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How to Make a Sourdough Starter From Scratch: A Beginner Guide

Overhead view of an active sourdough starter in a glass jar, showing lots of small, active bubbles on the surface.
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Follow this simple, step-by-step guide to create your own active sourdough starter using only flour and water. This recipe is perfect for beginners wanting to bake artisanal bread at home.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 100g Whole Grain Flour (Rye or Whole Wheat recommended for initial mix)
  • 100g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 100g Unchlorinated Water (room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Combine 50g of whole grain flour and 50g of room temperature water in a clean glass jar. Stir until fully mixed. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2: Discard half of the mixture. Add 50g of unbleached all-purpose flour and 50g of water to the remaining starter. Mix well, cover loosely, and wait 24 hours.
  3. Day 3: You might see some small bubbles. Discard half. Feed with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. Wait 24 hours.
  4. Day 4: Discard half. Feed with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. If you see significant activity (doubling in size or many bubbles), switch to feeding every 12 hours.
  5. Days 5 through 7 (or until active): Continue discarding half and feeding with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water every 12 hours. Your starter is ready when it consistently doubles in size within 4-8 hours after feeding and smells pleasantly sour.
  6. Once active, you can maintain your starter by feeding it daily if kept at room temperature, or refrigerate it and feed it weekly.

Notes

  • Use a clear jar so you can watch your sourdough starter come to life and monitor its rise.
  • Temperature affects speed; warmer rooms speed up fermentation, cooler rooms slow it down.
  • If you see dark liquid (hooch) on top, stir it in or pour it off before feeding. This means your starter is hungry.
  • For the best results when baking, use the starter when it is at its peak rise, usually 4-8 hours after feeding.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gourmetgaze.com/sourdough-starter-guide-from-scratch/