A simple, fuss-free way to make sourdough starter from scratch! I love this method because it's reliable, and requires no special tools or ingredients.
Sourdough starter is so easy to make yourself at home! All you need is a little patience and attentiveness to feedings, and you'll be baking sourdough in no time!
There are a plethora of methods for making sourdough starter and it can be intimidating knowing where to start. This is the method I've used every time I've needed to make a starter from scratch. I love it because it's reliable, predictable, and requires no special ingredients.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
Sourdough starter is a culture of yeasts from the air that's kept alive by regular feedings. It is fermented, and has a very distinct "sour" taste.
It's used for leavening breads. Before the production of commercial yeast, leavened breads were always made with sourdough starter!
When you're just starting out making a sourdough starter, your goal is to encourage the yeasts to grow enough to leaven bread.
How to Make Sourdough Starter
The short answer: mix flour and water in a container. Cover loosely and set it on the counter to ferment. Feed it regularly (1-2 times per day) until it is predictably growing.
That's it! It really is that simple. As you keep doing it you'll develop your preferred methods and techniques, and figure out a rhythm for your particular starter, but that's all you need to get started.
Timeline + What to Expect
I wish I could tell you exactly how long it will take to make a flourishing sourdough starter, but it varies so much depending on temperatures, yeasts in the air, ingredients, etc., there's just no way to predict it!
I've heard of it taking as little as 3 days or as long as 3 weeks. It usually takes me right around 12 days. So don't get discouraged if you don't see any activity. Just keep plugging along, feeding your starter and watching expectantly!
In the first few days, you might start to see bubbles forming then all the sudden stop. This doesn't mean your starter has died! Forge ahead with feedings as scheduled.
The Supplies
Sourdough baking really requires no special equipment: People have been baking bread in all conditions for much of human history.
Here's the bare minimum you will need:
- A container - You want something clear, food safe (of course!), and you want something that can be easily covered. You don't actually want an airtight lid because you want the yeasts from the air to get in. I like using my weck jars without the seal, but you can use anything you have! If it doesn't have a lid, just cover with a tea towel and rubber band it around the rim.
- Flour - Unbleached, all purpose flour is my go to.
- Water - Room temperature. You can use it straight from your tap unless it's very heavily treated (you'll be able to smell if it is).
- A warm enough spot for it to rise - Yeasts love warmth! If your kitchen is 68 degrees or above, you should be in good shape. If it's below 68 degrees, you'll want to find a warmer spot for your starter to live (like on the fridge or microwave, close to the oven, etc.).
Other things that are helpful to have:
- A small silicone spatula. You can (of course) use a spoon, or any other stirring utensil. A silicone spatula keeps the sides of the jar from too much build up.
- A kitchen scale. The most precise way to make a starter is with a kitchen scale. You may also want one for future sourdough baking. But if you don't have one, don't let it stop you! Don't even wait for it to show up if you order one online. The sooner you start your starter, the sooner it'll be ready to use.
The Schedule
Here's the general schedule for making and feeding a starter. Remember that it will take some time, so be patient, and just keep on feeding!
To start, mix equal amounts of flour and water (by weight) in a container. Stir vigorously. Cover loosely, and set somewhere warm.
In about 24 hours, pour off half of the mixture, add in fresh flour and water, and stir well. Cover loosely. Repeat this process once a day until you start seeing bubbles in your starter.
Once you are noticing bubbles, you'll want to increase feedings to twice a day until your starter is showing signs that it's ready to bake with: bubbling vigorously, doubling in size, forming a dome at the top.
The Day-by-Day Process of Making a Sourdough Starter
Day 1: I mixed ¼ cup flour with ⅛ cup water. It's like a thick pancake batter.
Day 2: Minuscule bubbles had formed! Progress! Half of the starter was discarded and fresh flour and water were added.
Day 3: Lots more bubbles. The top was looking frothy. Half of the starter was discarded and fresh flour and water were added.
Day 4: Bubbles continued to form, but a thin layer of hooch was sitting at the top of the starter. If this happens to you, it's a sure sign that the starter needs to be fed more frequently. Unfortunately, I had forgotten this and continued my once/day feeding, discarding half the starter and adding fresh flour and water.
Day 5: Significantly less bubbles than earlier in the week. I continued with my regularly scheduled feeding: Half the starter was discarded and fresh flour and water were added.
Day 6: Call the sourdough police! The starter was neglected on day 6. I did not realize this until checking the dates on the photos for this post, but it explains the rancidity I was met with on day 7.
Day 7: A sad, deflated starter with a few tiny bubbles and hooch at the top.
Thankfully, starter is known for being resilient. Given the state of the starter at this point, I decided to up feedings to twice a day. (Which is what I would recommend everyone do when starting out - starters get hungry!)
Day 8: I started feeding the starter twice/day. This quickly resolved the starvation problem and gave me all those airy bubbles for which I had been patiently waiting (and by "patiently waiting" I of course mean "obsessively checking").
Day 11: The starter is bubbling vigorously and smells pleasant. It's ready to use!
At the risk of sounding very do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do, I highly recommend you start feeding your starter twice/day once you notice bubbles forming in it (typically day 3 or 4). In my experience, after the yeasts have had a chance to establish themselves, more frequent feedings help them to flourish!
Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
To Start Your Starter
- 30 grams (¼ cup) all purpose flour
- 30 grams (⅛ cup) water
To Feed Your Starter
- 30 grams (¼ cup) all purpose flour
- 30 grams (⅛ cup) water
Directions
- To Make Your Starter: Combine 30 grams flour and 30 grams water in a clear container. Cover loosely and place in a warm place for 24 hours.To Feed Your Starter: Pour off 30 grams of the starter and discard it. To the container with the remaining 30 grams of starter, add an additional 30 grams of flour and 30 grams of water. Stir vigorously, recover, and return the container to its warm place. Feed according to the guidelines below until it's ready to use.
Notes
- For the first 2-3 days, feed your starter once per day. You want to give the yeasts sufficient time to get established when you have a new starter.
- Once you start noticing bubbles (often on day 3 or 4), increase feedings to twice per day. You want to feed the yeasts enough to encourage quick growth.
Troubleshooting
My starter isn't rising - If you don't see any activity after a few days, your starter either hasn't had enough time to develop and/or it's not in a warm enough place. I'd recommend finding a warmer spot for it to live (on top of the fridge/microwave, closer to the oven, etc.) and keep feeding.
I have a layer of liquid at the top of my starter - Congratulations, you've made hooch! You can pour this off or stir it in before feeding your starter again. Hooch is a sure sign your starter is hungry, so you'll want to increase feeding frequency if you see any.
My starter rises but doesn't double - don't worry about this at all! Monitoring for doubling in volume is just one of the several factors to watch for, but honestly is probably the least important. Does your starter smell pleasant? Do you see lots of bubble activity? Does it rise predictably (even if not doubling)? These are more important things to look at.
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