Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
How To Make Sourdough Starter
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If you’ve ever wondered how to make sourdough starter, this is your complete guide! Traditional 7 day sourdough starter with perfect results, every time. Just 5 minutes and you are on your way to sourdough bread, pancakes, cakes and more.
Table of Contents
- Does sourdough really take a week?
- Tools Needed to Make Sourdough Starter
- Two Key Ingredients for Any Sourdough Starter
- How To Make Sourdough Starter
- When is starter ready to bake with?
- And for fun…name your starter!
- What and When to Feed Sourdough Starter
- How much sourdough starter to keep?
- Books that Will Help You Learn Sourdough
- How to Make Sourdough Starter Recipe
- Sourdough Recipes We Love
- Sourdough Discard Recipes
What do you do when your spring isn’t turning out anything like what you thought it would be? You bake bread. Because the aroma of freshly baked bread brightens even the longest, darkest days.
For the past two years I’ve been tackling two types of sourdough. One is a sweet sourdough, the starter needed for this Amish Friendship Bread. The other sourdough is a classic sourdough that bakes up beautiful loaves of bread, biscuits, waffles, pancakes and even a chocolate cake.
Today we’re sharing everything we’ve learned about sourdough. Although we used to make a lazy sourdough using commercial yeast, we’ve realized just how easy (and absolutely wonderful) a traditional sourdough starter with just flour and water is.
Does sourdough really take a week?
You’ll want to plan a week to get this sourdough active enough to rise a loaf of bread. Yes…a week seems like a long time, but it is 100% worth it. And once that week is done, you can easily have a loaf of homemade artisan bread anytime you want.
Tools Needed to Make Sourdough Starter
There are a few things you’ll need to have on hand if you want your bread to turn out in the best possible way.
- kitchen scale – You can measure by volume, but for the best results, we recommend investing in a kitchen scale. It’s worth it.
- sourdough jar – These jars hold sourdough beautifully. I love that they are glass so you can see the fermentation. They give lots of room for the starter to double. And they seal nicely when you need a break from baking bread.
Do you absolutely need a kitchen scale? I’ve had readers tell me that in the olden days they did not have kitchen scales so measuring by volume is fine. And in theory, that is true. But when you are getting started and learning how much flour and water to add, it’s best if it is very precise. Then as you become a pro you can measure by volume if you’d like.
Did you know?
Don’t store your sourdough starter in a metal container. Not all metal is created equally and acids react to metals. Use glass for the safest results.
Two Key Ingredients for Any Sourdough Starter
It’s important to use unbleached flour and non-chlorinated water for sourdough starter.
- Non-Chlorinated Water. Chlorine can kill the yeast as it tries to grow. Use filtered water for best results.
- Unbleached Flour. Bleached flour does not have as much natural yeast as unbleached flour does. Will bleached flour work? It may. But when you are beginning and want to have no issues pop up, it is best to work with unbleached flour.
How To Make Sourdough Starter
We’re going to talk about the sourdough process in days. Plan for 7 days to work with the sourdough. It won’t take long at all each day…less than 5 minutes after you get it going!
A note before you begin. Our starter begins with unbleached whole wheat flour. The only time you’ll use whole wheat flour is on day 1. After that you can use regular unbleached flour.
Day 1.
Start with a clean glass jar. I use a pint size mason jar when I am beginning a starter, but a weck jar or other glass jar will be fine too. You’ll just want it to be able to hold about 2 cups so that it can handle the rise of the starter.
Place the jar on the kitchen scale. Turn the scale on and make sure it is reading 0 grams. If it isn’t, press the “tare” button to get the display to read zero.
Add 60 grams of whole wheat flour and 60 grams of warm, non-chlorinated water. The mixture will be very, very think. It won’t be impressive at all to start. But just wait. 🙂
Cover the jar loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature, of in a spot where the room temperature is slightly warmer.
Day 2.
Check the starter. You’re looking for bubbles to form. If you don’t see any, it is ok because they come and go fairly quickly. Don’t mix it. Just check it, then let it sit again for another 24 hours.
Day 3.
This is the first day you’ll feed the starter. Feed it no matter what it looks like. At this point the starter is going to be “stretchy”.
Pull out half of the starter and throw it away. Use your kitchen scale to again add 60 grams of all purpose, white, unbleached flour (remember…you only use whole wheat that first day) and 60 grams of warm water.
Mix it all together. It will still be really thick. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Day 4, 5, and 6.
Discard half of the starter and feed as you did in Day 3. You’ll do the same thing each day no matter what the starter looks like. Discard half, and feed with equal amounts of flour and warm water.
As these three days pass you’ll notice a natural rise and fall to the starter. This is an important process to observe because it will tell you when the starter is ready to bake with and when it is hungry. You can use a rubber band (or a piece of tape) on the jar to mark where the starter is when you feed it, then how it doubles as the starter grows.
Day 7.
Your starter should be very bubbly and you are almost ready to bake! It should have a sweet and tangy aroma. It should not be a sharp or harsh smell. It should look light and airy.
If your starter does not look like this, you might want to continue the feeding process for a few more days before using it.
When your starter looks like this, it means it is ready to start baking the baking process!
When is starter ready to bake with?
Starter is ready when it is bubbly and in the “doubled” stage. If you are wanting to bake bread and the starter is “deflated”, feed the starter, wait a couple of hours and it should be doubled and ready to bake with.
Try the float test
Drop a little bit of starter into a glass jar. If the starter floats, it is ready to bake with. See the picture below.
And for fun…name your starter!
Once you have your “sourdough baby” it’s time to name it! We named ours Clint. You know…for “Clint Yeastwood”. Because we’re corny like that! 🙂
What and When to Feed Sourdough Starter
If you are storing your starter at room temperature, you’ll need to feed it daily. Depending on how much you keep, you can discard about half the starter (use it in sourdough pancakes) and feed it equal amounts of the unbleached all-purpose flour and non-chlorinated water.
If you don’t use your sourdough often, seal it and store it in the refrigerator. Feed it weekly with equal amounts of flour and water. There will be a cloudy liquid on top of the starter. That is called “hooch” and it means your starter is hungry. Stir that liquid in, then feed. Do this weekly. I like to set a reminder on my phone to go off once a week. That way I always have starter on hand.
Once your sourdough is refrigerated, be sure to remove it from the fridge 12-24 hours before you are ready to bake. Mix it, feed it, then watch for it to bubble. If it doesn’t bubble, discard half of the starter and feed again with equal amounts of water and flour.
You’ll learn the timing of your own starter and know how long it takes to get it bubbly and active after a few times.
How much sourdough starter to keep?
You can replenish your starter after you’ve used some up by adding 25 to 50 grams of flour and an equal weight of water to at least a ¼ cup of starter.
If you have an active starter, it’s so easy to quickly grow more sourdough if you’re needing a large amount. There is no need to keep huge amount of it in your refrigerator.
And that’s about it! Please share your hints for making sourdough. What have you had success with? I know many of you are pros and can help me along my sourdough journey!
Books that Will Help You Learn Sourdough
- Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. This cookbook was a lifesaver for us!
- Starter Sourdough. The step by step guide.
How to Make Sourdough Starter
If you've ever wondered how to make sourdough starter, this is your complete guide! Traditional 7 day sourdough starter with perfect results, every time. Just 5 minutes and you are on your way to sourdough bread, pancakes, cakes and more.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 7 days
Total Time 5 minutes
Equipment
- Sourdough Jar
Ingredients
- 60 grams unbleached whole wheat flour
- 300 grams warm non-chlorinated water (divided)
- 360 grams all-purpose unbleached flour (divided)
Instructions
Day 1.
- Start with a clean glass jar. I use a pint size mason jar when I am beginning a starter, but a weck jar or other glass jar will be fine too. You’ll just want it to be able to hold about 2 cups so that it can handle the rise of the starter.
- Place the jar on the kitchen scale. Turn the scale on and make sure it is reading 0 grams. If it isn’t, press the “tare” button to get the display to read zero.
- Add 60 grams of whole wheat flour and 60 grams of warm, non-chlorinated water. The mixture will be very, very think. It won’t be impressive at all to start.
- Cover the jar loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature, of in a spot where the room temperature is slightly warmer.
Day 2.
- Check the starter. You’re looking for bubbles to form. If you don’t see any, it is ok because they come and go fairly quickly. Don’t mix it. Just check it, then let it sit again for another 24 hours.
Day 3.
- This is the first day you’ll feed the starter. Feed it no matter what it looks like. At this point the starter is going to be “stretchy”. Pull out half of the starter and throw it away. Use your kitchen scale to again add 60 grams of all-purpose unbleached flour and 60 grams of warm water.
- Mix it all together. It will still be really thick. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Day 4, 5, and 6.
- Discard half of the starter and feed as you did in Day 3. You’ll do the same thing each day no matter what the starter looks like. Discard half, and feed with equal amounts of flour and warm water.
- As these three days pass you’ll notice a natural rise and fall to the starter. This is an important process to observe because it will tell you when the starter is ready to bake with and when it is hungry. You can use a rubber band (or a piece of tape) on the jar to mark where the starter is when you feed it, then how it doubles as the starter grows.
Day 7.
- Your starter should be very bubbly and you are almost ready to bake! It should have a sweet and tangy aroma. It should not be a sharp or harsh smell. It should look light and airy.
- If your starter does not look like this, continue the feeding process for a few more days before using it.
- Once your starter is light and airy, it's time to bake with it! Place the active starter in a clean jar that it will continue to live in as you feed it.
- Click here to make our favorite artisan sourdough bread recipe.
Sourdough Recipes We Love
We’ve had so much fun working with sourdough and creating all the things! Try one of our favorite recipes, both with discard and active starter.
Pumpkin Sourdough Bread Sourdough Biscuits Sourdough Bread Sourdough Rolls Sourdough Pancakes Sourdough Starter Artisan Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Still have discard? You’ll love these recipes!
I ordered a package of sourdough starter. It’s maybe a few tablespoons in a little ziplock bag and looks like big bread crumbs. Is this used instead of yeast, because the instructions included are similar to yours. I’m so confused
I know the purists out there pooped on this, but I’m thinking, as long s you feed it and use it, isn’t it just a quicker way of “for sure” capturing yeast? Could you then consider it “real” sourdough starter?
I mad this started. I used tap water and instant yeast. Will it still work?
Depends on how much chlorine is in your tap water. Tap water often kills the bacteria and natural yeasts needed to create a sourdough starter. Try to use non-chlorinated /bottled water to create and feed your starter.
This is my first sourdough. Last night my starter was growing very well,but this morning it has fallen. What should I do?? Thank you!
I have been following you on your bread recipes and saw the sourdough recipe. About 40 years ago sourdough bread was really popular. Someone gave my aunt a starter and she shared it with my mother. I think my mother had that for about 25 years. She made many pans of rolls or loaves of bread. She shared her starter with others and there was always bread or rolls in the freezer. I’m not sure what happened to it after she got sick. I guess it was thrown out because my dad took care of her and I don’t think… Read more »
I also did this about 30 years ago. I did bread and the Amish. I want to start it for my grandchildren.
Thanks for the recipe! How many grams/oz was your yeast? Packets come in different sizes!
How much or how do I use the mixture in a recipe? Mine is NOT bubbly after 48 hours but is watery on top and looks like your first picture…kinda like crepe batter.
Can you use instant yeast or does it not work the same as the active yeast?
I followed the recipe exactly and my starter is very thin and runny. Is this normal
Miss Lizzy
I have made sourdough bread from other recipes in the past where i would use 1 cup of starter to 6 cups of ap flower. Is that about wright.?
My starter is in the refrigerator – can I make the pancakes with the starter directly from the refrigerator or do I have to leave it out overnight? I am so new at this and am still learning! Thank you!
is the starter supposed to be runny. I am into my 24 hours and it is still runny.
with bare shelves from coronavirus hysteria, am making this for my sister and her daughter and their families. Flour, sugar and yeast is readily available to our region so told them to roll up their sleeves and time to return back to basics. I do my own yeast breads, extensive canning: and last year started to make a gluten-free starter for son in law, which is more fussy. People do not be afraid to experiment .