Adding Pineapple Juice to Sourdough Starter

Pineapple juice sourdough starter is one of the many ways to produce a robust starter. This simple addition of pineapple will change of flavor and ability to reach the peak faster are two intriguing results. You will want to try it for yourself to see what factors change compared to a traditional sourdough starter. 

Pineapple juice sourdough starter is a trending topic. Because it is not one of the traditional 14 types of sourdough starter, it tends to get a lot of opinions- both positive and negative. The creator of the sourdough starter with pineapple juice is Debra Wink from the Fresh Loaf.

Here on the blog we talk a lot about sourdough education to help you become a well rounded baker. Whether you are interested in learning how to dry feed sourdough starter or the best sourdough starter names, we love expanding our knowledge.

When I recently came across the idea of adding pineapple juice to a sourdough starter, I had to test it out. If this pineapple sourdough starter was the breakthrough method to help people make sourdough starters faster (and more effectively), I needed to know. After all, I did stay away from gluten for over 14 years and creating a sourdough starter changed my life. I want to make sure people know how easy it is.

If you are wondering what happens when you have a sourdough starter with pineapple juice, these variables change compared to a basic sourdough starter: these factors:

• It reduces the overall pH level, causing the starter to rise “faster”
• This essentially skips the “false rise” phase during the initial sourdough starter process, cutting down starter time from 10 days to 6-7 days
• Flavor- by replacing water with juice, it creates a sweeter sourdough starter
• The rise time is quicker and it reaches peak quicker
• The sourdough starter reaches maturity faster

Ratio for a pineapple juice sourdough starter

The ratio for feeding a starter with pineapple juice is 1:1:1. Similar to our favorite ratio for sourdough starter, this equation is equal parts flour, sourdough starter and pineapple juice. 

Some people swear by this recipe to begin and maintain their sourdough starter. They feel it rises faster and is established quicker.

To add pineapple juice to your starter, replace the water with pineapple juice. A pineapple juice sourdough starter recipe is truly as simple as that – use pineapple instead of water. Feed, rise, discard, repeat!

Sourdough recipes with pineapple

There are a variety of sourdough recipes with pineapple. From carrot cake, piña colada sourdough bread, pineapple coconut bread and pineapple upside down cake,the results are endless!

When looking at two similar recipes side by side, like a dinner roll, the difference is pineapple juice as the liquid.

For example, sourdough Hawaiian rolls use pineapple juice as the liquid. A similar sourdough roll with olive oil would use milk instead. 

Sourdough Hawaiian rolls can be turned into sandwiches. We made sourdough lunch meat sliders from them. Both are delicious and sweet, without being sugary in flavor. 

Benefits of adding pineapple juice to sourdough starter

There are benefits to adding pineapple juice. Some are health benefits while others impact the overall flavor of the sourdough starter.

• The bacteria found within starter like the versatility from the pineapple juice, causing it to peak quicker
• Feeding sourdough with pineapple can cause a sourdough starter to rise faster 
• A starter with pineapple juice will produce a sweet tasting finished product (like these sourdough Hawaiian rolls) 
• A reason to experiment – it can be fun to test feeding sourdough with various liquids 

Negatives aspects of adding pineapple juice to sourdough starter

There are a few negative aspects to consider when adding pineapple juice to sourdough starter. 

• Similar to adding honey to sourdough starter, you may need to maintain the starter with pineapple juice. While it may not need to be fed every time with pineapple juice; people report the times they see the highest (and fastest) rise from their starter is when they use pineapple juice for feeding
• It can be expensive over time to maintain a starter with pineapple juice instead of water if you do not have regular access to a pineapple
• Your sourdough starter will be sweeter than a traditional sourdough starter made from water and flour 

Have you ever tried making a pineapple juice sourdough starter before? If so, let us know your results in the comments!