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, 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 simple 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 simple 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 and is very simple- no weighing, just simple measuring. Very old school! 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 (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 (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. 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 BREAD FLOUR. Using All-Purpose flour is OK in a pinch (only occasionally) but not good if used repeatedly- it just doesn’t rise as much over the long hall. 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, and feed it again, you are actually diluting all that amazing bacteria. 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.
- 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. 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 1-2 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, 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 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 again. So this would be feeding 2-3 times a week, best if baking 2-3 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 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, 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, or freshly milled flour) 1 cup, spooned and leveled
- Organic White Bread Flour (5-10 lb bag )
- 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, 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 or pass the float test, don’t give up! Often it just takes longer, sometimes up to two weeks if 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 above. 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- if there are bubbles, it is still alive.
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 most likely 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 saw quite a bit of rise on day 1 – I had it in the oven for a few hours with the light on, so I think it was too hot. I went ahead and fed it after 24 hours (it was still at peak). Is this ok? Should I start over or just continue on as directed for day 2 etc?
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No just keep going. Wait till after it peaks to feed.
Ok – fed after first 24 hours (8pm) and it doubled within about 4-6 hours. Seemed like it was still at peak when I left this morning. Haven’t been able to check since I left for work, but should I wait until it slides to feed again? Hopefully will have done so by the time I get home. Thanks for the assistance!
Yes. 🙂 Please read through the detailed directions. Always wait to feed until it looks hungry. Look for the signs. Slide marks, runny starter.
How much starter do you use for a loaf of bread? Do you use the whole starter jar and then make another one for the next loaf or do you use only part of it and use the rest to make a new starter?
Ok now I see in the recipe 1/3 cup.
Typically you use 1/3 cup starter for a loaf of bread.
Sylvia
Terrific instructions and a lot of good advice
If I may ask for some clarification
Prior to putting the mother in the fridge, do you remove all but 1/2 a cup and feed it just before putting in the fridge?
If so, when you take it out from the fridge, do you repeat that process ie keep 1/2 a cup and add water and flour or just take it straight from the fridge, let it warm up for a few hours, let it grow and then use that for your bread
Hi Paul, please read the section on “Maintenance”. You’ll put the fed mother in the fridge. All of it. A week later, save a 1/2 cup, feed it ( you can feed it cold or at room temp) and put it back in the fridge. Make bread with the discard if you like.
Hello!
I’ve successfully made my first starter and storing it in the fridge now.
When feeding it once a week, do I need to feed it and immediately put it back in the fridge? Or is it better for the “digestion” to keep it on the counter top? 🙂
If you plan to use it before week’s end- let it digest a little- you want to use a hungry starter. If you plan to wait a week before using, let it digest in the fridge.
Hello! First time bread maker, loving this recipe! I make one loaf every 5-6 days. After using the starter for my loaf and then feeding it, is it better to let it sit on the counter for a few hours to rise and fall and then refrigerate or refrigerate immediately to rise and fall? I’ve done it both ways and don’t see a difference in my loaf; but wanted to know which way is best.
Thank You!
I usually put it in the fridge with that 5-6 day time frame. If baking sooner, then leave out a bit.
Yeah, success on my first starter! I had to wait three days on my final feed because of cold Colorado weather but then the starter doubled in size on the last day and by evening and I was ready to bake! I removed the 1/3 cup of starter for my bread and am letting the rest of the starter sit on the counter overnight then will refrigerate in the morning. Do I need to feed it again as I just fed it today? Great overnight reciope, I’ve already made two loaves prior and am so excited to see how my bread turns out with MY own homemade starter.
I love your recipes and insights. Thank you for starting me on my sourdough bread journey!
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Thanks Marci glad it is working for you! If it looks hungry in the morning, feed it and put it in the fridge.
I have made the sourdough bread twice, getting ready to make another loaf this evening. We love it!!
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Hi there! I am on day 7. No rise or fall yet. Still patiently waiting. On day 6 I saved 1/3 cup of the starter and I’m wondering if I am suppose to continue to save 1/3 cup each night or 1/2 cup until I get the rise/fall action! Thanks so much!
Have you any rise at all during the 6 days? Do you see bubbling?
Hi!
I’m on day 4 and my starter is rising and pouring down the sides of my jar. Should I pour out and feed or wait?
Scoop what you can back in and let it settle down, then feed.
I love your recipe and I have made it multiple times and it always comes our great. I took a break from making brews and I haven’t fed my starter in a little over a month. I have fed it twice (1 day) and after the 2nd feeding, I did the float test at the peak and it floated. Is it good to go or should I feed it for 2 more days? I saw your notes on how you went on vacation over a month and didn’t feed it, but you did yours 3 days 2 times a day. Should I go longer? Thank you 🙂
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It is probably fine if it doubled in size within 6-8 hours.
Hello again! First time bread maker here, reporting that I’ve been using your starter/baking delicious bread since last Summer, with delicious bread every time! I just use tap water (Well water up here in Maine). One question…someone recently told me about Einkorn Flour. Any thoughts?
I love Einkorn- give it a go!
Made sourdough yesterday using your tips and recipe and the result was just amazing!!!! I did not even have bread flour at hand and still it came out beautifully.
Thank you for this blog!
Thanks and happy it worked for you!
Just looked in searching for starter instructions. On most occasions appreciate the efforts of those posting on the internet, something I have neither the knowledge or skills do accomplish. So, firstly thank you, beyond that, I found your in depth ramblings and just the length of you page so overwhelming all I could do here was to write you a comment. I will have to move on and hopefully find something far more succinct.
Hi Scott, there is a skip to recipe button at the top.
Hi!
I have been following the instructions. So far so good. My starter has been bubbly and rising and falling. However today it double and is still bubbling but didn’t drop all day. It smells like acetone. I stirred and the smell went away. Today same thing happened and smells like acetone. Any advice? Should I discard the starter and start over?
I think it is fine Kate- the smell is likely “fermentation”. If it is doubling it is happy.
Hi Kate, mine smelt the same for a few days but I kept persisting, around day 5 it changed into a lovely doughy smell.
Today 12/31/2020 is the 12th day of my starter. It’s taken longer because our kitchen is normally no warmer then 70-71 degrees. During the day while at work I keep the heat even lower—so it has taken longer. But, it looks so healthy, bubbly, and smells very nice. The question that I have is although it is taking longer, due to the temp I’m assuming, It has never doubled in size. It looks hungry, I feed it, and it only expands about 25-75%. I’ve never seen it double. Is this OK, or must it double in size? I’m planning on using it tonight to make your sourdough no-kneed bread, prepping it tonight then baking it tomorrow, new year’s day. This is my first experience with starter, etc. and your advice has been great. I’ve learned a lot in the 2 weeks since I started. FYI: I have been weighing all ingredients as I feed, and using whole wheat and bread flour. Latest feeding was about 1/3 wheat and the rest bread….my wife thinks I’m nuts—she’s not into it! Ha, but I’m sure she will enjoy the bread!
Sorry, 25-30%…not 75!
I bet she will enjoy the bread. Doubling does ensure the bread will rise sufficiently. Recently I used different water with my starter. I had been using filtered and I switched to regular tap, actually accidentally, and had a surprise- it rose higher than I’ve ever seen it. How about giving it a couple more days- changing up the water?
I respectfuly have to tell you that your recipe is not right to start with. I tried your recipe and I didn’t work. Why? Because you didn’t post the measurements simply don’t work. I mean 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water doesn’t give a soft starter. The idea of just keep adding water until you get the same consistency like you did in the video is not a recipe. How about you try at home first. Get the right measurements and then post it.
I respectfully have to tell you to scroll down to the recipe card where you will find precise measurements in grams.
Hi from Italy!
It’s day 10 and my starter just doubled its size in 4h! Thank you very much for the recipe, the fulfilling explanation and all you amazing work!!
Cheers
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This tutorial is amazing! Can you please post it to your YouTube?!
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Hello! First timer here, live in Canada.
I had good action the first few days, though it didn’t look hungry until 72h after the first mix, then 48h after second/third feeds. I would be on the 4th feed now. I noticed it has less rise/fall but did get thin. After feeding it today, it remains a little thin (I could still pour from the jar).
Did i accidentally starve it? Should I try to thicken it to a more paste like consistency with whole wheat flour or just watch and see?
Thank you for this wonderful resource!!
You could try a dose of whole wheat- that wouldn’t hurt at all.
My starter became hungry sooner than I anticipated and I let it get a bit too watery. I lessened the water I added during the first feeding, but it’s still a thinner consistency than I imagined. Will it still rise?
You’ll just have to watch it and feed it for a few days. I bet it is probably ok.
Hi! I would like to why my starter is not improving on the day 5?
Hi Sarah, have you looked at the troubleshooting section. In colder weather, it does take longer…not sure where you live.
Hi! I’d like to try making this starter, thank you for being a great resource! Question before I get started, can I use whole wheat (pastry is what I have) flour to start and also as bread flour? Thank you!
You can try! See what happens, you can always switch mid-way.
I’m happy with this starter and bread recipe. I live in Canada where it’s cold in winter so kept feeding starter for 11 days before making bread. It let bread rise 17 hours before baking. Very happy with first loaf. Delicious flavour and good consistency. The float test didn’t work for me but the dough rose nicely.
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Great to hear!
Hi I have been working with this starter for a couple of weeks now and i am having an issue with what flour I am using. when I use whole wheat bread flour it responds great. I have a good rise and the texture and smell are right on. i try to switch over to a White bread flour or a unbleached all purpose flour and it seems to go to sleep. there is little if any rise but there is bubbling and water on top it just does not seem to rise. I have no issue using Whole wheat flour i am just concerned when i try to make a loaf of bread if it will even rise if i use anything other then whole wheat flour. enjoying the challenge just looking for opinions. thanks.
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Try mixing white bread flour with your whole wheat when feeding. I get very little rise with all purpose flour.
Hi! I’m just starting out, and similarly to the commenter below, what I’m getting when I first combine the flour and water isn’t so much paste-like as it is dough-like — really, really thick, and I’m worried it’s too thick. It looks much thicker than yours does in the video on your first mixture. I’m using whole wheat milled flour. Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks!
Just add a bit more water to make it more like a paste, keeping flouring the same.Fresh milled, whole grains can be “thirstier”.
His mixture seems really thick compared to other starters I have seen. It is barely storable when I feed the starter. Suggestions?
Hi Shelley I keep it intentionally thick here to easier to see the action and be able to tell when it gets “hungry” ( it gets runny). Feel free to add more water, but keep flour the same.
I’m back with another question, you have been a tremendous resource! I’ve probably made two dozen loaves of beautiful sourdough bread (and lots of bonus pancakes!). It’s starting to produce a slight fishy smell when it’s baking and sometimes I can taste it in the bread. Is this to be expected or is this a problem? Thanks again.
That is strange. Is it unpleasant? I wonder if another bacteria may have been introduced into your starter? You could try leaving the starter out for 3-6 days, feeding it daily and see if it goes away? If not I might start over, sorry to say.
Hi Sylvia,
For 2 days now the starter has risen but hasn’t fallen back down ( no sliding film on the jar) I see bubbling activity on the top and a little bubbling on the sides. This should be day 4 from the day I started.I’m Using your guide about not feeding until it looks hungry. Should I wait until it shows the sign of sliding back down before I feed again?
Does it pour out of the jar? If not, I would wait to feed. It is probably just a little cold.
Hi Sylvia,
I am making a sourdough starter for the first time. I live in Canada and these past few evenings have gotten chilly. My question is … if my starter is only hungry for a feeding every 24 hours or so… would my process still be complete after the 6th day? Would there be a point to try the float test?
Since cold slows down the fermentation process should I just assume I should keep feeding for x amount of extra days since my started wouldn’t have been fed too many times?
I appreciate any help 🙂
You make a good point. Perhaps extend for a couple days? Don’t worry about the float test. Watch to see how long it takes to double in size.
Hi there! I was on day 6 yesterday so I only kept 1/3 of the starter and it tripled in size and went back to normal at the end of day but it didn’t pass the float test later that night. It’s now morning of day 7, should I only keep 1/3 again or go back to 1/2? Or put in fridge and try making bread tonight?
thank you!
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I would try making bread tonight!