to get bubbles and a nice sour smell. The starter will also rise during this time.

• Keep your starter in the refrigerator covered with a lid. Make sure that it’s not completely airtight.

And that’s it. All you will do is take out your starter whenever you feel like baking.