Eating raw sourdough starter might have crossed your mind once or twice. There are a couple of myths surrounding sourdough, so I set out to see if it’s safe to eat a sourdough starter. Then it occurred to me, why would anyone want to eat raw starter anyway? Let’s find out!
Sourdough starter can be eaten raw, but only in small amounts. If you’re going to eat sourdough starter expect to feel bloated if you have lots. If your digestive system is not in good shape, do not eat raw starter. There is a good chance you will be sick.
A sourdough starter will contain hundreds of fungi and bacteria in a vast and diverse range. But this doesn’t mean that it’s harmful. Sourdough starter has an acidic environment caused by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). These, combined with naturally occurring wild yeasts, cultivate in the starter. LAB and wild yeasts are the driving forces of the leavening process.
Because of this acidic environment, it is difficult for harmful bacteria to grow. This means a sourdough starter is relatively safe for consumption. Actually, it is believed by scientists that these strains of bacteria and yeast are good for humans to consume.
Sourdough undergoes a long and lengthy fermentation process. During this, it produces Lactobacillus bacteria and Saccharomyces yeasts. Many of these variants are also considered probiotics. Probiotics kill harmful gut bacteria and fungi.
An active starter is still producing gas. And the temperature of the stomach is perfect for fermentation! This means the dough will rise inside a human body! Expect excess gas and a bloated stomach.
If bacteria cannot be killed by the stomach acid, it will cause you discomfort. Bacteria enter the warm digestive system and break down food into sugars. As it does this, carbon dioxide is produced which will make you feel gassy and bloated.
Harmful bacteria can enter the starter from the raw flour used and multiply. Harmfu l bacteria can lead to you contracting E-coli or Salmonella Typhimurium.
As a ripe sourdough starter matures it becomes more acidic. After regular feeds, the starter remains stable and its cultivated bacteria and fungi create an environment where the harmful bacteria cannot multiply and their activity is restricted. At this point, a mature starter is relatively safe to eat.
To be ultra-sure that bad bacteria is removed you’ll have to kill off all the bacteria in a starter. To do this, apply heat. Bacteria and yeast in bread dough die when baked.
The temperature bacteria die is 60C (140F). Sourdough bread is usually baked at around 230C (450F), that’s plenty hot enough! Given this, baking sourdough will kill off any harmful (and good) bacteria present.
When working with potentially harmful bacteria, it is best to follow some basic hygiene practices. They will keep the starter healthy whilst lower the possibility of bacteria passing around the kitchen.
The secret to having a good and safe sourdough bread is a healthy sourdough starter. If you starter shows the following signs, it is a bad starter and shouldn’t be used:
If any of these are seen, do not eat the starter! Especially raw! You will likely get ill. These signal that the starter has harmful bacteria which are not safe to consume.
In conclusion, a sourdough starter can be tasted or even eaten. Just make sure that your stomach is ready for it. Of the bacteria present in sourdough starters, the majority are healthy.
There will be a few bad ones that make it into the dough. The baking stage will kill them off, making the bread perfectly safe for consumption. Yet, too much eating of a raw starter can lead to severe bloating.
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Hi, I’m Gareth Busby, a baking coach, head baker and bread-baking fanatic! My aim is to use science, techniques and 15 years of baking experience to help you become a better baker.
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Been eating starter in small amounts for ages.
yes , sometimes bloated, more to do with what I consumed before or with it.
I always add a wee bit of tamari sauce and
finely ground herbes de province (just a pinch)
sometimes use this as a sauce base for my salads
Yummy and so good for my otherwis every choosy guts.
I’ve been frying up my starter discard starting on day 3 (just started this journey) : used a chop stick to mix in salt to taste, zaatar and crumbles of sharp cheddar cheese. Then fry in a lightly oiled pan – spread as thin as you can as soon as you pour in. Flip after first side has browned. I like it crunchy. Great snack.
I make sourdough pancakes a few times a week. Very good. I use coconut oil to cook the pancakes and add a bit of raw honey to the finished product. Very delicious. Cheers.
I was just wondering if you could simply bake excess starter or put it in a pan and fry it in some butter like a pancake?
Yes, but I can’t imagine it will taste very nice!
Yes I do this often with discarded starter . For crackers, add melted better, spread on parchment, sprinkle with seasonings or just salt/pepper, and bake at 325-350F. I flip it after it’s solid, score it with a pizza cutter, then continue baking until crisp. Or for a pizza type snack, I pour starter into an oiled nonstick pan and make it like a pancake (I.e. cook and flip,etc). I add toppings then bake at 425F until cheese melts and edges are crispy. There are lots of discard recipes but these are the easiest I’ve found.
Hi Gareth,
I have to add to my previous post. On day 8 after eating sough dough starter, I had flu like symptoms (headache and aching muscles),so am thinking it was a healing crisis (when the body releases toxins). I would still like to pursue this but will proceed slowly and carefully. I will be taking just the tiniest bit at a time, as it can pack quite a punch. regards, Murray.
Interesting, keep me updated Murray!
Murray-how’s it going with eating the starter? I licked my spoon and my tongue tingled!! I’m thinking that’s a good starter 😅
Hi Carrie. My flu like symptoms turned out to be covert. Nothing to do with the starter.
I still think the starter will have good effects, taken in small doses, but I hav’nt got back to it. I would be interested to hear others that have tried it for improved health.
Hi Gareth,
I have been eating some of the live starter for the last week, before going to bed.
I started to notice health benefits straight away. Psoriasis on my scalp has been fading. Keratitis ((brown spots) on my arms and legs have fallen off. And I have been urinating less overnight. I think our gut needs live culture to thrive.
I have a pretty clean diet, so I don’t have much gas. I think that might be an issue depending on what you eat. Also when you introduce new bacteria (even good) to your system, there could be some gas, as it reacts with the bacteria that’s present, but that will pass as it becomes established. Regards, Murray.
Not that I was going to eat my starter dough but was more wondering if you could get drunk off the alcohol in it.
I’ve been making sour dough bread passing 6 years now and have kept alive my original starter for this long. My bread is not sour as it was the first couple months. My thoughts are that it’s just pretty much yeast and little to no bacteria. I can’t really call is sour dough bread any more.
I feed my starter once a week with ground grapes and wheat flour but make bread once every other week. After a week of sitting in the fridge, the alcohol is strong enough to burn my nose as I do the weekly smell test for strength of my yeast culture.
As far as eating or drinking starter to get an alcohol buzz, mine would probably be safe but fresh, recently made starter with all the other bacteria that would give bread the sour smell and taste, I wouldn’t think would be a good idea. I would fear getting sick off that.
So my question would be about eating aged starter as mine. Is aged starter safer?
Compared to when I first started doing the sour dough bread, the smell now is more the same as the quick rising yeast you buy at the store. Making bread with quick rising yeast was a good 3 hour process. Originally, my beginning starter was a good 5 hour process but has speeded up to about the same as quick rise yeast. There was some learning along the way to building a strong yeast culture and I think I have it down to a science now. When I feed my starter, I let it sit out in room temperature for 2-3 hours to get the yeast to grow and then put it in the frige where the yeast continues to grow but much slower. So after a week, you open the jar and get a good whiff of alcohol, strong enough to burn my nose. This brings me back to the idea of eating a little starter at this alcoholic state. Can one get drunk?
Ryan, you’re nuts! Just have a beer!
Yes it is alcohol and it will get you drunk but if your starter is very alcoholic it could be a little imbalanced which could lead to some unwanted bacteria. You are kinda rolling the dice with getting ill and potentially very ill. I wouldn’t risk it… unless it was the only thing in the house, you do you!