36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (2024)

Table of Contents
Some disclaimers on this sourdough starter In a nutshell Terminology and General Process as I understand it related to the Sourdough Starter Starter Temperature Hydration Why whole grain? What is feeding? 40 Comments Sam rinkub@aol.com Jenn rinkub@aol.com Jenn Lori Heintz rinkub@aol.com Rahel rinkub@aol.com Veronica Denney rinkub@aol.com Ramon rinkub@aol.com Wholegrain Sourdough Bread - Recipe, Tips, and How I do it. - Spice Chronicles Whole wheat Sourdough Pita - Spice Chronicles Stacie rinkub@aol.com Vicki rinkub@aol.com Karen F Daniels rinkub@aol.com Karen F Daniels Tim rinkub@aol.com Debbie L Purvis rinkub@aol.com Bhatura - Crisp and Fermented Fried Bread - Spice Chronicles Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Doughnuts and Relishing Sweetness - Spice Chronicles Belen rinkub@aol.com Les rinkub@aol.com Yanette Lopez rinkub@aol.com AB rinkub@aol.com Donna Ruiz rinkub@aol.com Amara rinkub@aol.com Leave a Comment

36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (1)One of my bucket list items has been to make a sourdough starter. After playing around with all kinds of things over this quarantine, I have one. And, I have used the instant pot to speed things up. Well, you kind of knew that was coming right? Well, I am a huge fan of the yogurt setting. It is great for fermenting things.

I made this starter about five months ago, and am happy with all the many loaves of bread I have enjoyed since.

I am updating and adding as my journey continues. In general, like most things I do this is less of a science lesson and more of a playbook of sorts.

Some disclaimers on this sourdough starter

  • These steps have had the starter going and it has been getting close to double in about 4-5 hours outside the instant pot.
  • It will need more than 36 hours to get completely established, which essentially means that you are assured that it will generate workable sourdough bread.
  • This said, the instant pot is definitely cutting down the process and time needed.
  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (2)I have tried these for small things like rolls and crepes and pancakes and used this for whole wheat loaves of bread.
  • This starter is made with whole wheat flour.
  • All these food experiments are making my scientist husband very nervous.

In a nutshell

Anyhow, in an essence, this is my 36 hour instant pot sourdough starter.

The process consists of five feedings (a process of removing and adding more flour to the mixture).

I use whole wheat flour, NY tap water, a wooden spoon and a 16 oz mason jar for this.

36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (3)

Doing this with all purpose and bread flour will work and you do not need to change the process too much.

My starter lives in my refrigerator and is fed about once or twice a week. If I see it getting watery on top, I feed it, equal parts of flour and water (about 75 grams)

Terminology and General Process as I understand it related to the Sourdough Starter

Starter

We are essentially creating natural live culture, that can be used in place of yeast for baking. Using preferably whole grain flour and water, we are effective fermenting it allow it to develop a natural culture. The resulting natural culture is a starter. Small amounts of the starter is used to develop bread or any other dough that needs yeast. Natural yeast is slower, but results in a more full flavored bread or other fermented product.

Temperature

Temperature matters. The starter develops best in about 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. By using the instant pot to jump start this process, I am effectively speeding up the fermentation and also guaranteeing that there is no variability in the temperature. Now the temperature for the yogurt mode is about 110 which is higher than the preferred temperature for a starter. To counter this, I set it for about 3 hours and leave it in for 9 hours in the instant pot. This gives the starter a boost without over-doing the heat.

Hydration

The percentage and proportion of water to flour in the mixture. So, in this case since I use a 1 is to 1 ratio, this is a 100% hydration starter.

Why whole grain?

The natural nutrients in the whole grain flour, work well in catching and trapping natural yeast.

What is feeding?

The process of adding new flour to the mixture to keep the culture active and alive. I remove about 2 tablespoons of the starter and refresh with about 75 grams of new flour.

  • What is discard? The part of the culture that is removed is called a discard. Use the discard for other recipes. There are a bunch of them on this site. My favorite way to use a discard is to use it in Indian recipes like this dhoklaor sourdough naan.

36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (4)

Why is it quicker?

Essentially, a sourdough starter is happy at about 70 degrees F. The yogurt setting provides 110 degrees consistent heat, speeding this up but not killing the progress. You can try this in an oven with the pilot light setting. The temperature there is about 90 degrees.

Print

36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter

36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (5)

My 36 hour starter, done in the instant pot.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of whole wheat flour
  • water as needed

Instructions

  1. In a large mason jar mix 3/4 cup of the flour with 3/4 water, using a wooden or plastic spoon. Cover and place on a trivet (with handles), it is easier to get them out this way. Set to the yogurt setting for 3 hours. After about 9 hours, check your starter.
  2. Remove and you should see some frothiness in the starter. Remove about 1/4 of the starter. Mix in 1/4 cup of the flour with 2 tablespoons of water. Set the yogurt mode for 3 hours. Check the starter after 6 hours.
  3. Remove half the starter. You can collect your removed starter or discards for other recipes. Then mix 1/4 cup of flour with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water (you want the consistency of thick pancake batter. Set the yogurt mode to 2 hours. Repeat the process after 6 hours. Do this 4 to 5 more times.
  4. By the end of this, your starter should be doubled and it should smell fruity.
  5. So, essentially the time is 9 hours, plus 4 iternations of 6 hours =24 plus 9 hours. With a little room to spare you get to the 36 hours.
  6. Your starter is ready for use. To ensure that it is established and can live in the refridgerator. Leave this outside for 3 days, repeating the discard and replenish process 2 times a day. Your starter should be consistently doubling withing 4 hours.

https://spicechronicles.com/36-hour-instant-pot-sourdough-starter/

40 Comments

  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (6)

    Sam

    Metal spoon is a myth. Works just fine for the past 15 years.

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (7)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Nice to know, now I can use without worry.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (8)

    Jenn

    I’m confused why your instructions say set for 3 hours – then says check your starter after 9 hours. Why not set for 9 hours? Am I missing something? Thanks for your help.

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (9)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Hi Jenn,

      I updated the temperature section, this is what is going on.

      The starter develops best in about 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. By using the instant pot to jump start this process, I am effectively speeding up the fermentation and also guaranteeing that there is no variability in the temperature. Now the temperature for the yogurt mode is about 110, so I set it for about 3 hours, and leave it in for 9 hours. This gives it a boost without over-doing the heat.

      So, you end up with the overall temperature being higher than the 80 degrees, but 110 degrees for 9 hours is too much.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (15)

    Veronica Denney

    Do you have an instapot sourdough bread recipe for this??

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (16)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Hi Veronica:

      Am working on perfecting something.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (17)

    Ramon

    When You put your mason jar inside the instant pot, do you need to add water inside the pot?

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (18)

      rinkub@aol.com

      No, when using the yogurt setting, water is not needed.

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  • Wholegrain Sourdough Bread - Recipe, Tips, and How I do it. - Spice Chronicles

    […] my house. And yes, sourdough bread is all part of this process. After creating my starter Pinocchio in the Instant Pot, I have been working through the rambles of creating a loaf of sourdough bread that I can stand by. […]

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  • Whole wheat Sourdough Pita - Spice Chronicles

    […] many others, my sourdough adventures started with COVID 19. Recently my son enquired about Pinocchio (my starter’s age). Well, […]

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (19)

    Stacie

    The directions say repeat process 4 to 5 times and the next line says do it 3 more times so it is a total of 7 to 8 times?

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (20)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Yes, that is correct. This will differ starter to starter, but, in in general you are good when your starter starts doubling every 4 hours.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (21)

    Vicki

    Hello, I’m considering using my instant pot for getting my sourdough starter going too. Question, I know you put a loose lid on the starter Kaye, but do you place a lid as well on the instant pot? (As one would do when baking yogurt?). Thank you, Vicki

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (22)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Yes, you do cover it, same as yogurt.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (23)

    Karen F Daniels

    I bought a cookbook by Em Elless for not only doing the rising in an Instant Pot but cooking the actual bread in the Instant Pot, for yeast and Quick Breads. Most of the recipes required browning the loaves in the oven after the “baking” under pressure was complete and the bread had an internal temperature of 190 degrees. I also purchased the Air Fryer lid for my Instant Pot and as an experiment after removing the cooked bread from the Instant Pot, I dumped out the water used for pressure cooking and put the loaves back into the pot on a trivet giving air space all around the loaf and put the air fryer lid on and set it to bake to brown up the crust. I did this for a French bread recipe (white flour) and another yeast bread with whole wheat flour and both came out with a nice crust. I want to try this with a sour dough loaf and see if it can compare with cooking it in a heavy Dutch Oven.

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (24)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Interesting! I have tried sourdough proofing in the instant pot, but do not feel that the flavor develops so well with the quicker proofing boost.

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      • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (25)

        Karen F Daniels

        I have never made sourdough bread before and my husband claims that he does not like the flavor of sourdough, so if the flavor is ‘less developed’ with the quicker proofing maybe it will be OK in our house. I just received a pair of wicker proofing baskets. One is just slightly too wide to fit in the Instant pot, but the other just fits inside, so in a week or so I am going to try doing the starter, then the proofing and finally the baking all in the Instant Pot using the fryer lid for the final cooking. I will report back what the results are.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (26)

    Tim

    I have just started this starter. However, as I add up the number of hours I am counting well over 53 hours. 12+9+8+8+8+8 and then something about repeating it 3 more times. I’m wondering if I am misunderstanding something. Thanks.

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (27)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Hi Tim: Sorry, I just got to this. Hope your starter turned out ok. Not sure about the 12 hours, and the cycles are 6 hours not 8 hours. The 3 hours can be confusing, so I have tried to clarify and update the recipe.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (28)

    Debbie L Purvis

    You can put the yogurt setting on low or medium to lower the temperature. I have an Ultra so I can custom set my temperature and time. No guessing.

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (29)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Hi Debbie: I have an ultra too, and the custom temperature is between 100 to 110 F, however, even at a 100F, it is a little too hot for most sourdough starters. They tend to thrive between 80 degrees to 90 degrees F.

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  • Bhatura - Crisp and Fermented Fried Bread - Spice Chronicles

    […] tend to use all purpose flour and semolina with yeast for quick results. My recipe here uses sourdough starter, and whole wheat flour and the instant pot to ferment the batter. The result is pure magic! […]

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  • Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Doughnuts and Relishing Sweetness - Spice Chronicles

    […] if your sourdough starter hangs out in the refridgerator, like my Pinocchio then you need to bring it out a day […]

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (30)

    Belen

    Hi,
    Can you use any type of lid for the mason jar?

    Thanks!

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (31)

      rinkub@aol.com

      I use the standard metal lid that comes with the jar.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (32)

    Les

    Step 6: “Leave this outside for 3 days …” . Outside the refrigerator, or outside the house? (It’s currently freezing outside my house.)

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (33)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Well, typically one does not usually mean outside the house.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (34)

    Yanette Lopez

    Which lid do I use for the instapot? Glass or do I need to seal vent?

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (35)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Glass lid would work for the yogurt setting.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (36)

    AB

    Oh this is stupid but I’ve never used the yogurt function. I place the glass jar inside the cooker and close the lid? Will it explode?

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (37)

      rinkub@aol.com

      It will not explode as the yogurt function does not use pressure.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (38)

    Donna Ruiz

    What size mason jar do you recommend? Is saw 16 oz somewhere but that seems small?

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (39)

      rinkub@aol.com

      Hi Donna:

      The 16 oz, works fine for me.

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  • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (40)

    Amara

    I have the instant pot air fryer model and it doesn’t have the yoghurt mode. Apparently when I searched the internet some people have made yoghurt with the sous vide mode. Would this be ok?
    Thanks in advance.

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    • 36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (41)

      rinkub@aol.com

      I have not tried this with sous vide, but things that it should work.

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Leave a Comment

36 Hour Instant Pot Sourdough Starter - and how to manage (2024)
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