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A Starter No Longer
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Published 2025
In Stage 2, the Starter becomes a Culture. The difference is that in a Culture, the flour and water becomes home to another colony of microorganisms—Bacteria. They set up camp in the mixture, sharing the environment and food source with the wild yeast.
The bacteria contribute their varied flavor notes to the mixture while the wild yeast provide leavening power. Maintain a balance between these two colonies in your Culture and your breads will be well-textured and have complex flavor profiles. The terms “starter” and “cuture” are often used interchangeably by bakers.