How to make your own Sourdough Starter, using simple ingredients with no special equipment, in just six days, that can be used in our sourdough bread. Video.
When you understand one thing through and through, you understand everything.~ Shunryu Suzuki
With over 500 five-star reviews and hundreds of success stories, my chef’s perfected sourdough starter guide has everything you need to make your own homemade starter. In just six days, you’ll be baking the most beautiful sourdough loaves!
But first, What is a starter?
Sourdough starter is a “wild yeast” made from flour, water, and the natural wild yeast in the air. With a little care and patience, it ferments, and when strong and active, just a little bit of starter replaces commercial yeast and makes your bread rise, while transforming the gluten in the bread into something more easily digestible. Store-bought yeast is not needed!
How to Make Sourdough Starter | 20-Min Video
***Don’t see the video? Allow 15-20 seconds to load it right here!*** (Still don’t see it? Check that your ad blocker is turned off; use Chrome for the best experience.)
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
Sourdough Starter Recipe Ingredients
- Jar – A wide-mouth quart jar or a Weck’s 1-liter tulip jar.
- Flour – 5 lb bag of organic bread flour (plus 1 cup organic whole grain flour )
- Water – filtered water, tap water, or mineral water (specifically, San Pellegrino, for the correct mineral ratio). Distilled water does not have enough minerals.
- Scale – using a kitchen scale is optional but handy.
- Thermometer – Knowing the temp of the starter using a thermometer is optional but handy!
Understanding 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. Once it’s bubbly and happy, it is very much ike a very low-maintenance pet.
- You must feed it (stir in a mixture of flour and water) once a week to keep it active and strong. 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.
How to Make Sourdough Starter
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
This recipe for Sourdough Starter takes 6 days (or up to 12 days if it is very cold where you live). For a primer, watch the 20-minute Sourdough Video above!
Day 1: Staring in the morning or at night, using a wide-mouth quart jar, tulip jar, or Crock or Glass Measuring Cup , mix 1 cup whole grain flour (120 grams) with 1/2 cup filtered water (120 grams) using a fork (or chopstick) making sure you’ve incorporated all the dry flour.
Place the lid lightly on top (using the Weck jar lid 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 unsure how warm it is, use a kitchen thermometer and check it a few hours later. See notes for TEMPERATURE.
TIP #1: For your first measurement, weigh the flour using a kitchen scale so you can get an idea of how the mixture should feel. Do not weigh the measuring cup! It should be like a thick paste, like peanut butter. If you need to add a little more water to incorporate the flour, that is OK too!
Day 2: After the first 24 hours, there may or may not be a bit of bubbling. Let the mixture rest until you see activity (bubbles or rising) sometimes this takes 36 hours or even 48 hours if very cold. When you see active bubbling, discard all but 1/2 cup of the starter (4 ounces).
To the remaining ½ cup of starter, stir in 1/2 cup water (120 grams), and mix well with a fork. Add 1 cup of organic bread flour (120 grams)spooned and leveled. Stir until combined. Again, it should feel like a thick paste. If overly dry, feel free to add a bit more water. Cover again and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.
Day 3: After 24 hours, hopefully, you will see some bubbling or rising and if not, let it go a bit longer until you see activity. Be patient.
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, in the morning and at night. If it is cold, one feeding a day may be enough.
TIP #2: Only feed the starter after it has peaked or looks hungry. See the “3 Signs of Hunger” below. Feeding it when it is “not hungry” will basically dilute all the growing yeast and make it lethargic. Better to underfeed than overfeed.
The 3 Signs of hunger
The photo below was taken after the starter was fed, and after it peaked (reached its highest), and now is sliding down. It is now “hungry” again. See the downward slide marks on the jar? Pay attention – your starter is telling you it is hungry.
- Look for “slide marks” (be sure to use a clean jar so you can see these clearly).
- Liquid at the top of the starter.
- Thin and runny. The starter is liquidy enough to pour out of the jar (when at room temp).
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, discard all but 1/2 cup of the starter (keeping roughly ½-cup of starter in the jar). Add 1/2 cup water and 1 cup Bread Flour (spooned and leveled). Mix well, cover, 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.
TIP #3: It is typical on day 4 for the starter to slow down and stall a bit. This is OK. Just keep going, be patient and look for the hunger signs, and only feed when clearly hungry. Hopefully, you’ll begin to see some rising and falling. It’s helpful to put the starter in a clean jar each day and mark the beginning level (with a sharpie, string or rubber band) so you can easily see this.
Above, you’ll see it peaking, and below, you’ll see it deflating and getting “hungry.” There may not be too much difference in the beginning, so look closely.
Understand that your starter has a schedule of its own; it is a living thing, so watch it and pay attention.
If your starter is not rising and falling, look at its 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.
Day 5: Feed again, 1-2 times, discarding all but a 1/2 cup the starter each time. Adding 1 cup bread flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water. The starter should look visibly active, bubbling, rising, hopefully, close to doubling in size.
Repeat day 5 until the starter is rising and falling predictably and is close to doubling in size within 6-8 hours.
TIP #4: If your starter is not rising but there is evidence of hunger (liquidy or liquid at the top) try 3 things: substitute 1/4 cup whole grain flour (add to ¾ cup white bread flour) on your next feeding. Try using mineral water like San Pellegrino instead of water. Stir the starter a few times after feeding to allow more wild yeast from the kithcen to get inside.
DAY 6 Morning: Baking day! Give it one last feeding in the morning: this time discard all but a 1/3 cup. (The reason we are changing this to 1/3 cup is to feed it a little bit more.) Add 1 cup flour (120 grams) and 1/2 cup water, stir, 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 6-8 hours of feeding.
In the photo above, on the 6th day, the starter was fed at 8 am, it peaked around 2 pm, then it started deflating, and by 8 pm, it was “hungry” again. See those downward “slide” marks on the jar?
DO THE FLOAT TEST: When the starter is at its peak, or just after, 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 floats, success!!! Congrats. You can now make our sourdough bread…tonight!
TIP #5: When baking bread always use hungry starter that has already peaked!
STARTER DOES NOT FLOAT? If it doubles in size but does not float, you can still try baking a loaf if it doubles within 6-8 hours of feeding it.
At this point, if your starter does not double in size within 6-8 hours of feeding, don’t give up! Often, it just takes longer, especially during the winter months. Continue feeding one to two times a day until you see a consistent, predictable rise and fall.
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!
Day 6 Evening: Let’s Bake! Use 1/3 cup starter to make this sourdough bread recipe and place the remaining starter (or if not making bread, place all of it) in the refrigerator, and feed it at least once a week, reserving ½ cup starter, before feeding it the usual 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup water.
TROUBLESHOOTING Starter
- SMELL: Starter should smell sweet, tangy, earthy, like a wet horse – not “bad”. If it really smells foul or unpleasant, you may have used an unclean jar, unclean utensil, or somehow introduced other bad bacteria. I would start over.
- NO ACTION: On day 4-5 it is typically for it to slow down. If your starter is not rising at all but there is evidence of hunger (liquid at the top, or bubbles) try 3 things. First substitute 1/4 cup whole grain flour (add to ¾ cup white bread flour) on your next feeding. If no rise, then try using mineral water, specifically San Pellegrino instead of water. San Pelligrino specifically has the right mineral ratio, I have great luck with it. Others not so much! Also try stirring the starter a couple of hours after feeding, a couple of times throughout the day to allow wild yeast from the room to get in there. Lastly, you could try pineapple juice instead of water.
- FLOUR: Try to use fresh milled 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”. Or if it gets runny enough to pour out of the jar, another sign it is hungry. 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. In the oven with the light on, or in an upper cupboard ( heat rises). Sometimes it takes 12-14 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, using a clean jar. 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, give it away, or keep the discard in a separate container for sourdough pancakes, sourdough buns, banana bread, biscuits, etc. I usually don’t feed the discard unless I give it away.
- If you forget to feed it one week, it is most likely OK; feed it 1-2 times a day for 1-3 days in a row to revive it (keeping it out on the counter) until bubbly and active and doubles within 6 hours. 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 surprisingly hard to kill. You can also freeze it for more extended 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 want 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.
The best time to use sourdough starter is just after it peaks or on its way down when you know it is hungry.
Sourdough Bread Starter FAQs
Yes. While you are building your starter, during the first week, it is the simplest, easiest, fastest, and most economical way to create a healthy 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 two times its volume in flour. 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 just a 1/2 cup and only feeding it ONE cup). Discarding 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, pancakes, etc) or give it to a friend.
How to use your Sourdough Starter
- See all our Sourdough Recipes!
- Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Crackers
- Sourdough Biscuits
- Sourdough Buns
- Sourdough Tortillas!
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Overnight Sourdough Waffles
More from Feasting At Home
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 6 days, that can be used in sourdough bread. Sourdough Starter is a wild yeast, made from fermenting flour and water.
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 Water per feeding (1/2 cup water)
Instructions
-
- Day 1: Starting in the morning or at night, using a wide-mouth quart 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 until starter doubles in size within 8-12 hours of feeding- 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 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 sourdough 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. Place the remaining starter in the fridge and feed it in a week. You’ll have enough stater to make one more sourdough loaf during the week, and still have enough to feed. If you want to wait to make bread until later in the week place starter in the fridge. Be sure to feed it in 7 days. Read maintenance section.
- 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.
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, freshly milled 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: I usually use tap water -but sometimes the chlorine in tap water can inhibit the growth of your starter. Lukewarm water helps fermentation to start faster. Sterilized bottled water is often overly sterile, and can also inhibit. Mineral water, like Perrier (carbonated is OK) can sometimes work miracles.
- HYDRATION: Hydration refers to the ratio of water to flour in terms of weight. It is a ratio. The 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, 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 1-2 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 10-12 hours before making bread dough, using it after its peak height. 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 31
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 0.2 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat:
- Carbohydrates: 6.2 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Just curious: how does the wild yeast in the air get into the starter if it is covered all of the time, or in the fridge?
Hi Robin, it gets in when you mix it!
Sorry Sylvia I need your help!
I am on day 17 of my sourdough starter don’t wish to give up. First 3 days were fantastic I was very excited but after 13 days of rising after 21 – 24 hours everyday I decided to give it pineapple juice which seems to have given it life again still rising and falling after 24 hrs. house temperature is 70F. I feed 1/4 cup organic rye flour mixed with Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread flour to make 120 gr at every feeding I always measure everything. I did float test and it floats but cannot get it to rise in 6-8 hours. Should I wait a few more days?
Hi Fran, how long does it take to double in size?
I waited to answer so I could time it. It is now taking eleven and a half hours to peak nice and bubbly and sweet smell, it only rises 60% and that is constant it has never risen above that. I would have to leave it longer to fall, so right now it’s eleven and a half hours has risen to 60% no sign of falling except bubbles on the whole top and around the walls of the jar which I would think it is going to start falling. Should I wait to see that it falls or feed again now? Today is day 21. Forgot to mention that before I gave it pineapple juice on day 13 I had already used 1L of San Pellegrino water and 1L Perrier, now I am just using tap water that I let sit in a jar at room temp.
Before I fed it 27 hours ago ( I did feed the starter a second time since then) I took 15 gr of it and added to it 50 gr each water and bread flour to make soft rolls just to see but now 27 hours later the soft rolls starter has risen a little and can see some bubbles trying to come out on top but has not surfaced yet so I am waiting to see more action.
Thought maybe this information will help you to help me. My concern is really the actual sourdough starter.
Thank you Sylvia.
Hi Fran, it sounds like you are doing everything right, your starter just seems sluggish. Try mixing it a couple times after feeding. Perrier is not advised. Tap water can contain chlorine which can prohibit it as well. What flour are you suing?
I am using Bob’s Red Mill Artisan Bread flour and Anita’s organic whole grain rye flour. I decided to go ahead and bake a loaf, I cannot thank you enough for your inspiration and patience shown through this process and caring so much as to answer all the questions.
It turned out beautifully my only comment would be that when slicing it was sticking a little with the knife but baked to 209 F,
I also made scones, pizza dough and crackers with the discard and my grandchildren thank you for them.
Thank you for not letting me give up. Now if only I can send you some pictures don’t know how.
Thank you, you are wonderful.
Thanks Fran, Glad this is working for you. You can always post photos on Facebook or Instagram and tag us- I would love to see your creations!
My starter originally took 2 days to get going. Fed it on day 2, day 3 it rose a lot then fell, I fed it. Then day 4 it was really watery and smelled bad. I fed it, but it never continued to rise, and only a few bubbles. After waiting another day, no change. So I threw the whole thing out. Any suggestions?
If it smelled “bad” you may have accidentally introduced a bad bacteria to it? That is my only guess. It is easy to do, using a dirty utensil, etc.
Hi Sylvia,
I have a slow starter on the go. I am not troubleshooting and it is making a difference. I have a question though. My starter goes longer between feeding and it gets a dry crust on it. Should I scrape that crust off before feeding?
Hi Kathy, how are you sealing the jar? it sounds like it is drying out? You can stir in the crust.
Thanks for all of the tips, I’ve shared this post with many people! Quick Question: I’m on day 5 and on day 4 I had to skip the night feeding because it didn’t rise, but there were bubbles on top and it was runny. (Day1-3 the rise and fall was very pronounced). I fed it this AM to begin day 5 and it hasn’t done much just has a big bubble a some forming throughout but hasn’t risen much. I did the mixture of whole grain flour with bread flour like it said in the troubleshooting. Do I just keep an eye on it until the next feeding is due?
Thanks Melissa, yes, that is what I would do. And just make sure wait to feed til you see the signs of hunger. 🙂
Hi! I just started my starter yesterday, and a full 24 hrs later my starter has risen, but no bubbles on top. I do see bubbles all around the sides though! Is that enough activity for me to start feeding?
That should be fine Nikki!
Sorry forgot to rate recipe
Thanks so much!
Hi Sylvia, I’m really excited my sourdough starter is on day 3 and doing great (my first time). I actually had to feed it twice on day 2 because it rose and fell.
My question is about the discard I’m confused. Can I use the discard from the first week in your recipes or do I use only the discard after the 6th day? I hate to throw it away, Sorry and thank you for being so patient.
Hi Fran. I would not recommend using the discard from the first week for anything you want to rise. You could use for sourdough crackers though?
Hi
Mine keeps going watery on top what does this mean?
Hi Sue, it means it is hungry, time to feed it!
So what do you do with the rest of the starter that wasn’t mixed?
We have lots of recipes that use it up! Just type in “sourdough discard” in the search bar.
Very helpful, thank you!
Glad this worked for you Lefki!
Can this be done using whole wheat flour only?
Hey Michael – it should??? 😉 I haven’t tried it but don’t see why not.
How long would the sourdough discard last in the fridge?
Hi Nina! I usually don’t use it after 7-10 days or it starts to discolor.
I have my starter since November and baked several breads, but the last dough was very glue like and sticky, although the bread turned out great. It broke when I did the stretching. I keep my starter in the fridge and feed once a week until I need it. It has good rise, but I noticed the starter getting more and more glue like. Any suggestions?
Hieke- have you change the flour you are feeding it with? Be sure you are not using high gluten flour. I suggest leave it out of the fridge a few days and give a quick boost. Leave it out and feed only when hungry. See how long it takes to double after feeding.
No, same everything. I will try what you said. Thanks
How do you store the starter you discard? In the refrigerator? Or on the counter? How long is it good for before you toss?
I store the discard in another separate jar in the fridge. I don’t feed the discard and try to use it within a week.
I have done starter before and it was great. I am up to day 4 of a new starter but it smells awful. Can you explain please
Hi Bev, it sounds like perhaps it was contaminated with something?I would start over, sorry to say.
Thank you so much for this recipe! This was the only one that worked and I’m so excited that now my starter is doubling size and showing consistency! woohoo! I have two questions: 1. is this considered a 1:1:1 feeding schedule? I absolutely love that this recipe is 2 breads but how would I feed my starter if I wanted to make more than 2 each time? That’s still confusing to me LOL. (also sorry if this comment posted twice, I’m not sure my other comment went through!)
Hi Christyna, So happy this worked for you! It is roughly a 1:1:1 ratio. slightly more flour. With two of our sourdough loaves, you’ll have just enough left to feed your starter. Other recipes may very. 😉
Thank you so much for your directions. However, does my starter need to pass the floating test before I start baking/using it?
If it doubles within 6-8 hours with in feeding you can go ahead and try it whether it floats or not. 🙂
Thank you so much for the clear instructions- it all makes sense now and I have happy starter.
Great to hear Tanya!
I can’t thank you enough Sylvia for this starter recipe. Your thoroughly written recipe plus the video were so helpful. I had tried other sourdough starter recipes in the past but none were successful until yours. My starter was probably ready by day 9-10. I found that if I added a tiny bit of whole wheat flour (20 grams or so) to the bread flour (100 grams) instead of using only bread flour after day 2-3, it really helped it rise. Keeping it in a warmer place during the winter time was crucial too. But I loved all your helpful hints! Thank you again for this recipe. I am probably on my 8th loaf that I’ve made!
Thanks so much Angie- great to hear this worked for you!
Thanks for the great instructions and videos! I’ve tried other sites but you helped me understand all the “whys” especially with your sourdough starter recipe.
So glad this was helpful Angela! thanks for circling back and rating it for us.
Hi! I love your recipes, and I thought I’d try out this one as I’ve always dreamed of making my own bread. I followed your recipe to the T using a scale. My starter was tripling on Day 1, within few hours, when mixed with whole wheat flour, however since then I have not been able to get it to double, it rises a little with lots of bubbles but that’s about it. It’s on day 14 right now – I increased feeding ratio after one week so now feeding it 1:1:1 with filtered water, using KAF unbleached bread flour and also doing it twice a day. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.. I’ve almost given up. It’s definitely not a temperature problem since I live in LA and it’s 78-80 F in my apartment. What could be the problem?? 🙁
Hi Cecilia, I’m confused about what you mean 1:1:1 ? Are you feeding ½ cup starter with 1 cup flour and ½ cup water?
Hi! I’m measuring by weight so currently switched to 1:1:1 ratio – 130g of starter, 130g of KA Bread flour and 130g of filtered water. I followed your measurements for full 2 weeks but my starter did not double since day 1 (day 1 when I mixed with whole wheat flour it tripled).
Ok Cecilia- I would read through the trouble shooting section, and systematically try those things. Try adding a little whole wheat to your feedings, try the San Pellegrino. It really could be any number of things, but if you see bubbling your starter is indeed alive, just needs coaxing. 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. After 3 other failed attempts at keeping a starter alive (and bad recipes) this one has finally worked! I managed to make bread from it on day 6 and then continued to feed on day 7/8 however, my started is now not rising as much as it was and doesn’t float. Would you advise to keep on feeding? And if so for how many more days? And once it’s floating is this the point where it’s ready to put in the fridge and can be left without feeding for longer? I’m due to have a baby (a real life one!) tomorrow and so expecting less time on my hands to feed my first baby (!) thank you!
Oh my Nina! You have your hands full! I’m so happy this worked for you. I would feed the starter if hungry, and just stick in the fridge for a week. Take a break enjoy your baby (your real baby) and then when you are ready to strengthen the starter, pull it out for a few days, only feeding when it’s really hungry.
Day three for me and it has not risen, no bubbles and is liquidy and runny. No evidence of rise and fall at all. It did rise a very little bit yesterday on day 2 and there were very few tiny bubbles so I discarded half and fed it bread flour and water per your recipe. I live in Florida and the current temperature at my house is 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Should I start over?
Sorry for the delay Jen, how is doing now?
Hi! My starter recently developed a very strong acetone smell. Any feedback on how to remedy this? Should I start over?
Hi Tiernan, Your starter is hungry! The acetone smell is a normal byproduct of fermenting, the smell will dissipate once fed.