Are you looking for an easy sourdough starter recipe? Only two ingredients and a few minutes a day will give you a sourdough starter that you can use to bake delicious, naturally leavened bread in about 7 days!
Full length video tutorial – How to Make a Sourdough Starter
Sourdough Ingredients and Tools
- Flour – I suggest using a 50/50 mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour. Mix the two flours together in a large bowl and then store it in a quart size mason jar for easy access.
- Water – You can use filtered water or you can do what I do. I fill a jar with tap water and then let it sit out for an hour to allow the chlorine to dissipate. Then it is ready to use without hurting the growth of the yeast. The goal is to use water with no chlorine.
- Glass jar with a loose fitting lid – I use 19.5 oz. Weck Jars because I like the glass top that comes with it. It’s very convenient and easy to clean. I keep two of these jars on hand so that I can switch to a clean jar when I feed my starter. You can also use a wide mouth pint sized mason jar with a canning lid placed on top or a small bowl with a plate placed on top. You want the mixture to be able to “breathe” while it is cultivating.
- Spatula – I use the Oxo Spatula for mixing my starter. This particular spatula is super strong so it makes stirring a stiff batter really easy and it’s a breeze to clean. You can also use a wooden spoon or any spatula you have on hand.
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons – You will need a variety of different sizes.
- Kitchen Scale – This is not necessary but highly recommended if you want to get serious about baking. Once you start baking sourdough bread with your starter you will want one of these scales in your arsenal of tools. In this tutorial I am going to give both types of measurements so if you don’t have a scale at this point it’s not a problem!
* The temperature of your house is important when creating a sourdough starter. As a reference … At the time I created this starter, my kitchen remained about 65 degrees throughout the process. If your kitchen is colder, it could take longer and if it’s warmer, the heat can help to speed up the process.
Patience is key when developing your sourdough starter!
How to make a Sourdough Starter
Day 1
1. First thing in the morning … in a glass jar, combine the following:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 cup filtered water
2. Use a spatula to vigorously stir the flour and water together until there are no clumps.
3. Scrape down the sides of the jar, cover with the loose fitting lid.
4. Set the jar in a cool, shaded spot for 24 hours.
Day 2
On the morning of Day 2 you may or may not see bubbles on top of the starter.
1. In the morning stir the starter to incorporate air into the mixture, scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid.
2. Set the jar in a cool, shaded spot for 24 hours.
Day 3
Check the starter for signs of activity. As you can see in the pictures from the morning of Day 3 below … it should be bubbly! The starter has risen some overnight.
Starting on the morning of Day 3 and until the starter is ready to bake with … we will start discarding and feeding the starter every morning and give it a maintenance feeding every night before bed.
You will only use 3 tablespoons of the starter in the morning and discard the rest.
AM – Discard and Feed
1. To a clean jar add the following:
- 3 tablespoons STARTER (40 grams)
- 1/2 cup of the FLOUR mixture (80 grams)
- 1/3 cup of filtered WATER (80 grams)
2. Stir vigorously with a spatula until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid.
3. Let sit for 12 hours.
PM – Feed
1. To the jar of STARTER add:
- 2 tablespoons of the FLOUR mixture
- 1.5 tablespoons filtered WATER
2. Stir vigorously with a spatula, scrape down the sides and cover with a loose fitting lid.
3. Let sit for 12 hours.
Day 4
On the morning of Day 4 the starter is very active. This is evident by all the bubbles on top and on the sides of the jar. It has almost doubled in size which is a very good sign!
Use the same AM and PM schedules from Day 3. This is the schedule you will follow until you have a strong starter!
Day 5
You can see that the starter is nice a bubbly which means it’s active. The yeast still need to multiply in order to give the starter the boost it needs to rise bread.
Day 6
The starter rose overnight and fell back down but it is still not strong enough. Keep going!
Day 7
Today we will feed and discard as usual in the morning. About 4 hours after the feeding we will do what is called a “Float Test” to see if the starter is ready for bread baking.
4 Hours Later on Day 7
As you can see in the picture on the left, the starter has doubled in size in 4 hours since the morning feeding. I performed a “float test” by dropping a tablespoon of the starter into a jar of room temperature water. The starter floats on the top of the water which indicates that it is ready to bake!
If the starter does not float don’t worry … keep up the daily schedule until it passes the test. It might need an extra day or two depending on the temperature of your house!
*****IMPORTANT****
Do NOT forget to save some of your starter BEFORE you incorporate it into the dough!!
Day 8 Sourdough Bread!
I used the starter from Day 7 to make this loaf of sourdough that was fermented overnight and baked on the morning of day 8 using my Beginners Sourdough Bread Recipe. The crust is a nice golden brown and super crispy!
Look at this amazing open crumb!
Step 3 ~ Maintaining a Sourdough Starter
Head on over to my full tutorial on Sourdough Starter Maintenance! Learn how to maintain it daily or weekly and how to store a back-up!
Also, check out my Beginner’s Sourdough Bread recipe. It’s perfect for the home baker!
How to Make a Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
- whole wheat flour
- all-purpose flour
- filtered water
Instructions
- Day 1 - First thing in the morning ... in a glass jar, combine the following: 1/2 cup flour, and 1/3 cup filtered water. Use a spatula to vigorously stir the flour and water together until there are no clumps. Scrape down the sides of the jar, cover with the loose fitting lid. Set the jar in a cool, shaded spot for 24 hours.
- Day 2 - In the morning stir the starter to incorporate air into the mixture, scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid. Set the jar in a cool, shaded spot for 24 hours.
- Days 3-7 - Morning - Discard and Feed To a clean jar add the following: 3 tablespoons STARTER (40 grams), 1/2 cup of the FLOUR mixture (80 grams), 1/3 cup of filtered WATER (80 grams). Stir vigorously with a spatula until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid. Let sit for 12 hours. Evening - Feed To the jar of STARTER add: 2 tablespoons of the FLOUR mixture and 1.5 tablespoons filtered WATER. Stir vigorously with a spatula, scrape down the sides and cover with a loose fitting lid. Let sit for 12 hours.
- Day 8 - Perform the float test by dropping 1 tablespoon of starter into a bowl of room temperature water. If it floats, it is ready to bake bread. See my Beginners Sourdough Bread Recipe. If it does not float, continue to discard and feed every day until it passes the test.
Nutrition
David Williams says
Amy
I live in the U.K. and our cup measurements differ slightly.
I am just about to start your Sourdough Starter, could you please let me know metric measurements/weights for 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water and I will work the rest out from there.
Thanks so much Amy, keep up the excellent work.
Kindest regards
Dave
Amy Duska says
Hi Dave, 1 cup of all-purpose flour is 120g and 1 cup of water is 240g. Make sure you check out my new updated sourdough starter tutorial at https://littlespoonfarm.com/sourdough-starter-recipe/ There is a toggle button on the recipe card there that you can switch between US Customary measurements and metric measurements. This is a new website of mine that is dedicated to sourdough recipes, especially for beginners and home bakers! 🙂
Michael says
Thank you for all of the helpful information.
I have a proofing warmer;that can be set to any temperature. What is the ideal temp for making a starter?
Also is whole organic wheat good.
Thank you again.
Amy Duska says
I would set it around 70 degrees. When making the starter, I would use non-organic flour. Once it’s established you can slowly transition to an organic flour.
Gynn says
First time doin the sourdough starter. Day 2 and the bottom of the jar is a bit watery. Is this normal. Morning i stri and leave it. And now the bottom part is watery again.
Amy Duska says
What type of flour are you using?
Valerie Pedersen says
First timer here. I started my starter on Saturday and its now Monday. One thing I did not do was place it in a shaded place. I left it on my counter. It doubled in size by day 3 and had lots of bubbles.. I just did the day 3 feeding as instructed. Also I wanted to know if it was OK to use bottled water? Our water here is awful to drink and I never use it when cooking. Since is rose so much after day 2 and was very gummy do I need to throw it away or just keep going?
Thank you for your help.
Amy Duska says
Hi Valerie! DO NOT throw it away! It is perfectly fine to use bottled water. Keep feeding it on schedule and you should start to see changes everyday. Sometimes it takes 7 days and sometimes a few more before you can bake. Keep me posted! 🙂
Beth Bilous says
So….. does feeding it twice a day instead of once a day shorten the wait time until you can use it then? Every other recipe says, feed once a day for fourteen days.
Amy Duska says
I guess so. By feeding it twice daily, the bacteria and yeast have a chance to grow more rapidly.
Kim says
Do you use the 50/50 ratio of whole wheat and all purpose flour throughout the first 7 days or just the first day? If it’s the who time, after the starter is made, can I switch to just all purpose flour?
Amy Duska says
I use it throughout the entire 7 days. I prefer to feed my starter with the 50/50 mixture to maintain it, but it is perfectly fine to only use 100% all-purpose flour.
NANCY LOPEZ says
Where do you buy the jars with glass lids?
Amy Duska says
Hi Nancy! They are called “Weck Jars”. There is a link in the post to purchase through Amazon, but I find them locally at places like, The Container Store, World Market and Crate and Barrel, to name a few.
Jayne Baldwuin says
Can I use bread flour for this? rather than all purpose?
Do you have brand preferences?
Amy Duska says
Yes you can use bread flour. I prefer White Lily and King Arthur brand flours.
Sandra York says
This was so easy to understand. I am a visual learner and this just made sense. Thank you for taking the time to explain it! My starter is on day 5 and I thought it was messed up, but now I see it’s normal.
Amy Duska says
You are so welcome! 🙂
ahmed says
Hello, allow me to ask a question and through your experiences, whichever you prefer harsh Leaven or hydration 100%?
Amy Duska says
100% hydration is what I prefer. I have never used harsh levain.
Odeta says
And also in these 7 days, starter rose just a little bit. I don’t know whats wrong, but there is always bubbles..
Odeta says
Hello,
i need some advice. I am on day 7 today, but my starter didn’t double size, there are just bubbles.. 🙁 What should i do know? Discard everything and try again?
Thanks
Amy Duska says
Don’t throw it away, keep going! The bubbles indicate that the starter has activity so it just needs more time!
Shannon says
It’s the morning of day four and the starter is VERY watery. There is a layer of water on top of the gummy part. No bubbles. I did the normal morning routine anyway but this time only added 1/4 cup of water instead of a 1/3 because it was already so loose. Should I just start all over or keep plugging along?
Amy Duska says
Just keep plugging along!The yeast and bacteria are building up, sometimes it just takes longer depending on the flour, water and your environment!
Mickey says
After 3 years of trying to perfect a loaf, I found this recipe and have had the best success. Thank You!!!
Amy Duska says
It takes some practice and patience but it’s so worth it!
Susan Walton says
Hello, I am on the 7th day and the starter did double size after 4 Hrs, however the float test didn’t work. Should I stir the starter before float test?
Amy Duska says
I would keep trying the test everyday until it floats. Sometimes it can take a few more days. You do not have to stir it beforehand.
Mickey says
I have the same question. I didn’t stir it, and one loaf came out very dense. The second loaf with the starter left after using the unstirred starter was much lighter……wondering the science behind this. Recommendations are welcome.
Amy Duska says
I’m not sure, I’ve never had this happen. I will have to do some research!