How to make your own Sourdough Starter, using simple ingredients with no special equipment, in 6 days, that can be used in crusty sourdough bread, baguettes, pizza dough, waffles, banana bread, pancakes, crackers, sourdough buns, sourdough tortillas and biscuits. Sourdough Starter is often referred to as wild yeast, made from flour, water and the wild yeast in the air around us. (NEW Step-by-step VIDEO.)
When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything.~ Shunryu Suzuki
Hey friends, I’ve wanted to share this recipe for Sourdough Starter for years now, and with most of us being homebound, and without yeast available at the grocery stores, I thought this might be the perfect time to post it. As you know, we are in Santa Barbara for the winter, and one thing I didn’t even think to bring with me was my sourdough starter.
I made a fresh batch last week, baked a loaf of crusty Sourdough Bread yesterday- and felt so much joy from this simple pleasure. The whole process honestly fills me with such wonder.
How gloriously alive the world is! Plus there really is nothing like the smell of fresh bread to lift the spirits.
Anyhow, I know many of you are actually in a situation where you have less time– kids home from school, working remotely, and I feel for you – I understand how hard this may be. And perhaps not the right time to make sourdough starter for you. No pressure ever.
But if you are like us, kid-less, slightly bored and find yourself with a little more time on your hands, this might be the perfect opportunity to discover the joy of baking sourdough bread from your very own sourdough starter.
It’s truly incredible! The basic instructions were taught to me by a friend, who adapted it from Breadtopia and King Arthur Flour.I’ve taken liberties and further adapted, but both of these sources are great resources.
How to Make Sourdough Starter | 20-Minute Video
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Fast forward to Specific Day by video time (using scroll bar underneath video)
- Day 1 Morning: :23
- Day 2 Morning: 4:10
- Day 3 Morning: 7:00
- Day 3 Evening: 9:12
- Day 4 Morning: 11:50
- Day 4 Evening: 13:37
- Day 5 Morning: 14:45
- Day 6 Evening: 16:50
- Day 6 Morning: 18:12
- Day 6 Evening: 20:10
What is Sourdough Starter?
- Think of sourdough starter as yeast. Only in this case, instead of buying a packet of yeast from the store, you are making your own living “wild yeast” by fermenting flour and water. That is it! ONLY 2 ingredients! Once it’s alive, it is like a very low-maintenance pet.
- You must feed it (stir in a mixture of flour and water) once a week to keep it healthy and happy. You know it’s happy when it bubbles. 😉 And YES, you can even name it.
- Some people believe that bread made with sourdough starter is actually better for you than bread made with yeast. Here and Here are a few articles to get you started on your own research. While I’m not sure if this is scientifically proven, I do know that bread made with sourdough starter, tastes infinitely better, feels easier to digest, and has more complexity and better texture, than bread made with commercial yeast. So if you are a bread lover- this is absolutely the way to go, as far as the quality of your finished bread.
What is Feeding?
- Feeding your sourdough starter is basically adding a mixture of flour and water to your existing starter, to keep it alive, happy and nourished. Starter is full of wild yeasts that get hungry, just like we do. These yeasts need “food” in this case, more flour, to stay healthy and active.
- How often you feed depends greatly on the temperature. The starter will metabolize the flour more quickly in warm environments, and more slowly in cold environments (like the fridge). If you keep your starter in the fridge, you will only need to feed it once a week. If you keep in on the counter you may need to feed it 1-2 times daily, and sometimes more if you live in warmer climates.
How to make Sourdough Starter (see detailed recipe card below the post)
This recipe for Sourdough Starter takes 6 days (or up to 12 days if cold) and is very easy. This was the way I was taught and it always works for me. There are plenty of more complicated recipes out there, and I get it, if that is more your style – or you feel like completely nerding -out (a good thing, and this is the time!) dive in. Feed your fancy! Or watch the 20-minute Sourdough Video above!
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- Day 1: Staring in the morning or at night, using a wide-mouth 4-cup mason jar or Crock or Glass Measuring Cup , mix 1 cup whole grain flour (fluffed, spooned and leveled) -or 120 grams- with 1/2 cup (120 grams) filtered water using a fork (or chopstick) making sure you’ve incorporated all the dry flour. For your first measuring – it is a good idea to weigh it using a kitchen scale so you get an idea of how it should feel. It should be like a thick paste. Thick like peanut butter. If you need to add a little more water to incorporate the flour, that is OK. Place the lid lightly on top (using the Weck jar is really handy here) or a wet towel to keep moisture in, or plastic wrap- and let sit at room temperature ( 70-ish degrees) on the kitchen counter for 24-48 hours. If you are not sure how warm it is, use a kitchen thermometer and check it a few hours later. See notes for TEMPERATURE.
- Day 2: After the first 24 hours, there may or may not be a bit of bubbling. I prefer to let this rest until I see a tiny bit of activity (bubbles) and sometimes this takes 36 or even 48 hours. When you see bubbling, discard all but 1/2 cup of the starter (4 ounces). Add to the starter, 1 cup of organic bread flour (120 grams) spooned and leveled, and 1/2 cup filtered water (120 grams), mixing well with a fork. Cover again and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.
- Day 3: By the third day, you should definitely see some bubbling- and if not, let it go a bit longer. Depending on how warm your house is and how active your starter, you may need to begin feeding more often or move to two feedings a day, like in the morning and at night. In a nutshell, you want to feed the starter only after it has peaked (metabolized all the flour from the last feeding) and has started sinking down or gets liquidy- this is when it is hungry! This might be 12 hours, it might be 14, it might be 18, or 24, depending on the temp in your house. In very warm climates it may only be 6-8 hours. In winter, this may take 36 hours. It is better to underfeed rather than overfeed here. For each feeding, like before, discard all but 1/2 cup of the STARTER (keeping roughly ½-cup of starter in the jar) Add 1 cup Bread Flour (spooned and leveled) and 1/2 cup water to the 1/2 cup starter and let this rest at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until the starter looks “hungry” again before repeating.
- Day 1: Staring in the morning or at night, using a wide-mouth 4-cup mason jar or Crock or Glass Measuring Cup , mix 1 cup whole grain flour (fluffed, spooned and leveled) -or 120 grams- with 1/2 cup (120 grams) filtered water using a fork (or chopstick) making sure you’ve incorporated all the dry flour. For your first measuring – it is a good idea to weigh it using a kitchen scale so you get an idea of how it should feel. It should be like a thick paste. Thick like peanut butter. If you need to add a little more water to incorporate the flour, that is OK. Place the lid lightly on top (using the Weck jar is really handy here) or a wet towel to keep moisture in, or plastic wrap- and let sit at room temperature ( 70-ish degrees) on the kitchen counter for 24-48 hours. If you are not sure how warm it is, use a kitchen thermometer and check it a few hours later. See notes for TEMPERATURE.
Above you’ll see it peaking, below you’ll see it deflating and getting “hungry”. Feed when the starter only when hungry. This will can vary in time greatly – so even though there is a loose schedule laid out for you here, understand that your starter has a schedule of its own, it is a living thing- so watch it and pay attention! Overfeeding a starter makes it lethargic.
I repeat: The key here is to watch it. Don’t feed the starter until it looks hungry.
Look for the signs of “hunger”: You’ll see watery bubbles at the top, or even a layer of liquid. See how below on the jar, how the starter slides down the side of the jar? Look for the “slide” marks just under the Weck logo. If starter is not rising and falling, look at consistency. As it metabolizes the flour and gets hungry it will get runny and liquidy, like to the point where you can pour it right out of the jar. If it is still thick like paste, it’s not done metabolizing (eating)the flour.
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- Day 4: Feed 1-2 times, discarding all but 1/2 cup of starter EACH TIME. Feed 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup water. Look for the hunger signs. Hopefully, you’ll begin to see some rising and falling. It’s helpful to put the starter in a clean jar and mark the beginning level (with sharpie, string or rubber band) so you can easily see this. ***If for some reason your starter looks like it is still rising at the time of second feeding (at night) and there is no evidence it has fallen or no slide marks, skip this feeding and feed first thing in the morning. AGAIN, Feeding it when it is “not hungry” will basically dilute all the growing yeast and make it lethargic. Better to starve than overfeed.
- Day 5: Feed again, 1-2 times, roughly 12 hours apart, discarding all but a 1/2 cup the starter EACH TIME. 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water. The starter should look visibly active, bubbling, rising, hopefully, close to doubling in size.
- DAY 6: Give it one last feeding. Discard all but a 1/3 cup. Add 1 cup flour (120 grams) and 1/2 cup water, and place it in a clean jar so you can see the action clearly. You can use a sharpie or place a rubber band around the jar to mark the beginning level. The starter should hopefully double in volume within 4-6 hours of feeding. Then DO THE FLOAT TEST: To test the starter, place a teaspoon of starter (just from the top, don’t stir it down) in a glass full of water, it should hopefully float. If it does, you can make bread. Tonight! Let the starter rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours allowing it to fully metabolize the flour, perhaps sinking a little before making your dough.
- At this point, if your starter does not double in size or pass the float test, don’t give up! Often it just takes longer. Continue feeding one-two times a day, for a few more days, until you see a consistent, predictable, rise and fall, and it floats. Read the troubleshooting section. If you need to take a break, put it in the fridge and try it again up to a week later. Don’t toss it.
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- Day 6 EVENING: Use 1/3 cup to make bread (if you want) and transfer the remaining starter (or if not making bread, transfer all of it) to a clean crock, mason jar, and store the starter in the refrigerator, and feed it at least once a week, mixing in any liquid at the top, reserving ⅓ to ½ cup starter, before feeding it the usual 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup water.
- Day 6 EVENING: Use 1/3 cup to make bread (if you want) and transfer the remaining starter (or if not making bread, transfer all of it) to a clean crock, mason jar, and store the starter in the refrigerator, and feed it at least once a week, mixing in any liquid at the top, reserving ⅓ to ½ cup starter, before feeding it the usual 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup water.
In the photo above, on the 6th day, the starter was fed at 8 am, it doubled at noon, but went even higher until around 2 pm where it peaked. Then as you can see, it started deflating and by 8 pm, it was lower, and “hungry” again. See those downward “slide” marks on the jar?
Look for these! That’s why it’s nice to put the starter in a clean jar so you can see these clearly. They tell you how high your starter went and that it peaked, and now is going down. Time to feed. Even at 8 pm, it passed the “float” test, so I started a loaf of my overnight sourdough bread at this time.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
- SMELL: Starter should smell sweet and tangy, and not “bad”. If it really smells unpleasant, you may have used an unclean jar, or somehow introduced other bad bacteria. I would start over.
- NO ACTION: If your starter was doing great, then fizzled out, try adding a little whole grain flour (whole wheat or rye) mixed with the bread flour into the feedings and really monitor amounts, making sure you are feeding the 1/2 cup starter a full heaping cup of flour (120 grams). Check the temp (using a thermometer) and give it a little extra time to “digest” the flour.Sometimes it takes longer than 12 hours for starter to need more flour- especially when cold. It is OK to skip a feeding at night if it looks like it is still peaking or rising.
- FLOUR: Try to use whole grain flour to start, then organic BREAD FLOUR. The more wild yeast in the flour, the better your starter will do- so smaller brands like Bob’s Red Mill seem to do better than bigger conventional brands that have been overly processed. It is totally ok to mix flours and to switch them up- this adds different kinds of wild yeast- a good thing!
- DO NOT overfeed. For example, maybe feeding 2 x day at 12-hour intervals is too often. You want to feed after the starter has peaked, then deflated (see photo above- you’ll see some slide marks on the jar) and this tells you that it is hungry. If you feed the starter before it has had a chance to metabolize (or eat) all the flour (before peaking) and then you discard part of it, and feed it again, you are actually diluting all that amazing bacteria, weakening your starter. So it’s all about watching your starter in your home. If you are not seeing rising and falling, but notice the starter just gets liquidy, this too is a sign of “hunger”. There are lots of variables here. Just be patient, pay attention and watch. This is a living thing- it doesn’t care about time schedules and recipes or what it “should” do. It will “eat” when it is “hungry” and sometimes it likes to eat slowly. 😉
- TIME: It may take longer than 6 days in colder environments. Use a kitchen thermometer and take its temp. Is it over 65F? Find a place where it can be warm. Not in direct sunlight. Sometimes it takes 10-12 days! Be patient, keep going. If it is doing absolutely nothing, leave it out on the counter for 24-48 hours and see what happens. If you run out of flour or need a break, don’t just toss it, put it in the fridge and see if you can get it going a few days later.
- ACIDITY: If you still can’t get that starter going, some people recommend subbing pineapple juice for the water for one feeding- raising the acidity level. My good friend just tried this and it got hers going.
- LIQUID: If you see any liquid at the top of your starter, it means your starter is hungry. So, yes it’s still alive which is a good thing! You can stir the liquid in, or pour the liquid out, either way, but feed it. This is a sign that you may need to feed it more often.
- MOLD: if you see any discoloring or mold on the surface, starter was probably contaminated. If it is only on the surface, it is probably ok to save. Scrape it off, save 1/2 cup of the underneath starter, and keep going. Feed, smell, use your best judgment.
- FLOAT TEST: Try testing when your starter is peaking. Take a spoonful from the top without stirring it down. If your starter is rising and falling consistently, but not passing the float test and it has been over 8-10 days- just try baking a loaf. People are having luck with good loaves without passing the float test. It may be the flour…
How to Maintain Your starter:
- REFRIGERATE & FEED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK: Pick a scheduled day and try to stick with it, always reserving 1/2 cup and feeding it 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Discard the remaining, or give it away, or keep the discard in a separate container to use in waffles, pancakes, sourdough buns, banana bread, biscuits, etc. I usually don’t feed the discard unless giving away.
- If you forget to feed it one week, it is most likely OK, just feed it 1-2 x day for 1-3 days in a row to revive it (keeping it out on the counter) until bubbly and active. I’ve left my starter for a month on vacation (in the fridge) without feeding and simply revived it by feeding it 3 days in a row, 1-2 x day. It’s actually kind of hard to kill. You can also freeze it for longer storage.
- This batch will allow you to bake 2 loaves of bread per week with enough left to feed for the next week. If you find yourself wanting to bake more often, you can keep it out and feed it 1-2 x daily. Or if baking every few days, you can pull it out of the fridge, feed it 10 hours before using, leaving it out, use what you need while it is peaking (or slightly after), then put it back in the fridge that evening. Do the same thing a few days later when ready to use again. So this would be feeding 2-3 times a week, best if baking 4-5 times a week.
Tips on Sourdough Starter:
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- TEMPERATURE: The colder your home, the longer it will take for the starter to grow and become active (bubbles). Find a warm spot (70-80 degrees) for the best results. On the stovetop, with the light turned on, or on top of the fridge. Or in the oven with the light on. On top of a heating pad (set to low) with a towel in between). You can still make the starter in a colder home, it will just take longer- even up to 2 weeks! Test the temp of your starter using a thermometer.
- FLOUR: Always try to start the batch by using organic whole-grain flour (wheat or rye) because it has more wild bacteria in it than white flour and will get it active and growing sooner. Freshly milled works exceptionally well. You can, of course, continue to use whole grain, but I just use organic white “bread” flour for days 2 through 6, less costly. You can also feed with organic all-purpose flour, but I’ve had much better luck with getting the starter stronger, faster, starting off with the wholegrain the first day, and using bread flour for the remaining. UP to YOU. You can always mix in a little whole grain with the white as well if your starter looks like it needs a boost.
- WATER: Using filtered or bottled water seems to have the best results. Sometimes chlorine in tap water can inhibit the growth of your starter. If you don’t have an option- some people leave the tap water out, in an open container overnight to allow some of the chlorine to evaporate. I have not personally tried this. Using room temperature water or lukewarm water helps fermentation to start faster.
- HYDRATION: Hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in terms of weight. It is a ratio. For starter, this is typically at 100% hydration. Meaning if you use 120 grams of water, use 120 grams of flour. This roughly translates to 1 heaping cup of flour and 1/2 cup water. Feel free to weigh instead of measure if you want to be more precise, or want to familiarize yourself with the consistency. It’s nice to do this the first time to get a feel for it.
- STORING AND FEEDING: When your starter is kept cold, like in the fridge, you don’t need to feed it as often- only once a week. If you keep it out on the counter, you’ll need to feed it 2 x daily. Cold slows down the fermentation, heat speeds it up.
- USING: When you need to use your starter for baking bread, feed it 4-8 hours before making bread dough, using it right at peak height or slightly after (even better).
- Do I REALLY have to discard my starter? YES. I know it seems wasteful- but while you are building your starter, during the first week, it is the simplest easiest, fastest and most economical way to create healthy a starter. This is because you always have to feed it 2 times its volume!!! If you keep the 1 1/2 cups starter, you would have to feed it 3 cups (instead of keeping jut a 1/2 cup and only feeding it ONE cup). Get it? 😉 Doing this will shorten the fermentation process, require less flour in the long run, and create a stronger starter. Once the starter is “established” after the first week- then you don’t need to discard it but can use it in bread baking, pizza dough, scones, biscuits, waffles, sourdough buns, etc.,- or give it to a friend.
The photo above was taken after the starter was fed, peaked 4 hours later (reached its highest), and now is” hungry” again. The perfect time to use it in bread! See the downward slide marks on the jar. Again, pay attention to these- your starter is telling you what it needs. You just have to learn how to see it.
I hope you have fun with this simple little Sourdough project! In the coming weeks, I’ll put out some fun recipes to make with your sourdough starter! Also, watch the new step-by-step Sourdough Video above!
How to use your Sourdough Starter!
- No-Knead Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Baguettes
- Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Crackers
- Sourdough Biscuits
- Sourdough Buns
- Sourdough Tortillas!
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Overnight Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Pancakes
Simple Sourdough Starter
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 6 days
- Total Time: 144 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cups
- Category: sourdough, fermented, cultured, bread, baking,
- Method: fermented
- Cuisine: bread
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make your own Sourdough Starter (see the step-by-step video in post) using simple ingredients with no special equipment, in 5-8 days, that can be used in sourdough bread, baguettes, pizza dough, waffles, scones, pancakes, and rolls- instead of using yeast. Sourdough Starter is a wild yeast, made from flour and water and the wild yeast in the flour itself and from the air around us. UPDATED 4/16/2020 {Original recipe taught to me by a friend who adapted it from Breadtopia and King Arthur Flour}
Ingredients
- 120 grams whole grain flour (whole wheat flour, rye flour, or freshly milled flour) 1 cup, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- Organic White Bread Flour (5-10 lb bag ) I like Shepherd’s Grain or Bob’s Red Mill.
- 120 grams Filtered Water (or bottled) per feeding (1/2 cup water)
Instructions
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- Day 1: Starting in the morning or at night, using a wide-mouth 4-cup mason jar or Crock or Glass Measuring Cup mix 1 cup whole grain flour (120 grams) with 1/2 cup (120 grams) filtered water using a fork making sure you’ve incorporated all the dry flour. For your first measuring – it is a good idea to weigh the flour, using a kitchen scale so you get an idea of how thick it should feel. It should be like a thick paste. Thick like peanut butter. If you need to add a little more water to incorporate the flour, that is OK, but be precise with the flour. Place the lid on top (using the Weck jar is really handy here) or a damp towel to keep moisture in, or plastic wrap- and let sit at room temperature (70-80 degrees) on the kitchen counter for 24-48 hours, or until you see some bubbling. If you are not sure how warm it is, use a kitchen thermometer and check it a few hours later. See notes for TEMPERATURE.
- Day 2: After the first 24 hours, you may or may not see a bit of bubbling. I prefer to let this rest until I see a tiny bit of activity (bubbles) and sometimes this takes 36 or up to 48 hours. So start “day 2”, when you see a little bit of bubbing. Discard all but 1/2 cup (136 grams) of the starter. (See notes for discard). Add to the remainder, 1 cup of white bread flour, (120 grams), spooned and leveled, and 1/2 cup filtered water (120 grams), mixing well with a fork. Place the lid on loosely again and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature (70-80F) for another 24 hours.
- Day 3: By the third day, you should definitely see some bubbling- and if not, let it go a bit longer. Depending on how warm your house is and how active your starter, you may need to begin feeding more often, or even move to two feedings a day roughly 12 hours apart, like in the morning and at night. In a nutshell, you want to feed the starter only after it has peaked (metabolized all the flour from the last feeding) and has started sinking down or gets liquidy- this is when it is hungry! This might be 12 hours, it might be 14, it might be 18, or 24, depending on the temp in your house. In very warm climates it may only be 8 hours. It is better to underfeed rather than overfeed here. For each feeding, like before, discard all but 1/2 cup of the STARTER (keeping roughly ½-cup of starter in the jar -4 ounces or 136 grams) Add 1 cup Bread Flour (spooned and leveled) and 1/2 cup water to the 1/2 cup starter and let this rest at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until the starter looks “hungry” again before repeating.
- Day 4: Feed 1-2 times, discarding all but 1/2 cup of starter EACH TIME. Feed 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup water. Look for the hunger signs. Hopefully, you’ll begin to see some rising and falling. It’s helpful to put the starter in a clean jar and mark the beginning level (with sharpie, string or rubber band) so you can easily see this. ***If for some reason your starter looks like it is still rising at the time of second feeding (at night) and there is no evidence it has fallen or no slide marks, it is still “eating” so skip this feeding and feed first thing in the morning. AGAIN, Feeding it when it is “not hungry” will basically dilute all the growing yeast and make it lethargic. Better to starve than overfeed.
- Day 5: Feed again, 1-2 times, roughly 12 hours apart, or when hungry, discarding all but a 1/2 cup the starter EACH TIME. 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water. The starter should look active, bubbling, rising, sliding down, hopefully, close to doubling in size. (If not, repeat this day and read the troubleshooting section.)
- DAY 6: Give it one last feeding. Discard all but a 1/3 cup. Add 1 cup flour ( 120 grams) and 1/2 cup water, and place it in a clean jar so you can see the action clearly. You can use a sharpie or place a rubber band around the jar to mark the beginning level. The starter should hopefully double in volume within 4-6 hours of feeding. When it peaks, DO THE FLOAT TEST: To test the starter, place a teaspoon of starter (just from the top, while it is peaking, don’t stir it down) in a glass full of water, it should hopefully float. If it does, you can make bread. Tonight! Let the starter keep resting at room temperature or a few more hours allowing it to fully metabolize the flour, perhaps sinking a little before making your dough. You want to make dough with slightly hungry starter.
- At this point, if your starter does not double in size don’t give up! Often it just takes longer, sometimes up to two weeks, especially if it’s cold. Continue feeding one-two times a day (only when hungry) for a few more days, until you see a visible rise and fall. Read the troubleshooting section. If you need to take a break, just put it in the fridge and try it again up to a week later. Don’t toss it- if there are bubbles, it is still alive.
- This batch of starter will make two loaves of bread with enough left over to feed for the following week.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
- SMELL: Starter should smell slightly sweet and tangy, and not off or “bad”. To me, it smells like a wet horse;) If it really smells unpleasant, you may have used an unclean jar, or somehow introduced other bad bacteria. I would start over.
- NO ACTION: If your starter was doing great, then fizzled out, try using a little whole grain flour mixed with the bread flour into the feedings and really monitor amounts, making sure you are feeding the 1/2 cup starter 120 grams of flour. Check the temp (using a thermometer) and give it a little extra time to “digest” the flour. Sometimes it takes longer than you think. It is OK to skip a feeding at night if it looks like it is still peaking or rising. Don’t feel pressure to always follow the schedule- always watch your starter and feed it when it looks “hungry”.
- TOO MUCH ACTION: if your starter overflows from the jar, this is a good sign,(not bad) it is alive and active. This often happens in warm climates. You’ll need to feed it more often or find a cooler spot. Even if it floats on day 2-3, please keep feeding it the full 6 days before using it to make bread. It will add more flavor and complexity.
- CONSISTENCY: Thick or Thin? If you have been careful about measuring feedings, but are not seeing rising or falling, another way to tell what stage of your starter is in is to look at the consistency. If the starter seems really thick, it is still “digesting”. If it seems loose or runny or liquidy, (to the point where you can pour it out of the jar) it has digested all the flour and is now “hungry”. It loosens up as it metabolizes the flour. So even if you don’t see rising or falling, look for consistency to give you clues.
- DO NOT overfeed. For example, maybe, feeding 2 x day at 12-hour intervals is too often. You want to feed after the starter has peaked, then deflated a little or is runny (see photo above- you’ll see some slide marks on the jar) and this tells you that it is hungry. If you feed the starter before it has had a chance to metabolize (or eat) all the flour and then you discard part, and feed it again, you are actually diluting all that amazing yeast. Get it? So it’s all about watching your starter in your home. There are lots of variables here. Just be patient, pay attention and watch. This is a living thing- it doesn’t care about time schedules and recipes or what it “should” do. It will “eat” when it is “hungry” and sometimes it likes to eat slowly.
- It may take longer than 6 days in colder environments. Use a kitchen thermometer and take its temp. Is it under 65F? Find a place where it can be warm. Or use lukewarm water when mixing. Place it in the oven with the light on overnight. (Not in direct sunlight) or above the fridge, or on the stovetop. Sometimes if cold, it takes 10-12 days. Be patient, keep going. If it is doing absolutely nothing, leave it out on the counter for 24-48 hours and see what happens. If you see bubbles, it is alive and can be coaxed. If you run out of flour or need a break, don’t just toss it, put it in the fridge and see if you can get it going a few days or up to a week or two later.
- ACIDITY: If you still can’t get that starter going, some people recommend subbing pineapple juice for the water for one feeding- raising the acidity level. My good friend just tried this and it got hers going.
- LIQUID: If you see any liquid at the top of your starter, it means your starter is hungry. So, yes it’s still alive which is a good thing! You can stir the liquid in, or pour the liquid out, either way, but feed it! This may be a sign that you may need to feed it more often than you are.
- MOLD: if you see any discoloring or mold on the surface, the starter was probably contaminated. If it is only on the surface, you could salvage it. Scrape it off, save 1/2 cup of the underneath starter, and keep going. Feed, smell, use your best judgment.
- FLOAT TEST: If your starter is consistently rising and falling and it is has been over 8 days, but still doesn’t pass the float test, try baking a loaf of bread anyway. Remember, use hungry starter when mixing up the dough.
MAINTENANCE:
- REFRIGERATE & FEED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK: Pick a scheduled day and try to stick with it, always reserving 1/2 cup and feeding it 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Discard the remaining, or give it away, or keep the discard in a separate container to use in waffles, pancakes, sourdough buns, banana bread, biscuits, etc. I usually don’t feed the discard unless giving away.
- If you forget to feed it one or two weeks in a row, it is most likely OK, just feed it 1-2 x day for 1-2 days in a row to revive it (keeping it out on the counter) until bubbly and active. I’ve left my starter for a month on vacation (in the fridge) without feeding and simply revived it by feeding it 3 days in a row, 2 x day. It’s actually kind of hard to kill. You can also freeze it for longer storage.
- If you find yourself wanting to bake more often than once a week, you can keep it out and feed it 1-2 times daily. Or if baking every few days, you can pull it out of the fridge, feed it 4-8 hours before using, leaving it out, use what you need while it is peaking, then put it back in the fridge that evening. Do the same thing a few days later when ready to use it again. So this would be feeding 2-3 times a week, best if baking 2-3 times a week.
Notes
- TEMPERATURE: The colder your home, the longer it will take for the starter to grow and become active (bubbles). Find a warm spot (70-80 degrees) for the best results. On the stovetop, with the light turned on, or on top of the fridge. Or in the oven with the light on. On top of a heating pad (set to low) with a towel in between). You can still make the starter in a colder home, it will just take longer- even up to 2 weeks.
- FLOUR: Always try to start the batch by using organic whole-grain flour (wheat or rye) because it has more wild yeast in it than All-Purpose or white flour and will get it active and growing sooner. You can, of course, continue to use whole grain, but I’ve had the best luck using organic “bread” flour for days 2 through 6. People have made a sourdough starter with All-Purpose flour- but personally, this has never worked for me– there are fewer nutrients and wild yeasts in the flour and results in a very lethargic starter. If it is your only option, try mixing in 2+ tablespoons of whole-grain (wheat or rye) with the AP flour per feeding. Feel free to use different flours or mix different flours together. It is OK to use all-purpose flour if in a pinch, but using it repeatedly will result in sad starter.
- WATER: Using filtered or bottled water seems to have the best results. Sometimes chlorine in tap water can inhibit the growth of your starter. If you don’t have an option- some people leave the tap water out, in an open container overnight to allow some of the chlorine to evaporate. I have not personally tried this. Using room temperature water or lukewarm water helps fermentation to start faster.
- HYDRATION: Hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in terms of weight. It is a ratio. Starter is typically at 100% hydration- meaning equal parts flour and water, in terms of weight. So if you use 120 grams of water, use 120 grams of flour. This roughly translates to 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water. Feel free to weigh instead of measure if you want to be more precise, or want to familiarize yourself with the consistency you are aiming for. If using whole grain flours (which tend to be “thirstier”) and your starter seems very thick, it is totally OK to add more water to thin it a bit. I intentionally keep the hydration a little lower here (a thicker starter) so you can more clearly see the rise and fall “action” in the jar.
- STORING AND FEEDING: When your starter is kept cold, like in the fridge, you don’t need to feed it as often- only once a week. Feel free to feed it “cold”, and put it right back in the fridge if you like. If you keep it out on the counter, you’ll likely need to feed it 2 x daily (or just watch and feed only when hungry). Cold slows down the fermentation, heat speeds it up.
- USING: When you need to use your starter for baking bread, feed it 6-8 hours before making bread dough, using it right at peak height or slightly after (even better). For a more “sour” flavored bread, use the starter straight from the fridge, 3-6 days after feeding. The starter gets more sour tasting the longer it goes without feeding. Feeding the starter the same day as making bread will produce a milder sourdough flavor.
- Do I REALLY have to discard my starter? BASICALLY YES. I know it seems wasteful- but while you are building your starter, during the first week, it is the simplest, easiest, fastest, and most economical way to create healthy a starter. (Or save it separately -in the fridge- and use it in Pancakes, Waffles, Buns, or Biscuits. ) This is because you always have to feed it 2 times its volume. For example-if you kept all the 1 1/2 cups of starter, you would have to feed it 3 cups of flour (instead of keeping jut a 1/2 cup and only feeding it ONE cup). Get it? 😉 Doing this will shorten the fermentation process, require less flour in the long run, and create a stronger starter. Once your starter is “established” after the first week- then you can give it away to friends, use it in pizza dough, banana bread, waffles, pancakes, buns, etc) or give it to a friend. If you would like to save your “discard” during the first week – use it as you would flour and water, not expecting any rise.
- HOW TO USE YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER/Discard :
- No-Knead Overnight Sourdough Bread (only if it passes the two “tests”)
- Overnight Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Pancakes
- Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Biscuits
- No-Knead Sourdough Bread – only after day 6
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Sourdough buns
Save the sourdough “discard” in a separate container in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Calories: 50
Keywords: sourdough starter, easy sourdough starter, how to make sourdough starter, sourdough starter recipe,
I started my starter 10 days ago. The first few days there was consistent ‘rise & fall’s, then not a lot. The mixture still was bubbly, but rising only a little and not deflating. I’ve continued with daily feeds; and my mixture is quite runny before I feed it, thick like pancake batter once i’ve added the flour and water, and again turns runny after 24 hours. I don’t have good warming spots to rest the starter in, so maybe that’s why it doesn’t seem to be taking off? I do not wish to ‘baby’ a starter, just to keep it on my stove/counter near the lights is as much hassle as I’m willing to put up with. Will it ever be ready for use at this rate?
Sheila what flour are you using?
Hi, I have been following your instructions for making the starter, and it has been going very well (rising and falling) until now— i am on the second feeding of Day 3 (although it is actually my 4th day because I let it sit for a while longer on day 2), and after 12 hours I see no activity, and the starter is at the same line that it was at before. This is odd in comparison to the activity I have been seeing for the past few days. Is this normal / should I just wait longer before feeding again? Thank you!
Yes, just let it go longer. Until it’s runny or even perhaps a bit of liquid on the top.
I finished making my first loaf of bread last night. It is gorgeous and tastes awesome! The bubbles inside were quite big. (1/4 to 2 inches) Is that normal? I added just a few caraway seeds on the top. (mmm). My slits on the top were not deep enough and they closed when baked. It seemed ok though. My other question is oven temperature. I have a convection oven and when set at 500 degrees it automatically defaults to 475 degrees. Should I leave it at 475 or make sure it stays at 500 convection? I just want to say, that your instructions were really detailed and easy to follow. The videos were so helpful. Thank you so much, Sylvia!!!
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Thanks Jacki! Bubbles should be more evenly sized and as you practice this should just naturally occur. You could try an extra set of stretch and folds at the end. I would set the oven so it stays at 500 convection, so set it to 525?
When you say feed the sourdough starter cold, does that mean adding the flour, water and saved starter, mixing and putting straight back in the fridge?
Thanks!
Sarah
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Yes, you don’t need to let it come to room temp first if you don’t have time. 🙂
I’m on day 6 and hopefully going to be able to bake tonight. Once I’ve fed the starter this morning and if it passes the float test, I’ll take the amount needed for the bread recipe. Do you just put the starter straight in the fridge after that or do you need to feed it again?
Thanks !
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Just put in the fridge, feed in a week. 🙂
Thank you! It’s a great recipe – really helpful having the videos!
Hello, I cannot find organic whole grain flour. What else can I use. Thanks for your time
Whole wheat. Or rye. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Hi Sylvia, Thank you for taking the time to provide all the great directions and videos. I made my first loaf of sourdough this past weekend and it was absolutely fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing your sourdough starter knowledge with us! i did cheat a bit on making the bread using the dough cycle of my bread machine, let it rise after the cycle was complete and left the dough in the bread machine for another 3 hours then transferred to a bowl covered with wrap and kept in the fridge to proof overnight for about 14 hours. I baked it in a cast iron dutch oven, covered for 25 minutes and uncovered for 20 minutes as the top was getting quite dark so pulled out a bit early but it turned beautifully.
Let me know if you would like the detailed bread machine recipe measurements and i will post it here for your followers. Thanks again.
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Thanks, that would be great!
Hi Sylvia, here is the link to the Sourdough bread Machine Recipe I used to make my first loaf of Sourdough using your Starter recipe. Thanks again. 🙂
https://heartscontentfarmhouse.com/bread-machine-sourdough/
Hi there! I started my sourdough starter last night, and I noticed it looks pretty thick. I used white wheat flour, and weighed out my flour and water. There hasn’t been any activity, which I figured is expected, but it looks a lot thicker than I think it probably should. Any advice would be welcome, and thanks for the great recipe!
I’d just let it go the full 24-36 hours and see if it thins out a bit. 🙂
I add 120g wholemeal flour and 120g filtered water, but is extremely dry. So I added another 120g filtered water on Day 1. Will this be ok?
I plan to use bread flour on subseyday.
Yes, this is fine.
Hi Sylvia,
Thanks for the helpful video, I just started my Sourdough starter today First Day! Exciting! My question is – is it ok I used Wholemeal Flour instead of WholeGrain as my starter? And also is it ok on my seco need day I will start feeding Bakers Flour or Premium Plain Flour instead of Bread Flour?
Thanks in advance,
Esh
Bakers flour may work? You could mix in a couple tablespoons of whole meal if you are not seeing action. 😉
Thanks Sylvia.
Ok this is my Day 2 today, looks hungry by 7am lot of bubbles. I follow your procedure and feed with the same Premium Wholemeal Flour same flour I use for Starter Day 1. Got home 5:30pm by today and I was so shocked to see the container overflowing and the lids went somewhere. Is this still ok? Looks hungry so I feed it again this afternoon same flour.
Yes, this is a sign of happy active starter!
Hi Sylvia
I’ve been following your recipe. My problem is that on Day 3 and Day 4 my starter just kept rising right out of the jar (large mason jar). When I put a thermometer in it to test the temperature, it burst and dropped. I fed it, both times (twice on Day 3). Today is Day 4 and I’m not sure whether to feed it or let it continue to rise right out of the jar. Help!
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Well… it sounds like it is doing great. Alive and happy. Stir it a bit and see if it drops, if so, feed it. If it holds, give it more time.
Thanks, Sylvia!
When I put a fork in it it was like bursting a bubble.I’ve had to do this 2 times a day for the last 2 days. I’m going to give it the float test today.
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Great!
Hello Sylvia, Thank you for such detailed instructions and recipes to use the discard starter. I will definitely try one of the recipes!
I am in a conundrum…my starter is on day 2 and I misunderstood the second (first cup of strong bread flour)feeds timming🙈. I let my starter rise and feed it after it started to fall a little instead of feeding it just when it started bubbling.
Did I ruin it? Should I start afreash? The starter has a sweet and sour fragranace which feels okay.
Please help!
Thanks for sharing your love for cooking. Its very inspiring 🙏
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I’m sure it is fine- keep going. 🙂
Hi Sylvia! I have tried 3 different sourdough starter recipes and could not get it to work. With your recipe, I am on day 5, and it looks and smells amazing! Thank you!
I have a recipe for bread that calls for 500gr of starter. How could I increase the amount of starter that I have? Would I just feed without discarding? If so, would I feed 2 cups of flour instead of 1, or 3 instead of 1?
Thank you!!
So yes, you could double or triple the amount of starter you feed with double or triple the amount of flour and water. So for 1 cup starter you would feed with 2 cups flour and 1 cup water.
Hello,
This is my first time making sourdough starter. I am currently on day 2 and my starter rose very well, however, it smells literally like vomit. Is this normal? It is a very strong smell!
It should smell sweet and tangy. Not unpleasant,though. I’d just give it a few more days.
Hi Sylvia, I misread the recipe; found out after viewing the video. I discard 136g of starter during the feedings for day 2 and day 3 (instead of discard all BUT 136g). Would I still use it and feed it correctly on the following days or should I start all over? Please advise. Thanks in advance for your help.
I would just keep going!
Hi Sylvia,
3rd day – fed it this morning; now it’s over doubled in size and threatening to rise past the lid if the glass jar! No bubbles yet though. So should I dump it in a larger jar; remove some; or just feed again at this point?
You could move it to a bigger jar when you feed it next.
Help – I have tried 4 times (whatever happened to “third time’s the charm“?). Day 1, fine. Day 2, fine. Day 3, nothing, no rising, no falling, just a watery top. On the last try, 12 hrs into Day 2 it rose and fell so I fed it. Still nothing on Day 3. Ideas?
What flour are you using?
Day 1 whole wheat flour, Day 2 bread flour (not organic)
Day 1 whole wheat flour. Day 2 bread flour (not organic)
What brand of bread flour?
Robin Hood – hmmmm is that the problem?
I’m not familiar with that brand. Basically, some of the big conventional brand of flours are overly processed and may contain very little wild yeast. I always have better luck with Bob’s Red Mill or smaller brands. You could try a different flour, or mix in some whole wheat?
I had never made sourdough bread before but thought I would try using your very clear instructions. Everything worked as you had described and the bread was delicious. Thank you so much. Looking forward to making my next loaf shortly.
Hi! Great info here.
It has been almost 9 days and I had tried different suggestions, but pineapple juice, so I am highly considering doing it. Do we substitute all water with pineapple juice or is there a certain ratio or water:pineapple juice?
My starter is definitely active and bubbly, but it does not rise more than 40-60% as I switch to wait until it starting to fall to feed instead of on-the-clock. It is winter in NYC right now and I kept my starters in the turned off oven with light on for up to 2 hours then light off for 10-12H, then check it and repeat or feed and repeat. My oven temperature range from 70-80F with light on. So I am gonna try the pineapple juice.
Thanks in advance
Keep me posted and try switching up the flour if no luck.
Hi! This is my first time trying sourdough and I’m on my third starter. It molded last time and the first time it did nothing. My day one was great and it bubbled and rose and fell. But after I fed it it’s not really bubbling and there’s a layer of liquid on the top. It’s only been 12 hours but should I feed it at 24 or leave it for longer til it bubbles and rises and falls?
If there is liquid on top, it is ready to feed. Make sure you are Bread flour, organic if possible.
Hello,
Same thing happened to me, but in addition to liquid I see mold forming. This is my second time trying and the same thing happens. On day 3 just liquid on top. I reread your post so the second time trying I kept feeding it with no rise. Today is day six and today is when I saw the mold.
I used king Arthur bread flour. I placed my starter next a a heat source. Is too much heat bad?
Hi Carol, Can you take its temp? It may be too hot? Yes, too much heat may be the issue. 65-70F is ideal. Scrape off the mold, save a 1/2 cup. Feed it, try placing it somewhere else.