Wild Smith Lake Starter: My Journey to Cultivating a Sourdough Culture from Scratch

​There’s something truly magical about harnessing nature’s invisible forces to create something as simple yet profound as a sourdough starter. Living on the shores of Smith Lake, I wanted to craft a starter that felt uniquely mine—an extension of my environment and a testament to patience, care, and the wild yeast floating in the air around me. I knew I was giving my starter the best possible foundation using my fresh well water, free of chlorine and additives. And so, "Wild Smith Lake Starter" was born.

Following "The Perfect Loaf" As someone diving headfirst into sourdough, I turned to "The Perfect Loaf" for guidance. Maurizio Leo’s detailed instructions provided the roadmap I needed to embark on this adventure, and I followed them carefully, nurturing my starter into life over seven days. One key takeaway? Rye flour was a game-changer! The whole-grain rye in the early days of feeding seemed to supercharge fermentation, creating a much more active and lively culture.

The Seven-Day Transformation Day  1 began with mixing whole rye flour and water into a paste, letting it sit uncovered just enough to invite the wild yeast in. The initial signs of life took a couple of days, but by Day 3, I started seeing those first tiny bubbles of fermentation.
Day 4 was when things got serious—this was the first day of twice-daily feedings, discarding part of the mixture and refreshing it with a blend of rye and all-purpose flour. The rye flour seemed to bring a deep, earthy aroma and a noticeable boost in activity.

​By Day 5 and 6, I had a starter that was rising predictably and developing a lovely tangy scent.

By Day 7, it was alive and thriving! The moment of truth came when I performed the float test—a spoonful of starter plopped into a cup of water and, to my delight, floated right on top. My wild yeast was ready to bake.

First Bake Success With a mix of excitement and nervous energy, I prepared my first loaf. Using my newly cultivated starter, I mixed, stretched, and folded the dough, letting it ferment overnight. The next morning, as I pulled my golden-crusted sourdough from the oven, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. The crisp crust, the airy crumb, the unmistakable tang—it was everything I had hoped for.
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Reflections on the ProcessMaking a sourdough starter from scratch requires patience and commitment, but the reward is worth every moment. There’s something deeply satisfying about knowing that this living culture, cultivated in my own home on Smith Lake, will continue to evolve with each feeding and bake.

For anyone considering this journey, my biggest advice is to trust the process. It can be tempting to overanalyze every bubble and sniff every stage, but wild yeast knows what it's doing. Given time, flour, and water,  nature will take its course, and before you know it, you’ll have your own thriving starter ready to bring your baking to life.

What’s Next? Now that my Wild Smith Lake Starter is officially active, I can’t wait to experiment with different flours, hydration levels, and fermentation techniques. Stay tuned for more bakes, recipes, and lessons learned from my sourdough journey!
Have you ever made your own sourdough starter? I’d love to hear about your experience!

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