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    Home » Sourdough Starter

    How to Make A Sourdough Starter

    Published: Apr 1, 2020 · Modified: Mar 28, 2023 by Kristin · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

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    A flip lock jar with sourdough starter.
    A flip lock jar with sourdough starter.

    How to make a sourdough starter in little as eight days. The most effective way to make an active starter as quickly as possible with day-by-day photos and instructions.

    Day by day photos of making a sourdough starter.

    Have you been bit by the sourdough craze? Maybe you tried to make a starter and it just didnt work out. Maybe your nervous to give it a shot. 

    That’s why I'm here! 

    I started my sourdough journey in July of 2019 (pre pandemic baker!) and haven't stopped since. I have helped so man people get a starter of their own going as well as conquer that first loaf. 

    And I can help you. 

    It took me multiple attempts to get my starter active as well as make my first loaf so I’m here to say, it’s not always easy. But it is well worth it. 

    I started in July, but didn't make my first successful loaf of bread until Christmas. So it took me almost 5 months to make that first loaf of bread. 

    I have complied all my wins, and failures, and have a technique that I hope helps cut out all that time (and flour) I wasted. 

    I have made multiple starters and using the method here I had one going in just 8 days. My first one took almost 4 months. 

    Let’s take a look first at what a starter even is before we dive in to making one. 

    Jump to:
    • What is a Sourdough Starter?
    • What Can You Do With a Sourdough Starter?
    • Equipment and Ingredients
    • Tips, Tricks and Important Info
    • How to Feed a Sourdough Starter
    • How to Make a Sourdough Starter
    • Is it Growing?
    • My Sourdough Starter Still Isn't Rising
    • What to Do Once It's Active
    • Sourdough Starter Frequently Asked Questions
    • Recipe

    What is a Sourdough Starter?

    The quick definition, it is a leaven for baked goods. 

    A tall jar with a sourdough starter pouring over the top.

    What is a leaven? A leaven is what gives rise to baked goods. It can be instant yeast, baking soda, baking powder and a sourdough starter. It what takes dough or batter to a fluffy and soft treat. 

    But what is it really?

    Sourdough Starters are a mix of flour and water that has fermented over time, and host a live culture, that can be used to give rise to breads and other baked goods. 

    It collects the wild yeast and microbiomes  in our environments, trapping it inside the flour, and bringing it to life. 

    Basically we are creating a live environment inside the flour mix. 

    This ecosystem is what gives beautiful rise to bread and other baked goods. It has been done for centuries and still works today. 

    If you are interested in more of the actual science behind what is happening Serious Eats has a great article breaking it all down.

    A sourdough starter has even been found to be easier to digest with some people. The reaction that takes place breaks thing down that our bodies have a hard time to digest. It also doesn't require any sugar to make it active.

    So many commercial bread products have loads of sugar and other additives that sourdough just doesn't need. Making it better for our bodies.

    Because we feed and care for a starter that means it can live a long time. How long can a starter live? There are claims that some sourdough starters have been passed down for generations, and are over 100 years old!

    As long as they are cared for properly, they can last a lifetime. 

    What Can You Do With a Sourdough Starter?

    There are endless possibilities for that starter. 

    First off is that classic loaf of sourdough bread.

    Two freshly baked loaves of sourdough bread sitting on parchment paper.

    Sourdough bread calls for very simple ingredients and only uses flour, water, salt and the starter. It requires zero yeast, no sugar or dairy, and a longer proofing time.

    All resulting in the best and freshest tasting bread. 

    In addition to bread, there is along list of things you can use that starter in. 

    Thing you can make with a starter include: Pancakes, pizza, quick breads, crackers, muffins, cookies and just about anything else that needs a leaven. 

    Some recipes take time to rise and others require no time. Get all my recipes that use a sourdough starter. 

    Equipment and Ingredients

    Overhead view of a jar of sourdough starter with a container of flour and danish dough whisk.
    Sourdough Starter Discard

    Equipment

    Digital Scale. The best way to measure out the ingredients. Cup measurements are not as accurate. 1 cup of flour can vary between 110-140 grams of flour. That is a huge difference.

    2 glass bowls, containers or jars. I like to have two bowls so the starter can be transferred to a clean one. While some prefer to use a jar, I just find a bowl so much easier to use. 

    Danish Dough whisk. Not necessary but definitely makes it easier. A wooden spoon can also be used.

    Flour sack towel or tea towel: you want a towel to cover the bowl. It needs to be light enough to let in the thing we want, but heavy enough to keep out the things we don't.

    Ingredients

    Ther eare only two ingredients needed to make a starter. 

    Two glass jars, one with all-purpose flour and the other with filtered water.

    Flour and filtered Water

    The type of flour is up to you. The preferred is going to be unbleached all-purpose flour but bread flour can also be used. I did not see success with bread flour but some do.

    All-purpose just works the best for my environment. If you are using all-purpose, make sure it is unbleached. 

    Whole wheat flour: To get a starter going I do recommend using whole wheat flour for the first day only then after that switching to all-purpose or bread. This is not necessary but I did find when starting with whole wheat it just took off faster. 

    Thats it!

    Very little equipment and ingredients are needed to keep a healthy starter.

    Tips, Tricks and Important Info

    Making a sourdough starter is a very simple idea and process. While it requires a little bit of time, it is not difficult at all. 

    I have made a few starters, some were major fails and the other was a quick success. The process that I share was the fastest method. 

    Here are a few things to keep in mind. 

    1. Measure the ingredients in grams. Cup measurements are not accurate and one cup of water is not the same as one cup of flour. 
    2. Keep a 1:1:1 ratio. This means you want the same amount of water, flour and starter by weight in grams.
    3. Keep the bowl clean. I like to use two bowls or jars to keep my starter in a clean jar to help prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. 
    4. Keep it in a warm dry place. Sourdough starters thrive in warmer environments. Keep it in a location that is 70-75 degrees.
    5. Store it away from where you prep food. We only want flour, water and the natural environment to affect our starter. If it is around your cooking area, other ingredients might make its way in.
    6. Do not put starter in the sink/drain! Make sure when you discard you are throwing it in the trash. When a starter is exposed to air it can become really hard and stick to things. This can cause a blockage in your drain.
    7. Do not cover with a tight lid. This can cause the gasses to build up and can end up shattering the jar.
    8. Keep the container covered with a light tea towl. I also like to use a flour sack towel. If the towl is too heavy it wont allow the things in that we need.

    How to Feed a Sourdough Starter

    To get a good active starter it is importan to keep it on a good feeding schedule, especially in the beginning. 

    A glass bowl with a sourdough starter and danish dough whisk mixing it together.

    How do you feed a starter? When first starting out, it is so important to remove half (and toss) before feeding with fresh flour and water. This will give that growing culture new food to feed on. Only making it stronger.

    For example: Remove half, weigh what is remaining and then feed it. So if you have 100 grams of starter you will want to feed it 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of water. 

    Some sourdough bakers will feed by how it feels. This has never worked for me and has left me with an underperforming starter. I swear by the 1:1:1 ratio but do what feels right for you. 

    Why do we discard sourdough starter? Half will need to be tossed each time because if we didnt it would grow out of control. Because we are keeping such a small amount there isn't that much that needs to be tossed each time.

    After about a week that discard can come in use and can be added to things like pancakes or sourdough waffles. Get all my discard recipes to start using your starter in.

    Just the frist week we will want to throw it away. 

    How to Make a Sourdough Starter

    Let’s get started! Pun intended. 

    Day 1:

    Take a clan bowl, or jar and place on a digital scale. Set it to gram measurements and make sure it is zeroed out.

    Add in 50 grams of whole wheat flour and 50 grams of filtered water.

    Two glass jars. one with flour and the other with water being poured into the flour.

    The whole wheat is just a suggestion. You can also just start with unbleached all purpose. I have made starters both ways and they both turn out great.

    Mix it well, cover, and let it sit for 24 hours. Thats it!

    Day 2:

    After 24 hours of resting this is what it should start to look like. It should be really thick and might even start to develop a crust on top.

    A jar with a sourdough starter on day 2.

    It now needs to be fed. Remove half of the starter, leaving about 50 grams.

    Add in 50 grams of flour.

    Pour in 50 grams of filter water.

    Mix, cover and set aside agin for another 24 hours.

    Day 3:

    This is what it will start to look like. Much different than day 2. You may even start to notice some bubbles.

    A glass jar with day three of a sourdough starter.

    After another 24 hours, repeat the same feeding process from day two.

    Remove half (keeping 50 grams), add 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Mix, cover and rest 24 hours.

    As we move into day 4, the cultures are starting to come alive, be more active and need more food. It may even start to smell a bit. That is normal.

    Day 4:

    From day 4-7 the starter will need to be increased to 2 feedings a day. One in the morning and one at night.

    By day 4 it will start to look a lot more alive. It may even have some bubbles. The photo shows what it looked like in the morning of day 4. It is much lighter in consistency and starting to see some bubbles.

    A sourdough starter in a jar on day 4.

    Feeding schedule for day 4:

    Morning: Discard, feed, and cover.

    Evening: Discard, feed, and cover.

    By Evening it could look even more alive.

    Day 4 of a sourdough starter.

    Day 5:

    Not much has changed by day 5, but continue with the two a day feedings.

    Day 5 of a sourdough starter.

    Morning: Discard, feed, and cover.

    Evening: Discard, feed, and cover.

    Now is a good time to check in. Are you keeping the starter in a warmer location? Is it lightly covered with a tea towel? These things are important when creating a strong starter.

    Day 6

    By day 6 there seems to be a lot of change. It is getting softer and lighter and developing a crust on top between feedings.

    This is normal. The crust just means it needs to be fed. Scrape it off the top and measure out the 50 grams.

    Day 6 of a sourdough starter in a glass jar.

    Perform two feedings on day 6. Keep 50 grams of starter, feed 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water.

    Morning: Discard, feed, and cover.

    Evening: Discard, feed, and cover.

    By day 6 begin marking your jar with either a wet erase marker or rubber band. This will make the level of the starter so you can see if there is any growth.

    Day 7

    Day 7 it's not only looking different it is acting different.

    There may be even more bubbles, its really light and there has even been a little bit of growth. It beginning to look like a perform like a starter.

    Day 7 of a sourdough starter in a glass jar.

    Keep following the same feeding schedule for day 7.

    Perform two feedings on day 6. Keep 50 grams of starter, feed 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water.

    Morning: Discard, feed, and cover.

    Evening: Discard, feed, and cover.

    Day 8

    By day eight we had it. Removed the towel to the starter growing over the top of the jar, active bubbles and it was so light and airy.

    Day 8 of a sourdough starter in a glass jar.

    If your starter is growing and looks alive it is ready to make homemade sourdough bread.

    Still not sure? Lean more about how to tell a sourdough starter is ready.

    Is it Growing?

    By day 7-10 you should start to see some growth in your starter. Using a wet erase marker, or rubber band, mark where you starter is before you feed it.

    A flip lock jar with the lid open and a rubber band around the middle measuring the growth of a sourdough starter.

    Check back in 6-8 hours and see if it has grown at all. If it has that means it is alive and active and can added to baked goods without the help of another leaven.

    Learn more about how to tell when your sourdough starter is active.

    You will have a strong starter when it has doubled or tripled in size in that 6-8 hour time.

    After 8 hours you may notice that it starts to defeat and go back down.

    This is normal. I just means it consumed all the food and energy and lost that baking potential. No worries just re-feed and watch it grow again.

    Once it deflates and goes back down, you now have what is called discard. Learn all about sourdough discard and how to use it.

    My Sourdough Starter Still Isn't Rising

    If you are not seeing any growth after 10 days do not worry! Some starters just take longer to get going. There are somethings you can try before throwing in the towel.

    1. Move back to once a day feedings.
    2. Move to a different area of the house. I once tried keeping it in my pantry and it nearly died. It did not survive well in there. Try different areas of your kitchen or even house.
    3. Find a warmer location. The ideal temp for a sourdough starter is around 75 degrees. If it is too cold, you may not see any growth.

    You can always reach out for help! I love helping people get a starter going and want to do the same for you. You can join my Facebook community or simply send me a message.

    An image of a sourdough starter and bread.

    What to Do Once It's Active

    Is your starter doubling in size and looking alive?

    This is a great sign its ready to give sourdough bread a shot! Get all my sourdough bread tips, trips and resources.

    Or use it in dozens of sourdough discard recipes. The options are endless.

    Now that it is active, it's a really good idea to create a backup. Learn how to dehydrate your sourdough starter in the case something happens to it.

    Sourdough Starter Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make my own sourdough starter?

    Yes, you absolutely can! It can take anywhere from 7 days to a month to get your own sourdough starter active but it is a very simple process.

    Can I use any flour to make my sourdough stater?

    Yes any grain flour can be used to make a starter but the best and consistent options are going to be unbleached all-purpose and bread flour.

    What two ingredients does a sourdough starter begin with?

    Flour and water.

    How long does a sourdough starter last?

    When taken care of and fed properly, a sourdough starter can last a lifetime

    Sourdough Discard Recipes:

    • Four images of a sourdough bagel, waffles, biscotti and breakfast bites.
      25+ Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
    • Oatmeal cookie with a bite taken out on a baking sheet
      Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
    • Bagels with everything topping and one with cheddar cheese.
      Homemade Sourdough Bagels
    • A stack of sourdough waffles with blueberries and syrup.
      Sourdough Discard Waffles

    Other Sourdough Starter Resources:

    • A jar with hooch on top of a sourdough starter.
      Liquid on Top of a Sourdough Starter
    • A tall jar with a sourdough starter pouring over the top.
      When is a Sourdough Starter Ready?
    • A glass jar with flakes of dried out sourdough starter.
      How to Dehydrate a Sourdough Starter
    • A glass jar with sourdough starter discard, flour and a dough whisk.
      What is Sourdough Discard

    Did you make it? If you loved this recipe or any others on Dirt & Dough, please leave a 5-🌟 in the recipe card below. Let me know how it went by leaving a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you!

    *Let's Connect! Follow along on Instagram, Pinterest or subscribe to receive emails!

    Recipe

    A flip lock jar with active sourdough starter.

    How to Make a Sourdough Starter

    How to make a sourdough starter in little as ten days. A sourdough starter can be used in all kinds of baked goods, breads, and other recipes. When cared for properly, it can last a lifetime.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    10 days d
    Total Time 10 days d
    Course Bread
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 Starter
    Calories 704 kcal

    Equipment

    Digital scale
    Danish Dough Whisk
    Glass Bowl or Jar

    Ingredients
      

    • 50 grams Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Or Bread Flour
    • 50 grams Filtered Water

    Instructions
     

    Day 1

    • On day one take a clean bowl and place on a digital scale. Set to grams and make sure it is zeroed out.
    • Add 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of filtered water.
    • Mix well, cover with a towel and set aside for 24 hours to rest.

    Day 2 and 3

    • After 24 hours, remove half of the starter, leaving about 50 grams.
    • Add 100 grams of all-purpose flour, or bread flour, and 50 grams of filter water.
    • Mix, cover and set aside.

    Day 4-10

    • On days 4-10 repeat the same feeding process but twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night.
    • By day 7, the portion of the starter that is removed can be used in discard recipes.
    • By day 7-10 you should start to see some growth.
    • If it is doubling in size it may be ready to be added to bread.
    • Take a glass of water and drop in a scoop of the starter. If it floats, it is ready.

    Notes

    See my full post for all the tips, tricks and important information. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 704kcalCarbohydrates: 148gProtein: 24gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 470mgFiber: 13gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 11IUCalcium: 52mgIron: 8mg
    Keyword Sourdough, Sourdough Starter
    Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below.

    More Sourdough Starter

    • A glass bowl with a sourdough starter and danish dough whisk mixing it together.
      How to Feed a Sourdough Starter
    • A digital scale with a bowl of sourdough starter, dough whisk, flour and a cup of water.
      How to Troubleshoot a Sourdough Starter

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Syndi

      April 12, 2023 at 10:46 am

      4 stars
      Hi Kristin,
      Thank you so much for all the tips for this recipe. I followed it except that my starter did not grow much or double in size after 8 days and going on 9th day today. I kept the jar clean, fed twice daily now back to once daily, and temp has been 74F. Thinking of changing location. Besides, what should i do? Appreciate your help.
      Syndi

      Reply
      • Kristin @ Dirt & Dough

        April 13, 2023 at 8:19 am

        Hi Syndi! That is normal some starters will just take longer. What flour are you using? What are you using to cover it? And yes I would try moving it to a different location. I would try moving it to once a day feedings again for a couple of days and see if that helps. Please reach out with any other questions.

        Reply
    2. Elise

      April 23, 2020 at 7:21 pm

      I need to get my starter out of the fridge. I really love sourdough, thank you so much for all the information!

      Reply
      • Kristin

        April 25, 2020 at 2:15 pm

        We do to! It's really the best.

        Reply
    3. Alexa

      April 23, 2020 at 6:52 pm

      You are a bread queen. I so appreciate all your tips. You're so knowledgable!!

      Reply
      • Kristin

        April 25, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        Thank you so much for your kind words! I just love bread.

        Reply
    4. Kim

      April 23, 2020 at 3:10 pm

      Sourdough starters are the best pets that feed your family endlessly! #sourdough for life!

      Reply
      • Kristin

        April 25, 2020 at 2:17 pm

        That is so true! We love our starter.

        Reply

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