Do I really have to discard my starter?

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 of 1 1/2 cups of starter, you would have to feed it 3 cups of flour (instead of keeping just 1/2 cup and feeding it only 1 cup of flour). 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 or use it in pizza dough , pancakes, etc).

How long does it take to make sourdough starter?

This recipe for Sourdough Starter takes 6 days (or up to 12 days if it is very cold where you live).

What are the ingredients for sourdough starter?

The only ingredients you need to get started are flour (bread flour and whole grain flour) and water.

What is the biggest mistake you can make with your sourdough starter?

The most common mistake is overfeeding, which weakens your starter instead of making it stronger. The secret is to watch for signs of hunger—bubbles slowing down, slide marks in the jar, or liquid on top—before feeding. Once you learn to read your starter’s natural rhythm, it will stay bubbly, active, and ready to bake with.

Is it difficult to make sourdough starter?

It’s surprisingly simple to make a sourdough starter! The process is hands-off and only takes a few minutes each day. The key is consistency: feed it regularly and keep it at a steady temperature. Once you get into the rhythm, caring for your starter becomes second nature, and you’ll be rewarded with a healthy, bubbly culture for all your baking.

whole wheat flour, rye flour, or freshly milled flour.Whole-grain flour: 120 grams (1 cup, fluffed, spooned, and leveled). Use organic whole wheat, rye, or freshly milled flour to start your sourdough starter on Day 1.Organic white bread flour: For subsequent feedings. I like Shepherd's Grain or Bob's Red Mill. Have a 5–10 lb bag on hand. Unbleached all-purpose flour can also work.Water: 120 grams (½ cup) per feeding. Filtered or chlorine-free water is ideal.

Name: Easy Sourdough Starter
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 144 h
Total time: 144 h 30 min
Cuisine: bread
Ingredients: Whole-grain flour (Day 1): 120 grams (1 cup, fluffed, spooned, and leveled). Use organic whole wheat, rye, or freshly milled flour to start your sourdough starter.; Organic white bread flour (Day 2 onward): 120 grams (1 cup, fluffed, spooned, and leveled) per feeding. I like Shepherd’s Grain or Bob’s Red Mill. Have a 5–10 lb bag on hand. Unbleached all-purpose flour can also work.; Water (Day 1 onward): 120 grams (½ cup) per feeding. Filtered or chlorine-free water is ideal.

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

Whole-grain flour (Day 1): 120 grams (1 cup, fluffed, spooned, and leveled). Use organic whole wheat, rye, or freshly milled flour to start your sourdough starter.
Organic white bread flour (Day 2 onward): 120 grams (1 cup, fluffed, spooned, and leveled) per feeding. I like Shepherd's Grain or Bob's Red Mill. Have a 5-10 lb bag on hand. Unbleached all-purpose flour can also work.
Water (Day 1 onward): 120 grams (1/2 cup) per feeding. Filtered or chlorine-free water is ideal.

Instructions

Day 1: Make Your Starter

In a wide-mouth quart jar, crock, or glass measuring cup, mix 1 cup (120 grams) whole-grain flour with ½ cup (120 grams) filtered water using a fork, making sure all the flour is incorporated.
Tip: I recommend weighing the flour with a kitchen scale, especially the first time, so you can get a feel for the consistency. The mixture should be a thick paste, similar to peanut butter. If needed, add a splash more water to incorporate the flour.
Cover loosely with a lid, damp towel, or plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature (ideally 70–75°F) for 24–48 hours, or until you see some bubbling. See the temperature notes below.

Day 2: First Feeding

After 24 hours, you may or may not see bubbles. I prefer to wait until there’s a little activity before the first feeding. This can take 36–48 hours, especially in a cool kitchen.
Once you see bubbles, discard all but ½ cup (approximately 136 grams) of starter.
To the remaining starter, add 1 cup (120 grams) white bread flour and ½ cup (120 grams) filtered water. Mix thoroughly with a fork, cover loosely, and let rest at room temperature for approximately 24 hours.

Day 3: Watch for Hunger Signs

By Day 3, you should begin seeing some bubbling. If not, give it more time.
Depending on the temperature of your kitchen and your starter’s activity, you may need to feed it every 12–24 hours. The key is to feed your starter after it has peaked and begun to fall, or when it becomes noticeably thinner and runnier. These are signs that it’s hungry!
For each feeding, discard all but ½ cup (approximately 136 grams) starter. Add 1 cup (120 grams) bread flour and ½ cup (120 grams) water. Mix well, cover loosely, and let rest until your starter shows signs of hunger again.
In a warm kitchen, this might take 8–12 hours; in a cooler kitchen, it may take 24 hours or longer. Watch your starter rather than the clock.

Day 4: Continue Feeding

Feed 1–2 times, depending on your starter’s activity, discarding all but ½ cup starter each time. Add 1 cup (120 grams) bread flour and ½ cup (120 grams) water.
Transfer your starter to a clean jar and mark its starting level with a rubber band or marker. This makes it easier to see when it rises and falls.
Important: If your starter is still rising at the time of the next scheduled feeding, wait until it peaks and begins to fall. Feeding too frequently can dilute the developing culture.
It’s also completely normal for your starter to slow down around Day 4. Be patient and keep going!

Day 5: Look for a Predictable Rise and Fall

Continue feeding 1–2 times a day, or when your starter shows signs of hunger. Each time, discard all but ½ cup starter and add 1 cup (120 grams) bread flour and ½ cup (120 grams) lukewarm water.
Your starter should begin looking more active, with bubbles and a noticeable rise and fall. Ideally, it will be getting close to doubling in size.
If it’s not doubling yet, don’t worry! Repeat this feeding routine for a few more days, watching for signs of activity. See the troubleshooting section for additional tips.

Day 6: Is Your Starter Ready to Bake?

Give your starter one final feeding. This time, discard all but ⅓ cup starter. Add 1 cup (120 grams) bread flour and ½ cup (120 grams) water. Mix well and transfer to a clean jar, marking the starting level.
Your starter is ready to bake with when it consistently doubles in volume within 6–8 hours of feeding, with plenty of bubbles and a pleasantly tangy aroma.
Optional float test: When your starter is at its peak, gently take a teaspoon from the top without stirring it down and place it in a glass of water. If it floats, that’s a good sign! But don’t worry if it sinks. Consistent doubling is a more reliable indicator of readiness.
For the best rise, use your starter at or near its peak, while it’s bubbly and active. You can now make your first loaf of sourdough bread!
Refrigerate the remaining starter and feed it within a week. See the maintenance section for ongoing care.

What If Your Starter Isn’t Ready on Day 6?

Don’t give up! Some starters take up to two weeks or longer to become fully active, especially in cooler kitchens.
Continue feeding once or twice daily, according to your starter’s activity, until it rises and falls predictably and doubles within 6–8 hours of feeding.
Read the troubleshooting section for more help. If you need a break, you can refrigerate your starter and resume feeding later, provided there are no signs of spoilage.
Yield: This batch makes enough starter for approximately two loaves of sourdough bread, with some remaining to maintain for future baking, depending on how much starter your bread recipe requires.

Equipment

kitchen scale

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tulip jar

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wide-mouth quart jar

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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