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
Step 1 ~ Gather your 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!
Step 2 ~ 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 … 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!
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.
3. Scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid.
4. 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 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.
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.
3. Scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid.
4. 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 6
The starter rose overnight and fell back down but it is still not strong enough. Keep going!
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.
3. Scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid.
4. 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 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.
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.
3. Scrape down the sides of the jar and cover with a loose fitting lid.
4. Let sit for 4-5 hours, until doubled in size.
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. 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!
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PinDescription
How to make a sourdough starter from scratch.
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
- 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
- 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.
Keywords: sourdough starter, wild yeast
Hi Amy. I am on day three and the starter has a smell to it. Is this just the fermentation process? It it supposed to have a smell while you are in the process of making the first starter?
Andrea Gaines
Yes it has a smell, not to worry!
Hi Amy,
So excited I found your video on YouTube. Anyway. on the day that you discard can you start another starter? I can’t see why not but I shared with a friend that I was going to be doing this and she wanted me to do one for her. So excited to get this started
Hi! You can definitely share instead throwing it away. I would wait until you are on day 7 to give her some, as it should be established by that point 🙂
I am on the day two and the starter has doubled in volume in the rye and the 50/50 is watery and small bubbles. I mixed them both and the rye is rising 1 cm and the 50/50 is rising 4 mm in 2h 30 min. Should I discard already and feed?
Yes go ahead and discard and feed. 🙂
Does distilled water work in the starter
Yes, as long as there is no chlorine. You can always let the water sit out for an hour and the chlorine will dissipate.
Does humidity effect the starter when growing
Yes, humidity can possibly affect the starter. Are you having issues with getting it started?
Yes it is just the video but after about 5 hours it is very thick and almost no active.
How many days has it been since you started?
Fourth day and it smells like a new starter with a honey smell
My humidity in my house is 20% and 22C. I had to throw out my starter it was bad. I will use your method next. What do you recommend for the water measurement with it being so dry.
I would start out using the measurements that I’ve given. I believe my environment is very similar in temperature but my humidity is higher. If you feel like it is still too dry after mixing, I would try mixing in an extra tablespoon of water. You want the mixture to have the consistency of thick cake batter.
Thank you I will try today.
After day 7 can I just feed the starter with all purpose flour
★★★★★
Yes you can 🙂
Hi. This is my third attempt at making the starter. I’m using all purpose white flour. I have read that white flour needs to be fed less frequently, like 24 hours. Is this so or should I stick to 12 hours? Also should it smell like glue?
Hi Sara, until you have an established starter, I would stick to the 12 hour feeding schedule. Has it become active yet? Are you seeing bubbles?
I remember mom and grandma with their Herman’s living in the oven to stay nice and warm. They kept theirs in crocks, uncovered. I’m 61 and wish I could go get some starter from mom but that’s not possible as she’s gone now. I remember them passing parts of Herman on to other family and friends so they too could have some sour dough starter. So thanks for the revival of Herman, can’t wait to have him living in my kitchen and heart.
★★★★★
That is the sweetest thing I’ve heard in a while! Most people don’t realize how just how special starters can be. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
This might sound stupid but I’ve been reading a bunch of starters and I like yours the best! But when ready to bake do you just take what you need out of the starter and stick the rest in the fridge and keep feeding it if you want to keep making it and just go by your weekly schedule you have?
What happens when you want to stop making it or using it? Do you just stop feeding it and use it all up what’s left in the fridge and bake with it?
Please and thank you!
Hi Coleen, I take what I need from my starter to start the levain and save the rest. You must continue to feed your starter at least once a week whether you bake or not.
Hello! I have a little OCD question….when you take 1 Tbs. of the starter to make your levain for the bread, do you need to do anything special to the remainder starter? For example, if I take 1 Tbs. of starter out in the evening (to let the levain sit over night) at the same time of completing the PM feeding …is there adjustments I need to make for the flour/water used to do the PM feeding? Or am I making this more complicated than it needs to be :-/
★★★★
You don’t need to make any adjustments! I would take the tablespoon out first to start the levain and then do the PM feeding.
Thank you Amy! I have successfully established a strong starter thanks to your recipe/tutorial! Today I started the sourdough bread recipe with hopes of baking in the morning! Another question for you…when doing the weekly maintenance and storing the starter in the refrigerator (I plan to only bake 1-2 a month), is it okay to just keep the starter in the refrigerator long term..as long as you’re feeding it? Or is there ever a time you need to let it sit out at room to temp. to revive?
Thank you for your help as I journey into making sourdough bread for my family!
Hi Kirsten! I am writing a sourdough maintenance post and I hope to get it out very soon! But until that post comes out, if you are going to do a weekly maintenance, in the morning, take the starter out from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Once it’s had a chance to “come back to life”, to a clean jar add 25 grams of mature starter and add 100 grams of filtered water and 100 grams of flour. Let it sit on counter for a few hours and then place back into the fridge until the next feeding. I usually just pop it in the fridge right before I go to bed. Just keep it simple!
Perfect! Looking forward to the maintenance post. Until then, thank you for the guidance on how to do it in the meantime…I’ve come this far (a month) given the love, I’d hate to do something to ruin it 🙂
You’re so welcome!
So glad to see this post and video, but I would like to print the Starter instructions too. Thank you so much!!
Hi Amy,
I was so excited to find your recipe, I’m anxious to try my hand at making sourdough bread…I’ve craved it ever since my first trip to San Francisco! Really looking forward to getting the printable version of the starter.
Thanks for sharing your recipe…now it’s time for me to peruse the rest of your recipes!
Hildi Valenzano
Hi Hildi! Once you start making real sourdough, you’ll never want anything else!! I’ll try to have the recipe card up as soon as I can!
I am able to print the recipe but I don’t see where I can print the starter tutorial. Am I just not seeing that button?
Hi Kevin, I didn’t put a printable recipe card on this post. Let me work on that and I’ll let you know when it’s ready!
Hi Amy, my name is emily. I have try to make sourdough starter. But why is my starter stop bubbling on day five and there are watery on top the starter? I follow your recipe. Is it normal? Should I continue or have to start over again? Thank you… oh ya, i live in Indonesia. Temp around 80F
Hi Emily, it is probably due to the higher temperature. Do not start over keep it going! Because of the higher temperatures, I would feed and discard every morning and every night. The other option is to place it in a cooler or fridge to help keep the temperature lower.
thanks Amy, i followed your advice and keep feed the starter. this morning the starter start to bubble but not much. hope it will get stronger. can’t wait to make sourdough bread ^.^
It will turn around in a couple of days!! Just keep going and let me know! 🙂
Hello … any news on posting the bread recipe? It looks amazing… thanks!
I’m really hoping to get it out this week! I’m setting aside all day tomorrow to work on it 🙂
Have you posted a sourdough recipe!
I will be posting one very soon!!
Great article, video. I appreciate it. Did you ever post a Maintenance article? –Merrill
Hi Merrill, I just updated the post to include the maintenance schedule. 🙂
Amy, I am a newbie to this. Your recipe of feed and discard does not tell me what to discard. When I take 3 TBSP of the starter mix and feed it, do I discard the rest of the starter? Help.
Yes, discard the rest of the starter. I will try to clarify the directions! 🙂