Do you love fermented porridge? Do you sometimes wish you had fermented porridge done from scratch and ready in 6 to 8 hours? Do you want to know the fastest way of fermenting porridge?
I love fermented porridge. Or should I say, I love all things fermented. This is why I ventured into sourdough cooking over a year ago.
Why Fermented Foods?
The fermentation of food leads to the breaking down of the nutrients in the food during bulk fermentation. Your body can then absorb the nutrients better. This places fermented foods very much ahead of the other foods prepared without any form of fermentation. They are healthier and more nutritious.
Porridge, ucuru, uji, or vosera, as we call it in some of the dialects in my country, is a favorite snack, breakfast, or for serving guests. When it is fermented, it is loved even more.
This is why this fermented porridge recipe is just the best! You will love this uji recipe.
Developing the Quickest-to-ferment Porridge Recipe
I began venturing into sourdough cooking over a year ago. As I understood and got a firm grip on using a sourdough starter confidently, I began developing sourdough recipes.
This got the attention of one dear friend. I owe this recipe to her because she was the first in my circles to discover that you can ferment porridge with a sourdough starter at home. She learned that it fermented so fast that she thought to share her findings with me.
She allowed me to share her knowledge and that’s how this recipe is here.
The only challenge with my friend’s findings was that she is the eyeballing type of person. She couldn’t tell me the exact measurement of what she used to make her fermented porridge recipe.
I began developing a fermented porridge recipe using a sourdough starter. I’m not sure I was prepared for how fast the outcome would be. I still wondered whether this would work.
I checked on my fermented porridge mixture a few hours later. Lo and behold, it was all bubbly and ready to be cooked!
How This Works
With its active wild yeasts and bacteria, my sourdough starter had given my porridge mixture a head start, hastening the fermentation process. The porridge mixture had fermented and was ready to cook 6 hours later.
The microorganisms need the flour to feed on in order to thrive. They work on the flour, breaking it down and hence fermenting it in the process. Because the sourdough starter you use has usually been around for a longer time than the porridge mixture, the microorganisms are active and ready to ferment your fresh porridge mixture in a short period of time.
Because of the benefits of bulk fermentation, I’ll often still let my porridge mixture ferment longer, up to 12 hours.
What if I’m not Ready to Cook my Porridge?
If for some reason I find I’m unable to cook the uji after the bulk ferment, I will usually transfer it to the fridge. Fermentation will then continue but at a slower rate. I can then cook the Uji the next day or two days later. I don’t keep my fermented porridge mixture longer than that in the fridge.
If you do not yet have a sourdough starter, you can use this porridge recipe here where I ferment porridge from scratch without a sourdough starter. The porridge takes 3 days to ferment. To sustain it, you must ensure not to wash the jar or container you used but to keep using it to keep more fermented porridge going in the future. I explain this more in the recipe. This method though will not ferment your porridge as fast as when you use a sourdough starter.
What if You Have an Unfed Sourdough Starter in the Fridge?
An unfed sourdough starter is also called a sourdough discard. Asourdough discard still has the active wild yeasts and bacteria. These microorganisms are dormant though because they haven’t been fed. If I fed my starter a day or two ago, I found it works just as well. The discard is usually strong enough because it had been fed not too long ago.
How do I Make a Sourdough Starter From Scratch?
In case you are wondering how to make a sourdough starter from scratch, you are still in the right place. You can find my easy way of making a sourdough starter from scratch here. You can keep it going for weeks, months, or even years.
I trust you will enjoy our quick way of fermenting porridge from scratch the natural way. You will enjoy the fermented uji too!
Let’s get right into our recipe.
The Fastest Way of Fermenting Porridge| Sourdough Porridge Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pitcher or jar
- 1 medium size saucepan
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Measuring Cup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Active sourdough starter (You can use a recently fed sourdough discard - fed a day or two ago)
- 8 heaped tbsps mixed porridge flour/uji (When I go to buy uji or porridge flour, I request to be sold the uji flour that has several flour ingredients. It's tastier than the one that's purely millet. I got this particular one from the store/ supermarket and it had millet, amaranth, pumpkin, banana, and cassava flours)
- 2 heaped tbsps whole maizemeal (In case one of the flours in the mixed uji flour you purchase already has maizemeal, just add 2 more tablespoons of the mixed porridge flour rather than more maizemeal. Maizemeal helps feed your starter better so it can work faster)
- Sugar to taste if preferred
- 1 &½ cups lukewarm or room temperature water
- 2 litres water
Instructions
- In a suitable jar, add the sourdough starter, porridge flour, maizemeal, and 1 cup water.
- Mix with a spoon or wooden spoon. Add the remaining half cup water and continue mixing until you have a smooth paste.
- Cover the jar loosely to allow air to escape as fermentation is taking place or use a pitcher like the one I'm using with a place that allows air to escape.
- Transfer the uji mixture to a place in your kitchen where it won't be disturbed for at least 6 hours. You can let it ferment for up to 12 hours if you have more time. A warm place is preferable as it will speed up the fermentation process.In case you are unable to cook your porridge after 12 hours, you can transfer the fermenting mixture to the fridge and cook your porridge the next day.
- After the bulk ferment, add 2 litres of water to a suitable pan. Place on your stove or cooker on full flame and bring the water to a boil.I like to stir the sugar into the water at this point so that it can dissolve faster and also cook together with the porridge.
- Give the porridge mixture a final stir to ensure is nice, smooth and even.
- Pour the porridge mixture into the boiling water, vigorously stirring the water so the porridge mixture doesn't form lumps.
- Once all of the porridge mixture is in the pan, keep stirring continously until the entire porridge mixture begins to boil.
- Cover the saucepan, allowing for a little space for steam to escape, then lower the heat significantly. Let the porridge continue simmering as it cooks for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, your porridge is ready. Give the porridge a final stir then switch off the flame.
- Let the porridge cool sufficiently to your preferred warmth now that porridge gets really hot.Serve and enjoy.Enhance your hospitality for the glory of God.
Video
Recommended:
Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe for a Beginner
Sourdough Cookie Recipe| Budget-friendly
Sourdough Drop Scones With Dicard| Breakfast Recipe
Sourdough Mahamri Recipe| Swahili Doughnuts