Potato Flake Sourdough Bread Starter
Discover a speedy and unique pathway to delicious sourdough with this potato flake sourdough bread starter! This intriguing method, common in Amish baking traditions for creating wonderfully fluffy and slightly sweet breads, uses just instant potato flakes, warm water, sugar, and a bit of yeast to get things bubbling.
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 282kcal
Equipment
- quart size Mason jar or a sterilized mayonnaise car with lid liner removed.
- liter size Weck jar don't use the gasket seal so the starter can breathe.
- quart size Bail jar don't use the rubber gasket so that the starter can breathe.
Ingredients
Initial Potato Flake Starter
- 1 cup water 105 - 110℉, non chlorinated
- 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes plain, no salt or flavored potato flakes
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast one packet
Maintenance Feedings
- 1 cup warm water 105 - 110℉, non chlorinated
- 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes plain, no salt or flavored potato flakes
- ½ cup granulated sugar 105 - 110℉, non chlorinated
Instructions
Day 1 & 2 - Activating
- In a clean jar or container, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.1 cup water, 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Stir well to incorporate the foam and cover with a loose fitting lid (it needs some air) and set aside on your counter top for 2 days. Stir it each day. NOTE: You will not see the same crawling up the jar that you do with a flour and water starter. What you will see is slightly lumpy surface on the starter with bubbles.
Day 3 - Feed the Starter
- On the third day, stir in 3 tablespoons of instant potato flakes, ½ cup of sugar, and 1 cup of warm water. Stir well and leave at room temperature for 12 hours (I do this before bed).1 cup warm water, 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes, ½ cup granulated sugar
- After fermenting for 12 hours, place the starter in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before using or re-feeding.
Maintaining Your Potato Flake Starter
- Every 3 - 5 days remove the starter from the refrigerator and remove all but 1 cup to either use to make bread, or discard (there will be about 2 cups total in the jar).
- Feed your starter in the jar an additional 3 tablespoons of instant potato flakes, ½ cup sugar, and 1 cup of warm water, stirring well to mix.
- Cover the jar loosely and leave on the counter for 12 hours again. (I find doing this at night before bed the easiest routine).
- After the 12 hour ferment, store in the refrigerator up to 3 - 5 days until it is time for the next feeding.
- Repeat the feeding process to continue maintaining your potato flake sourdough starter.
Notes
- Each time you feed your instant potato sourdough starter, you'll leave 1 cup in the jar, and use what you removed.
- The starter maintains at approximately 2 cups total, so your 'discard' will usually be about 1 cup of starter to use toward your recipe.
- Count the instant potato flake sourdough starter as the 'water' portion of your bread recipe when using.
- You can bake using potato flake sourdough starter as a discard (where you still use yeast in the recipe and have a 2-4 hour bake), or as sourdough (where you let your dough bulk ferment for up to 36-48 hours before baking).
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.4mg
