SOURDOUGH STARTER INGREDIENTS

Traditional sourdough bread and sourdough starter do not require any fancy ingredients: just good

quality flour, filtered water and perhaps a little natural salt. As you progress with sourdough bread recipes, some may include additional ingredients such as oil, sugar, honey, cheese or herbs and spices.
  
FLOUR
Fresh, organic (or biodynamic) rye flour is the most robust sourdough starter for beginners to making sourdough. Unbleached white flour can also be used to make sourdough starter, and it does ferment quicker, but over a longer period, rye flour is much more forgiving - white sourdough starter tends to over-ferment if not supervised, and may weaken if not used regularly. We recommend making your first sourdough starter with rye flour, and then try making one with your favourite flour i.e. white wheat flour or spelt flour. Store flour in a cool, dry place with a loosely fitted lid to allow the flour to breathe. Mark best before on the lid. Place the bags of flour into the bins, leaving the flour in the bags. If you like the flavour of a particular type of sourdough, practice that one first. If you have a miller at home, buying the wheat grains or rye berries makes the tastiest sourdough! The fresher the flour, the better the dough and tastier loaf of sourdough
Western Australian Flour Supplier: Eden Valley Biodynamic Flour

  

WATER

Chlorine and fluoride can interfere with the microorganisms in sourdough, so use filtered water or bottled spring water when making sourdough. Some people can use tap water because it has low amounts of these chemicals and a mature starter, but if you are unsure and want the strongest starter in the long term (especially if your starter is young i.e. under 30 days old), avoidance is the best. Distilled water (also known as de-ionised water) is not suitable for sourdough either.
  
SALT
Salt helps to control the fermentation process - making a longer fermentation possible (i.e. adding a pinch to a starter that is going to be refrigerated for a few weeks). Salt for adding to sourdough must not contain any additives i.e. iodine or anti-caking agent. Salt in the dough helps to strengthen the gluten and increases the colour and moisture of the crumb. We use a finely ground organic, sustainably sourced Western Australian Lake salt, available in 20kg+ from WA Salt Supply.