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The Absolute Beginner’s Guide: How to Make and Maintain a Sourdough Starter From Scratch

A highly active sourdough starter, full of bubbles and risen high in a clear glass jar.
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Follow this simple, day-by-day guide to create your own active sourdough starter using only flour and water. Learn the feeding routine and troubleshooting for your homemade wild yeast culture.

Ingredients

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  • 100g Whole Wheat Flour or Rye Flour (for initial activation)
  • 100g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (for maintenance)
  • 100g Unchlorinated Water (room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Day 1: Mix 50g of whole wheat or rye flour with 50g of room temperature water in a clean glass jar. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature (68-75°F) for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2: You may see small bubbles or nothing at all. Discard half of the mixture. Add 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water to the remaining starter. Mix well, cover loosely, and wait 24 hours.
  3. Day 3: You should see some activity, perhaps small bubbles or a slight sour smell. 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 bubbles, you can switch to feeding every 12 hours.
  5. Day 5 & 6: Continue the discard and feed cycle every 12 hours (morning and evening). Use 50g flour and 50g water for each feeding. Your starter should become noticeably more active, doubling in size between feedings.
  6. Day 7 (or when consistently doubling): Your sourdough starter is now active. To maintain it, keep discarding all but 50g of starter, then feed it with 100g of all-purpose flour and 100g of water (a 1:2:2 ratio). This is your regular feeding schedule.
  7. To bake: Use the starter when it has doubled in size and is full of bubbles, usually 4-8 hours after feeding.

Notes

  • Use unchlorinated water, as chlorine can inhibit wild yeast growth.
  • If your starter is sluggish, try moving it to a slightly warmer spot (around 78°F) for a few days.
  • A thin layer of liquid (hooch) on top means your starter is hungry; pour it off or stir it in before feeding.
  • For long-term storage, place your active starter in the refrigerator after feeding. Feed it once a week.

Nutrition

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