hi emily! my method is a little different than traditional sourdough. with this, i feed it then it’s usually day 2-3 that it’s ready for bread after that. mostly i look for big happy bubbles to ensure it’s ready for bread.

If you want a spelt flour starter, I recommend first reconstituting with whole wheat flour and SLOWLY trying to transition it to spelt, by adding a little at a time and slowly increasing the amount until you have a completely spelt starter. Starters LOVE consistency, so if you take a whole wheat starter and try to just switch it over to spelt, it will not know how to handle the change.

The yeast will help break down the flour to make it more easily digestible. It’s fine for most with issues digesting wheat, so I think the bob’s red mill organic would be a fine option. You could always bake with whatever grains you wanted, using spelt or kamut or einkorn (all ancient grains). That would help! But I think for feeding the starter you would be fine with just an organic whole wheat flour!

So I have my starter culture. My daughter needs to be GF for a few months (experimental–gut and behavior problems), so I got this in hopes that she’ll be able to eat products made with this. But now I’m wondering if I need to use ancient wheat? Or should she still be able to try this if it’s used with that Bob’s one you mentioned? Thanks, Kelsey!!

haha. I know. It’s a little crazy, but AMAZING.

I think it is definitely possible! Here is what I would do:
DAY 1: pour off the liquid and reduce the starter to 1/4 c.
Feed it 1/4 c water and a heaping 1/4 c flour and put in the fridge

DAY 3: stir and feed 1/2 c water and heaping 1/2 c flour and put back in the fridge
DAY 5: stir and feed 1 c water and heaping 1 c flour
DAY 7: if no bubbles are forming (at all), reduce again and restart this process.

Feeding it more often and using it a lot will get it the happiest. I have never used all purpose to feed a starter, simply because there isn’t as much “in” the flour for the starter to feed off of. I like whole wheat the best, but whatever you choose, stick with it. Starters don’t like to switch “food” all the time, so try and keep feeding it the same flour you start out with this time. It will take a while to adjust, but give it time! At least a couple of weeks, but more like 3 probably.

You can e-mail me: kelsey@simplelifebykels.com and send pictures or ask more specific questions as you go!

Yes! Thank you!

I buy local hard white wheat in bulk, then grind it myself. But Bob’s Red Mill or Wheat Montana Farms are great options. Any 100% whole wheat flour (not the pastry flour, that is soft white wheat) will be good! I like to tell people not to get overwhelmed, and just keep it simple, find what is near you and work with that. I used to have my mom bring me flour from Canada until I realized that was slightly ridiculous to be doing all the time! I have only been grinding my own for about 18 months now, I bought Wheat Montana before that.
Hope that helps!

Hi Anne,
I have actually never heard of dropping it in water! Interesting . . . . I don’t think mine would float either! Mine doesn’t ever double, I don’t worry about that as much as the bubbles. It needs to be bubbling up making lots all over, the bigger the better! I usually see the most bubbles on about day 2-3 after feeding it. If it seems sluggish, you could try reducing your starter to 1/4 c, then doing a “power feed” where you feed it 1/4 c water/flour, wait 2 days, feed 1/2 c water/flour, then wait another 2 days and feed it 1 c water/flour and see if it perks it up a bit! How long are you waiting in between feedings? Feel free to e-mail me: modernhealthymom@gmail.com and I will be happy to help if you have more questions or if that doesn’t work for you!
Thanks,
Kelsey

Thanks that helps!

Hi Kimber!
Growing and thriving . . . but in my experience, bleached white flour is the worst food for a starter – there isn’t a lot of nutrients for the starter to feed off of in flour that’s been stripped so much. Whole wheat is the best option. But if it’s raising bread well and bubbling up really nicely, you could take some and try converting it to whole wheat by just feeding it that. It will go through a period of transition to its new ‘food’ but it should pick up after a while! Hope that helps!