Sourdough starter

Sourdough starter is a stable, living culture of flour and water containing wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Unlike a simple yeast starter, it develops through natural fermentation over days or weeks of regular feeding with fresh flour and water. It provides not only leavening but also improved digestibility, a more complex flavour and longer shelf life for bread. Sourdough bread has a characteristic mildly sour aroma and a denser crumb structure. A sourdough starter requires regular maintenance, but when properly stored it can last for years, maturing and improving with each use.