Learn how to make and feed your very own sourdough starter, letting you create the most tantalizing breads, pizza dough, doughnuts, pancakes, and even homemade pretzels. All you need are two ingredients, a glass jar, and you’re well on your way to unlocking the magic of a sourdough starter.
Sourdough Starter Highlights
Baking with a sourdough starter gives your bread a zingy flavor that only fresh starters can create. It also breaks down gluten, making it easier to digest, and it stays fresh 2-3 times longer than ready-made breads.
It only requires two ingredients and a few minutes to prepare; get your family or housemates involved and turn it into a project for everyone to learn and grow from.
Once you’ve taken the time to get your starter activated, given it a good name, and brought it home, the rest is a piece of cake and a tasty thing to be proud of.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or not, there are so many different ways to use sourdough starter that you’ll be able to roll up your sleeves and get creative.
Once you’ve baked with a fresh sourdough starter, you’ll wonder why you’ve never done this before, as the results will be amazing.
Sourdough Starter Ingredients You’ll Need & Notes
- Whole wheat flour: Whole wheat flour helps to get the fermentation process started faster than it would if using plain flour. You can substitute this for all-purpose flour; however, you’ll need to add on a day or two in the fermenting process.
- Warm water: The water should be at 75℉ (24℃). To be sure of the temperature, it’s best to use a kitchen thermometer to check.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is used to feed the sourdough starter as it’s not only cost-effective but reliable and easy to use.
Sourdough Starter Instructions Step-by-Step
- Day 1 – Make the Starter
Add whole wheat flour with warm water to a sterile glass jar, mixing with a stainless steel or wooden fork until smooth. Lightly cover the jar, letting it rest in a warm spot in the kitchen at approximately 75℉ (24℃).
Pro Tip: The temperature is key to creating the best sourdough starter, be sure to keep the temperature at 75℉ (24℃). - Day 2 – After 24 Hours
You’ll notice tiny bubbles starting to appear on top of your starter, which means you’re off to a good start. The bubbles mean it’s starting to ferment. Nothing else is needed for the next 24 hours. Just leave it lightly covered in the same warm spot.
- Day 3 – It’s Feeding Time
To get started, remove and discard half the contents in the starter, so you’re left with 4 tablespoons (60 g). At this point, the texture of the starter will be very elastic or stretchy. Use a fork to mix in all-purpose flour and warm water, mixing until smooth. Lightly cover the glass jar, leaving it in the same warm spot in your kitchen for another 24 hours.
- Day 4, 5 & 6 – Repeat
Repeat the feeding steps of discarding half and mixing in all-purpose flour with warm water every 24 hours for these three days. The goal is to have your starter double in size, this is how you know it’s ready to use.
- Day 7 – Time to Get Started
By this day, the starter should have doubled in size, with both large and tiny bubbles throughout the whole starter.
Pro Tip: If the starter has not doubled in size by day seven, repeat the feeding steps, leaving it for another day or two if needed, until it has doubled in size.
Recipe Tips
Plan ahead to have a stable sourdough starter in place, you’ll need 7-8 days to make it.
Use a piece of tape or an erasable marker to make a note of where your starter began to easily tell when it has doubled in size.
It’s best practice to use an instant-read kitchen thermometer in order to check the room and water temperatures when making a sourdough starter.
Be sure to measure the ingredients properly in order for the starter to react, ferment, and be active.
Storing & Feeding Instructions
Storing and keeping your starter alive: If you do a lot of baking, it can be left at room temperature and fed daily. If you’re only planning on baking once in a while, it can be stored in the fridge and fed weekly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Making a sourdough starter transforms water and flour into a roaring jar of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. The starter attracts wild yeast from the environment as well as the wheat you give it. This lends a unique “sour” flavor to the bread, as well as a crispy crust and fluffy air pockets.
Metal reacts with the acidic chemicals in sourdough starters, causing them not to rise properly, and the sourdough could actually absorb the toxins in metals, transferring them into the food. Stainless steel is fine to use as long as it doesn’t have a metal coating.
Look at how it’s developed to check whether you have an active starter; it should have doubled in volume as you’ve fed it. The surface should also be quite frothy and slightly foamy.
If you forget about your starter for a long period of time, it will grow mold or show signs of being overtaken by nasty bacteria. Mold may appear in a variety of shades and is typically fuzzy in appearance. An orange or pink tint or stripe indicates bad bacteria.
If you do a lot of baking, it can be left at room temperature and fed daily. If you’re only planning on baking once in a while, it can be stored in the fridge and fed weekly.
This harmless brown liquid is called “hooch” and is the liquid result of alcohol forming as the starter ferments. It’s also a sign that your starter is getting close to feeding time. Simply dump off the liquid and start feeding.
100 g of sourdough starter = 7 g instant yeast (1 package). If the recipe calls for 7 g of instant yeast, add 100 g of sourdough started and reduce 50 g of flour and 50 g of water. Keep in mind that the rising times will be longer, almost double compared to the original recipe.
Bread Recipe Links You’ll Love
- Eggless Brioche
- Best Eggless Cornbread
- Eggless Orange Blueberry Cornbread
- Eggless Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
- Soft & Easy Eggless Dinner Rolls
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Recipe Card 📖
Simple Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- 1 Sterile Glass Jar
Ingredients
- ½ cup (60 g) whole wheat flour
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) warm water
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
Day 1 – Make the Starter
- Add ½ cup (60g)whole wheat flour with ¼ cup (60 ml g) warm water 75℉ (24℃) to a sterile 1 gallon (3.75 liters) glass jar, mixing with a stainless steel or wooden fork until smooth. Lightly cover the jar, letting it rest in a warm spot in the kitchen at approximately℉ (24℃) for 24 hours.
Day 2 – After 24 Hours
- You’ll notice tiny bubbles appearing on top of your starter, which means you’re off to a good start. The bubbles mean it's starting to ferment. Nothing else is needed for the next 24 hours; just leave it lightly covered in the same warm spot.
Day 3 – It's Feeding Time
- To get started, remove and discard half the contents in the starter, so you’re left with 4 tablespoons (60 g). At this point, the texture of the starter will be very elastic or stretchy. Use a stainless steel or wooden fork to mix in ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour with ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water, mixing until smooth. Lightly cover the glass jar, leaving it in the same warm spot in your kitchen for another 24 hours.
Day 4, 5 & 6 – Repeat
- Repeat the feeding steps of discarding half and mixing in ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour with ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water every 24 hours of these three days. The goal is to have your starter double in size; this is how you know it's ready to use.
Day 7 – Time to get started
- By this day, the starter should have doubled in size, with both large and tiny bubbles throughout the whole starter. You're now ready to get started baking some beautiful bread. Note: If the starter has not doubled in size by day seven, repeat the feeding steps, leaving it for another day or two if needed, until it has doubled in size.
- From the fridge: If your starter is stored in the fridge, pull it out, feed the starter the night before leaving it at room temperature overnight, and you’re ready to bake.
- Room temperature: If your starter is already at room temperature, simply continue your feeding schedule.
- Plan ahead! The sourdough starter needs 7 days to be ready to use.
- Use a piece of tape or an erasable marker to make a note of where your starter began to easily tell when it has doubled in size.
- It’s best practice to use an instant-read kitchen thermometer in order to check the room and water temperatures when making a sourdough starter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.