How to Make Sourdough Starter

How to Make Sourdough Starter and having your very own sourdough starter in your refrigerator is probably anyone’s best-kept secret. It is a homemade, wild yeast right at your fingertips that you can forever use in numerous recipes. It contains a bacteria called lactobacilli, making it a natural probiotic and gut friendly. When initially starting a sourdough starter, it will take some time and patience.

But, I promise it becomes very simple, once your starter is alive. The upkeep is easier than taking care of a plant in your home. Active starters are also extremely resilient, meaning if you forget to care for them, it is most likely salvageable. Your sourdough starter will serve you well, and the opportunities are endless once you have your own. So let us get right into it! Below you will find an outlined 7-day guide to make your sourdough starter going, and how to care for it after the 7 days.

Ingredients for your sourdough starter

• Organic dark rye flour OR whole wheat flour
• Organic unbleached all-purpose flour OR organic bread flour
• Filtered water or bottled water

How to Make Sourdough Starter: Equipment needed for your sourdough starter

• Mason jar or Weck jar (note: do not use an airtight lid)
• Food scale
• Food thermometer

Make Sourdough Starter: Mix your starter-Day 1

• Using a food scale measure 100 grams of rye flour (or wheat) in your jar.
• Add 150 grams of lukewarm water (roughly 85 degrees F)
• Vigorously stir using a silicone spatula or fork. Make sure there are no flour clumps.
• Cover with a loose-fitting lid and mark the level where the mixture sits at

Make Sourdough Starter: First feed-Day 2

• Remove 70 grams of starter
• Add 50 grams of rye flour
• Add 50 grams of all-purpose flour
• Add 115 grams of warm water (approximately 85 degrees F)
• Stir vigorously

Make Sourdough Starter: Second feed-Day 3

• Same as Day 2

Make Sourdough Starter: Third feed-Day 4

• Same as days 2 and 3 EXCEPT drop water to 100 grams

Make Sourdough Starter: Fourth feed-Day 5

• Same as day 4

NOTE: Day 5 and 6 you will most likely see some bubbling action with rising and falling. This is pretty typical but does not mean your starter is necessarily strong enough to use quite yet. Continue with the below instructions.

Make Sourdough Starter: Fifth feed-Day 6

• Remove 50 grams of starter
• Add 50 grams of rye flour
• Add 50 grams of all-purpose flour
• Add 100 grams of water

If you see no activity-Day 7

By day 7 if you do not see any activity, continue to feed it with 100 grams of your desired flour choice (rye, all-purpose, wheat, etc.) and 100 grams of water. Remember to remove at least 50 grams of the starter before a feed.

You can use room-temperature water at this point. I would suggest doing this daily until you see substantial activity. It is important to note that the temperature of your home does make a difference. If it is hot and humid, your starter is going to get active pretty quickly. If your home is cooler, try storing your starter in your microwave or oven with warm water next to it. Getting your starter active requires time and patience. Your starter will come alive. Keep at it.

If you see activity-Day 7

A starter will feed during its rise and fall back down after it is done feeding. You will be able to tell how much it rises based on the mark it leaves on the glass jar during its rise. Ideally, you would want to see it double in size during its feed. If you start to see your starter rising above your marked line and bubbly (see photos below) follow the below instructions on Day 7 and this will be your feeding schedule moving forward (see in detail below).

• Remove 25 grams of starter
• Add 100 grams of all-purpose flour
• Add 100 grams of room-temperature water

The consistency should be thicker than pancake batter, smooth, and easy to pour out of the jar. You can also check to see if it’s ready by doing the float test. Remove half a teaspoon of the sourdough starter and put it in a glass of water. If it floats you are good to go! If it sinks, keep feeding! But my best advice is to start baking with your starter and notice the rise of your bread. This will tell you how strong your sourdough starter is and the care it may need.

How to Make Sourdough Starter: Caring for your starter

Now that your starter is alive and active, let’s talk about its feeding schedule moving forward. Starters are low maintenance and easy to care for. Starting a starter with rye or wheat flour is pretty common to get it going. These flours have more nutrients and fiber, which ferments a starter more actively. But, you do not have to continually feed it with rye or wheat flour. If you would like to transition it to a white starter, simply follow this feeding schedule below using a 1:5:5 ratio.

• Store your starter in the refrigerator after it becomes active.
• Feed the starter 1-2 times a week using 100 grams (1/2 a cup) of all-purpose flour, and 100 grams (1/2 a cup) of filtered or bottled water (room temperature). Remember to discard your starter at every feed. I keep about 20 grams of starter at a time, but you’ll find what works best for you. You can save your discard in a seperate jar and use it in various recipes!
• If you find your starter needing more attention or you are a frequent baker, you can feed it every day or multiple times a week. The more you feed it, the more active it will become.
• You can also adjust your ratios as needed. Starters can be fed at a 1:2:2 ratio or even a 1:10:10 ratio depending on how much strength you may want. Over time you will find the best ratio and schedule for your needs.

A few additional tips

• Try a different flour if you see your starter not responding well to the flour you are using. I have had a lot of success with organic white bread flour.
• If you neglect your starter for a few weeks, do not throw it out. Remove 1/4 cup or even more and continue the feed schedule.
• Sourdough starters will have different smells. A strong acetone smell means some of the starter needs to be discarded and given a fresh feed.
• At times there may be some liquid forming on top of your starter, this is normal. You can remove it if there is an excess, or mix it in if there is not much liquid. Continue with your normal feed.
• The typical smell of a sourdough starter is a tangy, sour, yeasty smell. The only time I would tell you to toss your starter is if it is foul-smelling or moldy.
• If you are having no luck with a starter becoming active, and you really want to bake. You can always obtain a starter from a local bakery or maybe a friend and make it your own. You only need a small amount of an active starter to start as you will build it up over time. Just continue to feed it with the 1:5:5 ratio with the flour of your choice.

If you liked this article: “How to Make Sourdough Starter“, you may also want to read my No-knead Sourdough Bread for Beginners, Step by Step!