Q. I purchased a sourdough bread starter that is accustomed to white flour but I’d like to use whole wheat flour. How do I switch the sourdough bread starter over to whole wheat flour?
A. All of our sourdough bread starters can be converted to be used with a wide variety of flours. We recommend that you initially activate the starter and establish the starter with whatever type of flour it is accustomed to (generally white, wheat or rye flour). Once the sourdough starter is clearly healthy (bubbling happily) and has gone through at least a week of regular feedings, split the sourdough starter in two and put half in a safe place in the refrigerator. Start feeding the second half with the new flour. Within a few days/feedings, the sourdough starter will be fully converted. This method of splitting the sourdough starter allows you to convert the sourdough bread starter over to a new flour type but also gives you a back up in the refrigerator as there can be a learning curve when working with new flour types.
Please note, the best flours for feeding sourdough are white flour, whole wheat, spelt and rye. Brown rice flour can be used but starters fed with brown rice starter tend to be less robust and require more regular feedings (minimum 2-3 times a week).
2 Response to Switching Sourdough Starter to a New Type of Flour
Julie says:
Great question! Since you are celiac, I would actually recommend using the book The Art of Gluten-free Sourdough Baking to make flavorful sourdough bread with great texture. The book includes an easy method to make a gluten-free starter using water kefir or kombucha for the necessary bacteria. Besides being easy, this method also allows you a way to make a starter each time you need one rather than having to maintain a starter (gluten-free starters are particularly difficult to keep alive long term).
We do carry a brown rice starter on our website and it would be an option but we always want to disclaim that it is grown in a facility where wheat products are processed. While great care is taken to prevent cross contamination, ultimately it is always a possibility. Using the method in the book above though would mean no risk at all to you.
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Linda Crawford says:
I am a celiac and lactose intolerant and require a gluten-free and dairy free diet. I am so tired of hard, flavorless breads and am hoping I can use coconut flour or almond flour from the beginning to get the starter to bloom. Are the starters gf and lactose free? I can use about any that is gluten-free, but I would like to use whatever makes the bread the most tender inside without being dry or raw tasting. Do you have any gluten-free recipes or tips? Thanks for your help in my search for an edible homemade bread. Linda Crawford
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 7:29 pm