How To Make a Sourdough Starter

The most frequent question I get asked about bread is ‘how to make a sourdough starter?’, so here we go! Like most of you I’ve always loved the flavor of sourdough, the chewy crust and the gorgeous bread scoring. My goal this year was to become proficient in making fresh sourdough loaves and I’m glad to have you along for the journey.

Making bread from scratch is so satisfying and working with dough is the ultimate form of baking therapy. There are so many ways to make a sourdough starter, I am going to share with you my method. If you have you’re own or would love to offer more tips and resources please do so in the comments below.

What is a Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough Starter also referred to as levain, is a fermented dough made with flour and water. The mixture transforms into a live culture that ferments creating a natural yeast. The lactobacilli that form in the starter create a lactic acid that gives sourdough bread its signature sour taste.

Best Flour For Sourdough Starter?

I prefer to use a whole grain Rye Flour since it is packed with nutrients, this flour is easy to activate. If you don’t have rye flour, try a Whole Wheat Flour or Unbleached All
Purpose Flour.

As you feed your starter, the Rye Flour can be slowly swapped out for half or completely replaced by All Purpose Flour.

Essentials Tools Needed

Two Glass Jars

I prefer to use wide mouth glass jars, as the are easier to see the fermentation bubbles of the starter, easier to clean, and the wide top makes stirring simpler.

You can use large mouth Mason Jars or Weck Glass Jars to house your starter. Have two jars on hand for transferring between feedings.

Kitchen Scale

Baking is an exact science and the accuracy needed for measuring your flour and water are imperative for a happy starter. Weighing everything in grams will result in a better outcome than eye balling a measuring cup that may or may not have packed down ingredients. Pick up a cheap digital kitchen scale to keep for all your future baking needs.

Silicone Spatula

Stirring with a small rubber spatula in my opinion is easier than using a spoon. The shape is flat, so it nicely runs across the inside of the jar and helps break up clumps.

Sourdough Starter Feeding Schedule

Feeding a starter is not as tedious as you might think. In the beginning you will only need to refresh your starter once a day. As the fermentation becomes more active, you will increase to twice daily feedings. But, keep in mind this only takes about 5 minutes which is a quick task to guarantee a healthy sourdough starter.

This culture is pretty resilient. If you miss a feeding or accidentally feed later than needed, don’t panic, most of the time it comes back to life without any issues.

The sign of a healthy starter is active fermentation and that classic sour smell! It takes about 6-9 days to create a healthy starter. When you feed the starter, the yeast and bacteria in the culture will metabolize the sugars in the flour, creating gasses that cause the starter to rise. Yay for bubbles and yeast. Let’s get started!

Day One

Begin your feedings in the morning so you can eventually add the second feeding 12 hrs out. Place an empty jar on your scale and tare so that the scale reads zero with the jar. Spoon 100 grams whole grain rye flour into the jar, then pour in 150 grams warm water 80°F(26°C) stir with small rubber spatula until all clumps of flour are incorporated. Set the lid of the jar loosely on top. I use a mason jar, so I gently place the flat lid on the jar without the ring.

Place the jar in a draft free location in your kitchen. I prefer to set my starter jar on a kitchen towel to prevent the cool counter top from affecting the temperature. Keep the jar away from direct sunlight and let sit for 24 hrs.

Day Two

You may see some activity, you may not. Don’t worry if you don’t, just stick to the plan. There is usually an initial excitement of activity, but the starter isn’t ready to bake with just yet. You may notice a huge growth of the size of your starter that will die down on the third or fourth day, but it will come back.

Today you get to use your second jar. Place the clean jar on the scale and tare to zero. Give your overnight starter a soft stir and pour 75 grams of the 24 hr overnight mixture into the empty jar. Measure out 100 grams of the Rye Flour by slowly spooning it into the jar on the scale and watching the weight increase. Pour in 125 grams of warm water 80°F(26°C) stir until mixed.

Set the starter who by now should have a name, back in its cozy spot on the counter to rest for another 24 hrs. Discard the unused starter and clean the jar for use the next day.

Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.

Day Three

Your starter may look active or may only have minimal changes. All is good! Time is what yeast and bacteria need.Today we are going to incorporate All Purpose Flour if you aren’t already doing so. I like to keep a 50/50 Rye and All Purpose Flour starter.

Place the clean jar on the scale and tare to zero. Give your overnight starter a soft stir and pour 75 grams of the 24 hr overnight mixture into the empty jar. Add 50 grams of Rye Flour and 50 grams of Unbleached All Purpose Flour to the jar. Pour in 125 grams of warm water 80°F(26°C) stir until mixed. Place lid on jar and set back on counter to rest.

Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.

Day Four

We have finally made it to feeding our sourdough starter twice in one day. Try to stick to a schedule and refresh your starter 12 hours apart.

You should be seeing more activity in the jar and signs that it has risen and dropped by seeing streaks on the inside of the jar.

Each feeding will be the same as Day Three. I feed at 9:30 am in the morning and 9:30 pm at night. But, you can choose whatever 12 hr span works best for you.

Place the clean jar on the scale and tare to zero. Give your overnight starter a soft stir and pour 75 grams of the 24 hr overnight mixture into the empty jar. Add 50 grams of Rye Flour and 50 grams of Unbleached All Purpose Flour to the jar. Pour in 125 grams of warm water 80°F(26°C) stir until mixed. Place lid on jar and set back on counter to rest.

Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.

Days Five-Six

Repeat the same twice daily feeding schedule that you did on Day Four.

Day Seven and Continuing

You should now be seeing plenty of activity with your starter. Notice the rise and fall streaks inside the jar. A portion if your healthy starter at Day Seven is now ready to be used for baking recipes.

If for some reason you aren’t seeing lots of activity, keep feeding your starter on a schedule. This may be due to the type of flour you are using or the temperature in your kitchen. Check to make sure its not getting cold.

You can now feed your starter once a day!

Maintenance Feeding for a Sourdough Starter

Once your sourdough starter is mature and has reached regular activity, it can be stored in the refrigerator. The cold temperature of the fridge slows down the fermentation process. Before you are ready to use your starter, remove from the fridge let it come to room temperature, give a maintenance feeding and use to bake the next day.

Maintenance Feeding

Place a clean jar on the scale and tare to zero. Give your mature starter a soft stir and pour 25 grams of the mixture into the empty jar. Add 25 grams of Rye Flour and 25 grams of Unbleached All Purpose Flour to the jar. Pour in 50 grams of warm water 80°F(26°C) stir until mixed. Place lid on jar and set back on counter to rest.

This maintenance feeding can be done once a week!

Can I Store Sourdough Starter in the Fridge?

Yes, you can! A sourdough starter kept in the fridge only needs to be fed once a week. If I’m actively making bread, I prefer to keep my mature starter at room temperature. But, if I’m taking a bread break or going on vacation, its ok to put that starter in the fridge.

Simply feed your sourdough starter as normal, let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 hrs before placing in the fridge. What you will notice is a brown liquid forming at the top of your starter when kept in the fridge. Just pour this off before stirring, measuring, and feeding as normal.

What Can I do With Sourdough Starter Discard?

Use the “discard” starter to make pancakes, waffles, cake, pizza dough, or gift some to a friend so they can create their own starter!