Learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch with just 2 ingredients: flour and water!
2022 Update: I’ve decided to make my sourdough e-courses open and accessible to all and have moved all of the course materials to blog posts. The following instructions and recipe for how to make a sourdough starter from scratch are from 2020.
The whole world seems to be baking bread at home right now. Store shelves are clearing out of flours and yeast as soon as they are stocked. One of the only ways I’ve felt prepared for having to self-isolate during this pandemic is having a sourdough starter. If you’ve wanted to try making your own sourdough bread at home now is the perfect time to start.
Over the years I’ve received so many questions about sourdough baking and if/when I will host a sourdough workshop. So over the last month, I’ve been busily creating a sourdough bread e-course that will be live very shortly.
I’ve decided to share the first lesson as its own course. Once you’ve created an active and bubbly sourdough starter check out my other courses: How to Make Artisan Sourdough Bread at Home and How to Make Sourdough Bagels.
Jump to:
Watch How to Create a Sourdough Starter
Equipment
You’ll need a pint-sized jar with a lid, a digital kitchen scale, a stirring utensil like a small silicone spatula, a rubber band for marking the growth of the starter, bread flour, rye flour, and water.
How to Create a Starter
Day 1:
Measure 40 grams of bread flour into the jar followed by 10 grams of whole grain rye flour for a total of 50 grams of flour.
Add 50 grams of water to the jar. We’ve added equal parts of flour and water by weight, 50 grams each. This is called a 100% hydration starter.
Mix the flours and water together and incorporate air into the mixture.
Clean down the sides of the jar with the spatula and place the lid loosely over the top.
Place the jar in a warm spot of your house and let it sit for 48 hours before we do the first feeding.
Day 3 – 48 hours later:
What to Look for: The starter should have some bubbles present and may form a thin skin on top. It will not have a tell-tale sour smell of fermentation yet.
Measure 50 grams of the starter into a clean jar and discard the rest. Now we will feed it with 20 grams of bread flour and 5 grams of rye flour. That is 80% bread flour and 20% rye flour of the total amount of flour or 4 parts bread flour and 1 part rye flour. We will always feed our starter with this ratio of flours.
Then add 25 grams of water to the jar. So again we are adding equal amounts by weight of our flour mix and water, 25 grams each. Follow this ratio for every feeding: 2 parts starter to 1 part of total flour to 1 part water.
Mix it all together vigorously to incorporate air into the starter.
Cover the jar loosely and mark the level of the starter with a rubber band. Let it sit in a warm spot for 24 hours.
Day 4 – 24 hours later:
What to Look for: The starter should have increased yeast activity and should be almost doubled in volume. May start to smell sour, but still not a pleasant yeasty smell.
In the same jar, feed the starter with 50 grams of our 80/20 flour mix, so 40 grams of bread four and 10 grams of rye flour.
Then add 50 grams of water and mix together, incorporating air as you mix it.
Cover it loosely and mark the level of starter with a rubber band. Then let is rest in a warm spot for another 24 hours.
Day 5 – 24 hours later:
What to Look for: The starter should have about the same level of yeast activity. A skin may form and it will smell more and more sour.
Transfer 50 grams of the starer to a clean jar and discard the rest.
Feed it with 25 grams of the 80/20 flour mix, so 20 grams of bread four and 5 grams of rye flour.
Add 25 grams of water and and mix together, incorporating air as you mix it.
Cover it loosely and mark the level of starter with a rubber band. Then let is rest in a warm spot for another 24 hours.
Day 6 – 24 hours later:
What to Look for: The starter should have nearly tripled in volume and be very active with lots of bubbles. It should have a sour fermented scent by now. At this stage it should be ready to use after 1 more feeding.
Feed it in the same jar with 50 grams of our 80/20 flour mix, which comes out to 40 grams of bread four and 10 grams of rye flour.
Now add 50 grams of water and mix together.
Cover it loosely and mark the level of starter with a rubber band.
The starter should become very active and bubbly and double to triple in volume within 3 hours in a warm spot. It might take longer in a cooler environment.
Approximately 3 hours later:
If the starter has tripled in volume within 3 hours it is now very active and ready to use in recipes. You may have to feed it again to increase the amount of starter you have, depending on how much a recipe calls for.
How Store Sourdough Starter
Store your starter in the refrigerator if you don’t plan on using it everyday. Take it out and feed it following the feeding ratio: 2 parts starter to 1 part of total flour to 1 part water. If you use the starter weekly or twice a week then one feeding straight from he fridge should be enough to refresh and activate it so it is ready to use in recipes. If it’s not very active and bubbly within 3 hours of feeding it, then feed the starter again before using it in recipes.
Feeding Your Starter
Maintain a 100% hydration starter by feeding it 2 parts starter to 1 part of total flour to 1 part water. Discard most of the starter before refreshing it with new flour and water. Use the discard in recipes like my Sourodugh Discard Crackers or sourdough pancakes if you like. Sourdough starter should be fed daily if it is kept at room temperature and weekly if it is stored in the refrigerator.
The more frequent the feedings the more active your starter will become. If you’re unsure if a new starter is ready on Day 6 keep feeding it and checking the time it takes to reach peak activation. Feed it multiple times within a day to get it very active.
How to Know When A Sourdough Starter Is Ready to Use
Look for the clues to know when your starter is ready to use: It should triple in volume within 3 hours in a warm spot, be very active with lots of bubbles, smell like yeast: sour/fermented scent.
Use the starter at peak activation: it should be slightly domed which means the yeast is still feeding on the flour and water refreshent. If it looks deflated or is sinking it means the yeast has run out of food and the starter is no longer active. You’ll need to feed it again before you use it in recipes.
Sourdough Starter Glossary
Hydration: The ratio of water to flour, as a percentage. For example, a 100% hydration sourdough starter will be made of equal parts by weight of flour and water.
Leaven / Levain: A culture of naturally occurring yeast and bacteria used to produce fermentation in sourdough. Sometimes used interchangeably with the term sourdough starter, a leaven is usually made by feeding a portion of sourdough starter with flour and water to be used in its entirety in a dough recipe.
Refreshment: Another term for maintaining or feeding a sourdough starter.
Sourdough Starter: A culture of wild, naturally occurring yeast and bacteria produced through the fermentation of flour and water.
Sourdough Starter FAQs
You want to use your starter at peak activation, meaning the yeast are still actively feeding on the refreshment (the flour/water mixture you fed them). When you look at the starter it should be slightly domed with lots of bubbles. If the top of the starter looks like it is sinking down then it has passed peak activation and they are no longer as active because they ran out of refreshment.
Yes. If you don’t have access to bread flour and rye flour you can use other flours. All-purpose flour and whole wheat flour would be a good substitution. If you can’t find any whole grain wheat flour then you can just use all-purpose or bread flour.
Yes. This dark liquid is called “hooch” and is a naturally occurring alcohol that forms when the yeast has run out of food and is hungry. Pour off the liquid and resume feedings.
Yes. Pour off any hooch, a dark alcoholic liquid, that might have formed. The resume regular feedings. Sourdough starter is very resistant. I’ve neglected mine for 2 months before and it came back very quickly with regular feedings.
Make Your Own Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- 2 glass pint jars
- 1 lid for jar
- 1 digital kitchen scale
- 1 small spatula
- 1 rubber band
Ingredients
- 160 g bread flour
- 40 g rye flour
- 200 g water
Instructions
Day 1
- Measure 40 grams of bread flour into the jar followed by 10 grams of whole grain rye flour for a total of 50 grams of flour.
- Now add 50 grams of water to the jar. We’ve added equal parts of flour and water by weight, 50 grams each. This is called a 100% hydration starter.
- Mix the flours and water together and incorporate air into the mixture.
- Clean down the sides of the jar with the spatula and place the lid loosely over the top.
- Now place the jar in a warm spot of your house and let is sit for 48 hours before we do the first feeding.
Day 3 – 48 hours later
- What to Look for: The starter should have some bubbles present and may form a thin skin on top. It will not have a tell-tale sour smell of fermentation yet.
- Measure 50 grams of the starter into a clean jar and discard the rest. Now we will feed it with 20 grams of bread flour and 5 grams of rye flour. That is 80% bread flour and 20% rye flour of the total amount of flour or 4 parts bread flour and 1 part rye flour. We will always feed our starter with this ratio of flours.
- Then add 25 grams of water to the jar. So again we are adding equal amounts by weight of our flour mix and water, 25 grams each. Follow this ratio for every feeding: 2 parts starter to 1 part of total flour to 1 part water.
- Mix it all together vigorously to incorporate air into the starter.
- Cover the jar loosely and mark the level of the starter with a rubber band. Let it sit in a warm spot for 24 hours.
Day 4 – 24 hours later
- What to Look for: The starter should have increased yeast activity and should be almost doubled in volume. May start to smell sour, but still not a pleasant yeasty smell.
- In the same jar, feed the starter with 50 grams of our 80/20 flour mix, so 40 grams of bread four and 10 grams of rye flour.
- Then add 50 grams of water and mix together, incorporating air as you mix it.
- Cover it loosely and mark the level of starter with a rubber band. Then let is rest in a warm spot for another 24 hours.
Day 5 – 24 hours later
- What to Look for: The starter should have about the same level of yeast activity. A skin may form and it will smell more and more sour.
- Transfer 50 grams of the starer to a clean jar and discard the rest.
- Feed it with 25 grams of our 80/20 flour mix, so 20 grams of bread four and 5 grams of rye flour.
- Add 25 grams of water and and mix together, incorporating air as you mix it.
- Cover it loosely and mark the level of starter with a rubber band. Then let is rest in a warm spot for another 24 hours.
Day 6 – 24 hours later
- What to Look for: The starter should have nearly tripled in volume and be very active with lots of bubbles. It should have a sour fermented scent by now. At this stage it should be ready to use after 1 more feeding.
- Feed it in the same jar with 50 grams of our 80/20 flour mix, which comes out to 40 grams of bread four and 10 grams of rye flour.
- Now add 50 grams of water and mix together.
- Cover it loosely and mark the level of starter with a rubber band.
- The starter should become very active and bubbly and double to triple in volume within 3 hours in a warm spot. It might take longer in a cooler environment.
Approximately 3 hours later:
- If the starter has tripled in volume within 3 hours it is now very active and ready to use in recipes. You may have to feed it again to increase the amount of starter you have, depending on how much a recipe calls for.
Notes
- Store your starter in the refrigerator if you don’t plan on using it everyday. Take it out and feed it following the feeding ratio: 2 parts starter to 1 part of total flour to 1 part water.
- Look for the clues to know when it is ready: It should triple in volume within 3 hours in a warm spot, be very active with lots of bubbles, smell like yeast: sour/fermented scent.
- Use the starter at peak activation: it should be slightly domed which means the yeast are still eating the flour and water we fed them. If it looks deflated or is sinking it means the yeast have run out of food and the starter has passed peak activation now. You’ll need to feed it again before you use it in recipes.
- The more frequent the feedings the more active your starter will become. If you’re unsure if the starter is ready on Day 6 keep feeding it and checking the time it takes to reach peak activation. Feed it multiple times within a day to get it very active.
Kaity Farrell
Ask me any questions you have! – kaity
Leslie
When storing the starter in the fridge, do you need to bring it down to room temp before adding some of the starter to a recipe?
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for your question! yes, I feed it straight from the fridge then it comes to room temperature as it activates. If you use it at least weekly it should be ready to add to recipes after just one feeding from the fridge. If you use it less often then it may take 2 or more feedings before it is ready to use in recipes.
Leslie
Thank you so much for the response! One more question. After the initial establishment of the starter, going forward, do you need to weigh the amount of starter you have in the jar each time and then feed it with the 2:1:1 ratio?
Kaity Farrell
Hi Leslie, I keep my starter in a quart mason jar and weighed the empty jar first. When I discard starter I can weigh the jar and subtract the empty jar weight to figure out how much starter is left. I usually discard enough to have 100g of starter left to keep it simple. Then feed it 40g bread flour, 10g rye flour, and 50g water for the 2:1:1 ratio. You can also feed is 1:1:1 to simplify too, it will just take a bit longer to activate. I do this when I need more time before I use the starter in a recipe, so I would feed 100g starter with 80g bread flour, 20g rye flour and 100g water. Hope that helps. Happy to answer any other question you have!
-Kaity