How To Convert Any Recipe To Sourdough (2024)

Learn how to convert any recipe to sourdough with a few easy tricks. Eating healthy fermented grains doesn’t have to be challenging. Just use this simple process to convert your favorite recipes to sourdough.

How To Convert Any Recipe To Sourdough (1)

If I had a food love language, I’m sure it would be sourdough. And by this point, you’ve all figured this out.

It’s been a 10-year love affair with this healthy, ancient way of eating grains. Once converted, it is truly hard to go back. Our family is never going back.

Honestly though, sourdough doesn’t have the best reputation. People have a misconception that sourdough is difficult and takes a long time.

You might be imagining yourself spending several hours a day kneading dough, or even hunkered over your bread bowl with your sourdough instructions, trying to troubleshoot your dough like a bad chemist.

That is just not the case. Sourdough has simplified meal making and food prep dramatically for our family.

Converting a recipe is actually quite simple. You may have to tweak it a bit, but it is really worth it. Between the health benefit of easier digestion and the greater depth of flavor, you’ll be thankful you made the switch.

There are multiple factors when considering converting a recipe to sourdough. Consider the type of recipe, how much liquid and flour, and whether or not another leavener may be added.

Why would you want to convert a recipe to sourdough?

  • Flavor:Sourdough adds a delicious tang and complexity to grain products. From savory to sweet, the dimension added can’t compare with regular wheat products. Once you switch to eating traditionally fermented grains, regular grains seem sub-par and lacking flavor.
  • Health: Switching to grains fermented with sourdough starter reduces the amount of phytic acid present in the grains, and allows the nutrients (like folate) to become more bio-available. Your body then can more easily absorb these nutrients.
  • Digestibility:Fermented grains actually contain less gluten than unfermented. The good bacteria and yeast help break down the gluten, making it easier for your body to digest. Those who have difficulty digesting grains may be able to tolerate long-fermented sourdough products. Those with celiac disease still should avoid any glutinous grains, even fermented ones.

How To Convert Any Recipe To Sourdough:

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Yeast Recipes:

When I started my sourdough journey, I took the yeast bread recipe I had been using and adjusted to work with sourdough.

So, I know it is possible to take your favorite yeast bread recipe and make it using the wild yeast from sourdough starter instead!

If you’d like to do this with any of your go-to recipes, there are three basic rules I follow.

  1. Swap out one packet of yeast for a half cup of starter.
  2. Reduce the liquid by ⅓ cup + one tablespoon and reduce the flour by ⅓ cup + one tablespoon.
  3. Increase rise time, usually double.

Want to know how I came up with this super scientific recipe conversion? I simply added ⅓ cup + one tablespoon of flour and water to a bowl, and measured it. This combination equals exactly a half cup of “sourdough starter”, so we are simply adding the starter to the recipe and taking the liquid and flour volume back out.

You can use this same process to work with your own conversions for different types of flours and recipes.

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Non-Yeast Recipes:

There are many quick-bread recipes that work well when converted to sourdough, likepancakes,crepes,muffins, and other quick breads (hello,banana bread).

Now this can be a little trickier since many non-yeast recipes (like cookies, quick breads, etc) don’t contain a lot of liquid. For recipes like this, I would suggest adding a half a cup of sourdough starter, and possibly increasing the amount of flour a bit.

I say possibly because you may be able to get away with adding 1/2 cup of starter and not having to do any else differently to the recipe.

For other recipes, you could possibly reduce the amount of oil added while also adding more flour. I would suggest trying 1/3 cup for both.

Honestly, this conversion works best for yeast breads, but can be done with others as well. If all else fails, I have just about every sourdough recipe you could think of on the blog.

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The hydration of your starter matters when making these adjustments!

The conversion example above is based on a sourdough starter fed at 100% hydration. I feed my starter equal parts flour and water.

The amount of flour and water used is based on the amount of starter I already have. But the ratio of flour to water never changes.

If you feed your starter a different ratio of flour to water, your recipes will need to be adjusted accordingly.

You can also use sourdough starter in your quick bread recipes as well!

The basic principle given previously still works here: add starter, reduce flour and water to equal the volume of the starter added. ½ cup starter at 100% hydration = ⅓ cup + one tablespoon of flour and water.

Try Some Of Our Favorite Recipes

  • Sourdough Brownies
  • Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
  • Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler
  • Easy Artisan Bread
  • Sourdough Banana Bread
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Why does sourdough need a longer rise time?

Typically, rise time will take about double the time, as the natural yeasts and bacteria take more time to develop than commercially developed yeast. While a yeast bread may take 1-2 hours to rise, give your sourdough recipe at least 4 hours.

If you are making a bread recipe, make sure to double both rises. The bulk rise, and the second rise after shaping.

With sourdough, you can even do longer rises in the refrigerator to help develop flavor without over fermenting.

For bread, you would allow a bulk ferment after starting the dough, and then a second ferment in the fridge, covered with plastic, for up to 24 hours.

Differences in rising time will change substantially depending on the type of recipe, if it contains other leaveners like baking soda, the environment it is rising in, etc.

FAQ:

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How much sourdough starter equals a packet of yeast?

A packet of yeast roughly equals 1/2 cup of sourdough starter in a recipe.

Is it cheaper to buy or make sourdough?

It is much cheaper to make your own sourdough bread compared to buying it.

What is the ratio of sourdough starter to baking?

While many bakers may choose a different ratio, the most common is one part flour to one part water, to one part sourdough starter (1:1:1)

Sourdough might sound complicated, but most new processes do. Take some time to read and learn about sourdough, give your own starter a try, and I promise, you’ll find it to be a simpler skill than expected.

It’s an incredibly beneficial practice, both for your health, and for the depth of flavors you build into your recipes.

How To Convert Any Recipe To Sourdough (2024)

FAQs

How much sourdough starter equals a packet of yeast? ›

How much sourdough starter equals a packet of yeast? As a general rule, 100g of sourdough starter can be used to replace one packet of yeast (a packet usually contains 5-7g of commercial yeast).

What happens if I use all purpose flour instead of bread flour in sourdough? ›

Substituting all purpose flour in a sourdough recipe that specifically calls for bread flour is not always an even swap. You'll need to REDUCE the total amount of water first. All purpose flour absorbs less water than bread flour, which can make the dough too sticky to work with otherwise.

Is sourdough starter equal parts flour and water? ›

Making a Sourdough Starter

Combine equal parts Flourist Sifted Red Spring Wheat Flour and room temperature water (we prefer 100g of each). Cover and let it sit somewhere the temperature is consistent for 24-48 hours.

Can you switch flour for sourdough starter? ›

Yes you can change the type of flour you feed your sourdough starter. Keep an eye on how your starter behaves after the first feeding. Keep your starter warm and regularly fed when changing flours. You don't have to feed your starter the same flour as you're using in your sourdough bread recipe.

How much sourdough starter per cup of flour? ›

If you don't have a scale, go for 1/4 cup starter to 1/2 cup of flour to 1/4 cup water. (Flour weighs less per volume than the water or starter.) I've found that for maintenance, it's fine to just have a small amount, and since starter is infinite, you can always feed it more if you need more starter.

Is sourdough starter cheaper than yeast? ›

In a nutshell, if you are making a lot of bread, the sourdough starter will be cheaper than yeast. But if you're baking once a week or less, and don't need to bake large amounts of bread, then the yeast will probably be cheaper, if not quite as delicious.

Is it cheaper to make your own sourdough bread? ›

So if you look solely at the ingredients, it is cheaper to make your own sourdough. But if you bring other factors into it - it might not be as cheap. This post aims to show you how you can bake a classic sourdough loaf with a little work and no fancy equipment.

What is the healthiest flour for sourdough starter? ›

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour.

What is the best flour to start a sourdough starter with? ›

Due to its wide availability and affordability, all-purpose flour is often my top recommendation for creating and maintaining a sourdough starter.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

With each sourdough starter feeding, you'll be discarding some to avoid it from becoming overly acidic. Most will compost or trash this discard, but you can save it and use it in other recipes!

Why discard sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

What is the best ratio for sourdough bread? ›

So, a sourdough feeding ratio is the relative amount (referring to weight) of old sourdough compared to fresh flour and water. Typical feeding ratios are 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 (old sourdough: fresh flour: water). However, even extreme ratios like 1:50:50 would still work.

How do I strengthen my sourdough starter? ›

In order to strengthen your sourdough starter try and give it flour only for one or two feeds. This will make the mixture stiffer. If your starter is quite runny, it should be easy to stir the extra flour into the mixture. If it seems a little stiff, it will loosen up as it eats and ferments the flour.

Is plain or strong flour better for sourdough starter? ›

If you do not have whole wheat flour, just use all purpose flour instead. The starter will be fine. I switch to all purpose flour for the feedings because it's reliable, inexpensive and practical for everyday baking (remember, a portion of your starter is removed, discarded, or used for something else).

How soon after feeding sourdough starter can I use it? ›

*Do not try baking with your starter right after feeding it. Allow time for it to grow and feast on the flour before using it. Starters are usually ready to bake with around 4-12 hours after a feeding depending on the amount you feed your starter. The larger the feeding, the more time it needs to ferment.

Can you substitute sourdough starter for instant yeast? ›

Replace commercial yeast with 15-20% sourdough starter.

For the best flavor and fermentation schedule, I like to use 15-20% starter in my recipes. You can play around with these percentages to fit your flavor profile and timeline.

What is the ratio of sourdough starter to baking? ›

Sourdough starters should be fed a minimum ratio of 1:1:1, meaning equal WEIGHTS of starter to flour to water. If you feed your starter this way and keep it at a consistently warm temperature 78ºF, your starter should peak and become active/bubbly in about 3-4 hours.

What is the ratio of sourdough starter to bread? ›

The most common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (sourdough starter: flour: water). This is also known as a 100% hydration starter. For example, let's say you have 40 g of sourdough starter in a jar. To feed it, you'll add 40 g of flour + 40 g of water.

How much sourdough starter to use when baking? ›

As with any sourdough recipe, before you start baking bread, you want to make sure that your sourdough starter is as strong as possible. My basic sourdough recipe uses just 50g of starter for 500g of flour (so just 10% of starter).

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