The Beginner's Guide to Making Sourdough Starter from Scratch

Embarking on the journey of creating your own sourdough starter is both exciting and rewarding. In this guide, my goal is to help you understand the basic steps of culturing a sourdough starter right at home in 1-2 weeks and how to optimally maintain your starter. With this starter guide and recipe, you'll be baking stunning sourdough artisan loaves and breads in no time!

But first- what is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that is naturally fermented and captures wild yeast and beneficial bacteria from the environment. This combination of yeast and bacteria work together symbiotically to create a living sourdough starter that can be used to naturally leaven bread and a host of other baked goods.

Instead of relying on commercial yeast, the wild yeast and bacteria produce carbon dioxide during fermentation, causing the dough to rise as time goes on.

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Key Components to a Successful Starter:

1. Flour- flour acts as a food source for the yeast and bacteria in your starter. To make this process simple, my recommendation is to start off using high protein (high-gluten) flour.

   
   

   Why? Because this flour has the highest gluten percentage to best support the ideal structure and high nutrients needed to support a fast active fermentation process. I love King Arthur and used this organic flour here for my starter https://amzn.to/3CrXcIg.

   
   

   Can you use other flour brands? Absolutely! I would recommend to make sure you just research and make sure the flour you choose has at least 12 percent gluten and is free off any enrichment or bleaching to avoid a failed starter.

   
   

2. Water- water is necessary in a sourdough starter because it creates the environment necessary for the wild yeast and bacteria to thrive. Water hydrates the flour, activating enzymes that break down starches into sugars. These sugars then feed the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, creating more fermentation in your starter. It is best practice to use water that is free of chlorine, which can inhibit the microbes.

   
   

   Which water is best to use? Filtered water, spring water, and non-chlorinated tap water are all fine options.

   
   

3. Time- I want to stress the importance of allowing enough time for your sourdough starter to culture. Daily feedings and patience will give your sourdough starter the most stable environment to culture and grow. This process can take anywhere between 1-2 weeks, my starter began to double in size after nine days for a rough estimate but it can take less or more time depending on temperature.

   
   

4. Temperature- The temperature of your sourdough starter is a very important factor to the success of your sourdough starter. Typically your starter will acclimate to the temperature of your home, as long as you use room temperature water. I typically recommend for optimal fermentation to keep your starter between 72-78 degrees F. If you'd like you can use a meat thermometer to test the starter and see the temperature, but its usually safe to say it's the same temperature as your home.

   
   

   What can I do if my home is too cold?

   
   

   Most of the time room temperature can't get too hot for a culturing starter, but if your home is under 70 degrees you may find your starter to be sluggish and slow to ferment. You can try a few things: 1. use water that is slightly warm (80 degrees), put your starter on a tray in the oven with the light on to create heat, or in a small room with a space heater. Some people also use a heating pad with a towel over or seedling mats but be aware you may need to take the temperature and avoid your starter overheating with these last two options. I wouldn't allow my starter to go over the temperature of 85 F. There are proofing mats you can purchase specifically designed to keep starter and dough warm during the winter linked here https://amzn.to/4jDwQDN.

   
   

What tools you'll need to make your starter:

• A clean quart jar with a screw cap lid or a clean Tupperware (1 quart) with a fitted lid

• A spatula (I like one with a longer handle)

• Measuring cups and spoons to measure flour and water

Optional Tools

• A food scale- (I will include gram measurements if this is more comfortable for you)

• A meat thermometer - if you want to make sure your starter is at optimal temperatures I recommend using a meat thermometer. I use this one https://amzn.to/4aCKB1m.

Day 1: Beginning the process

Mix- In your clean jar or Tupperware, measure ½ cup (60 grams) of bread flour with ¼ cup (60 grams) of room temperature water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.

Cover- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape.

Rest- Place the jar in a warm spot, ideally around 75°F (24°C), and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Day 2

How your starter should look and smell- You might notice minimal activity, such as a few bubbles or a slight rise. This is normal. Your starter may smell a little cheesy, sour, or even "boozy". All of these smells are normal for a sourdough starter at this stage.

Feed- Add ¼ cup (30 grams) of bread flour and ⅛ cup (30 grams) of room temperature water to the existing mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Cover & Rest- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape. Allow to rest in warm spot for another 24 hours.

Day 3

How your starter should look and smell- Look for signs of fermentation activity, such as bubbles throughout the mixture or a slight increase in volume. You may even see your starter rise a lot which is called a "false rise" at this point in the fermentation process. This isn't true yeast fermentation and be assured your starter cannot culture this rapidly. Your starter might smell even more cheesy or give an alcohol scent. This is normal and happens when the yeast is consuming the sugars and producing ethanol.

Feed- Incorporate 2 tablespoons (15 grams) of bread flour and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of room temperature water into the mixture. Stir until well combined.

Cover & Rest- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape. Allow to rest in warm spot for another 24 hours.

Day 4

How your starter should look and smell- you should be seeing fermentation bubbles in your starter and the smell can still be very strong of cheese or yeast. Don't worry! It will start to smell more sweet with time.

Discard- This is the first day you will start discarding some of your starter to avoid an excessive build up of starter. Remove roughly half (this doesn't have to be exact) of the starter mixture and discard it.

Note: it's not recommended to dump discard down the drain. Best practice is to throw away or you can compost it.

Feed- To the remaining starter, add ¼ cup (30 grams) of bread flour and ⅛ cup (30 grams) of room temperature water. Stir thoroughly.

Cover & Rest- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape. Allow to rest in warm spot for another 24 hours.

Day 5

How your starter should look and smell- As your starter approaches maturity, you should start to see more and more bubbles and even a slight rise. The smell will probably still be very sour and slightly boozy.

Feed- Incorporate ¼ cup (30 grams) of bread flour and ⅛ cup (30 grams) of room temperature water into your jar and stir thoroughly.

Cover & Rest- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape. Allow to rest in warm spot for another 24 hours.

Day 6

How your starter should look and smell- your starter might start to smell more and more yeasty and you may or may not see lot of bubbles. If you don't see a ton of bubbles, don't worry! Even a few shows your starter is fermenting.

Discard- Remove roughly half (this doesn't have to be exact) of the starter mixture from your jar and discard it.

Feed- Add ½ cup (60 grams) of bread flour and ¼ cup (60 grams) of room temperature water to the remaining starter. Stir well.

Mark Your Jar- we want to start marking the volume of the starter in the jar before we let it ferment to see if our starter is beginning to rise. You can do this with a piece of clear tape over the volume line and mark it with a sharpie, or a rubber band is also a great alternative.

Cover & Rest- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape. Allow to rest in warm spot for another 24 hours.

Day 7

How your starter should look and smell- your starter should be smelling less acidic and sweeter as you continue to ferment it. You may notice a slight rise or none at all. Don't worry if you don't observe a rise, this process can take time. The key is to keep going- you're so close!

Feed- Without discarding starter, add ½ cup (60 grams) of bread flour and ¼ cup (60 grams) of room temperature water to the starter. Stir until smooth.

Mark Your Jar- we want to start marking the volume of the starter in the jar before we let it ferment overnight to see if our starter is beginning to rise. You can do this with a piece of clear tape over the volume line and mark it with a sharpie, or a rubber band around the jar is also a great alternative.

Cover & Rest- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape. Allow to rest in warm spot for another 24 hours.

Day 8

How your starter should look and smell- your starter should be showing more signs of active fermentation with a slight rise and bubbling. It should continue to smell less "funky" and more sweet.

Discard- Remove roughly half (this doesn't have to be exact) of the starter mixture from your jar and discard it.

Feed- Add ½ cup (60 grams) of bread flour and ¼ cup (60 grams) of room temperature water to the remaining starter. Stir well.

Mark Your Jar- we want to start marking the volume of the starter in the jar before we let it ferment to see if our starter is beginning to rise. You can do this with a piece of clear tape over the volume line and mark it with a sharpie, or a rubber band is also a great alternative.

Cover & Rest- Loosely cover the jar with fitted lid by resting lid on top of jar to allow gases to escape during fermentation while preventing contaminants from entering. If you use Tupperware, press down 3 corners and leave 1 corner of lid off to allow gases to escape. Allow to rest in warm spot for another 24 hours.

Day 9

On Day 9 my starter had doubled in size and showed lots of bubbles to indicate active fermentation.

Assessing Readiness- Signs your starter is ready to use in a bread recipe

1. Bubbly and Aerated:

   A mature starter will consistently double in size after feeding. This rise indicates strong yeast activity.

2. Smell: Your starter should smell yeasty and sweeter, like beer or fresh bread. If it

   smells acidic, it may need an additional feeding.

If these signs aren’t evident, continue the steps from Days 7-8 of discarding and feeding until the starter becomes bubbly and doubles in volume. Don't be alarmed if this takes a few additional days, most starters begin to consistently double between Days 8-14. Every starter is different and may require roughly more or less time, the key to success is patience with sourdough.

Once you have a happy and bubbly starter, the only two questions that remain are 1. What will you name her, and 2. What are you baking first?

Happy baking!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What does it mean to "feed" my starter?

A: Feeding your starter is the process of adding fresh flour and water to provide nutrients to your starter feeding the wild yeast and bacteria. This "feed" will give your starter what it needs to properly rise making it effective in recipes. A typical feed is usually 1 part starter, 2 parts water, 2 parts flour. This ratio will help keep your starter balanced and active.

Example: Feed starter 1/4 cup mature starter (50g), 1/2 cup water (100g), and 1 cup flour (100g).

Q: Do I have to discard some of my starter every time I feed it?

A: Typically, the answer is yes. If you don't discard some of your starter, the starter will grow excessively large and become difficult to manage. Discarding helps control the proper ratios necessary for a healthy bubbly starter.

Q: My starter isn’t showing any activity. What should I do?

A: Starters can be sluggish initially. Ensure you’re maintaining the recommended temperature and be patient. If after a week there’s still no activity, consider using a different type of flour or ensuring your water is free from chlorine.

Q: There’s a layer of liquid on top of my starter. Is this normal?

A: Yes, this liquid, known as “hooch,” indicates that your starter is hungry. Stir it back in and feed your starter. If hooch appears frequently, consider feeding your starter more often.

Q: My starter has developed mold. What should I do?

A: Mold can appear as fuzzy growths in various colors. If mold develops, it’s safest to discard the starter and begin anew. To prevent mold, ensure you’re using clean utensils and containers, and maintain the recommended temperature.

Q: Can I use different types of flour for feeding?

A: Absolutely. While bread or all-purpose flour is common, a tablespoon whole wheat or rye flour can boost activity due to their higher nutrient content. I wouldn't recommend using whole wheat or rye exclusively though when starting out.

Q: How do I maintain my starter if I don’t bake daily?

A: If you’re not baking regularly, store your starter in the refrigerator and feed it weekly. Before baking, bring it to room temperature and feed it to reactivate.

Q: My starter smells unpleasant. Is this normal?

A: A healthy starter should have a tangy, sour aroma. If it smells rotten or overly unpleasant, it may have been contaminated. In such cases, it’s best to discard it and start over.

Creating a sourdough starter is a process that requires patience and attention. By following these guidelines and addressing common issues, you’ll be well on your way to cultivating a robust starter!

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