How to Make a Sourdough Starter: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Sourdough Starter Guide: Everything You Need to Know
A sourdough starter is really the heart of any sourdough recipe. It’s just a simple mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and beneficial bacteria from your environment. Besides its role in making sourdough bread, a starter has lots of health benefits, like improving digestion, and you can use it for all kinds of recipes, from pancakes and waffles to pizza dough. In this sourdough starter guide, you will learn each step needed to create your own starter, allowing you to enjoy a rewarding baking experience.
I’ve tested out this sourdough starter guide five times, and each time, I ended up with very happy and thriving starters. If I can successfully make a sourdough starter, so can you! I put together this guide after creating my own starter, Nova, who turned out to be incredibly strong and nearly indestructible. This is the exact process I used, and I would recommend it to anyone. It’s simple, easy to follow, and virtually fail-proof, making it the perfect start to your sourdough journey!
Sourdough has been an incredibly therapeutic journey, and I’m thrilled to share the joy with you. Let’s dive in!
What You Need to Get Started:
- Flour: Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour is recommended.
- Filtered Water: Lukewarm water works best for creating the starter. Use filtered water, not tap water or reverse osmosis water.
- Glass Jar: To ferment your starter, use a clean glass jar with a capacity of at least 500ml (16oz).
- Rubber Spatula, wooden spoon, or Spurtle: These are your trusty tools for mixing the flour and water into a thick paste.
- Lid or Paper Towel: Perfect for covering the jar (not airtight) during fermentation.
- Rubber Band, Hair Tie, or Marker: These are handy for marking the level of your starter in the jar.
- Kitchen Scale: Ensures accurate measurements of ingredients.
- Patience: The secret ingredient for successful sourdough baking!
With these essentials at your fingertips, you can kick off your sourdough adventure with Therapy By Sourdough. Let the fun begin!
Day 1: Initial Mix
In a clean glass jar, mix 15 grams of flour with 15 grams of lukewarm water. Stir it with your favourite utensil until you have a thick, gooey paste. Cover the jar (leave it a little loose) and find the perfect spot in your kitchen. Let the sourdough journey begin!
Day 2: First Feeding (1:1:1 ratio)
After 24 hours, check on your starter. It might be a bit bubbly. It’s time for the first feeding. Add 30 grams each of flour and lukewarm water to your bubbly mix. Give it a good stir and cover it up for another 24 hours.
Day 3: Increasing the Feeding (1:1:1 ratio)
Show your starter some extra love by adding 90 grams each of flour and lukewarm water. Stir it up, cover it, let it hang out.
Quick Tip: Your starter may double in size within the first few days, but don’t be fooled! It’s not ready yet; keep nurturing it. This is called a false rise!
Day 4: First Discard
It’s time for a little refresh! Remove all but 50 grams of your starter. Add 50 grams each of flour and lukewarm water, stir well, cover, and let it rock for another 24 hours. This is the first day of discarding, an important step in starting your sourdough starter. If you never discarded it, you would need a massive jar and a lot of flour!
Days 5–7: Daily Maintenance (1:1:1 ratio)
Get into the groove of daily maintenance. Each day, discard all but 50 grams of your starter and add 50 grams each of flour and lukewarm water. Stir, cover, and let the good times roll for another 24 hours. Remember, patience is key!
Day 8: Transition to 1:2:2 ratio
Let’s change things up a bit! Keep only 50 grams of starter, but add 100 grams each of flour and lukewarm water. Stir it up, cover it, and let it sit for another day.
Quick Tip: This new ratio gives your starter extra fuel to thrive. Food is fuel, after all!
Days 9 and Beyond: Continuing Maintenance
Keep the sourdough party going strong! Stick to the 1:2:2 feeding ratio, discard all but 50 grams of the starter, and add 100 grams of flour and lukewarm water daily. Watch for that doubling action and sniff out that delightful yeasty aroma. It’s a sign your starter is ready!
When is My Starter Ready?
Are you wondering when your sourdough starter is truly established? Look for a consistently doubling size for at least four days and that wonderful yeasty aroma. Once you’ve got those signs, your starter is baking-ready!
Not sure what to do next? Head back to Therapy by Sourdough for beginner-friendly sourdough recipes! I’m incredibly proud of you for embarking on this amazing journey. Here’s to many beautiful baking adventures ahead!
Tips and Tricks for a Strong Starter
- Always Use Lukewarm Water: Make sure your water is lukewarm, not cold! Cold water can slow the fermentation process, while lukewarm water encourages healthy microbial activity, which helps your starter thrive.
- Incorporate a Bit of Whole Wheat Flour: While you can use all-purpose or bread flour, adding a small amount can give your starter an extra boost. Whole wheat flour contains more nutrients and wild yeasts, which can help your starter get active more quickly.
- Stick to a Consistent Feeding Routine: Feeding your starter around the same time each day helps build a strong, stable starter. A predictable routine ensures your starter has regular access to the food it needs to grow and develop.
- Track Your Starter’s Progress: Use a rubber band or marker to track the rise of your starter in the jar. This visual cue will help you see if it’s doubling in size—an essential sign that it’s ready for baking!
By following these tips and maintaining a steady routine, you’ll have a strong, reliable sourdough starter that can bring delicious, therapeutic baking into your life.
I’m so glad I found you and your website. I’ve been wanting to try this and hope I am successful
I am so glad you found me! Good luck, you will do amazing!
When do I take my starter off the counter and in the fridge? And do I feed it everyday for weeks until I use it all up?
As long as your starter is established it can be be put in the fridge. You only feed it everyday if it is on the counter. Since the starter continues to double every time you feed it, you should never use it all up.
Do I need to put something over the discard or can I put it in a air tight container?
I put it in an air tight container!
I am legally blind, never made a sourdough starter as of yet. Her name is Betsy May and she is eight days old, I wanted to know if I could use cassava flour as a food boost for her? Or if there’s any other type of flower, other than rye or wheat to give her a boost. She’s bubbling after I gave her a new home, but I’m not noticing any growth. This is a little bit more challenging for me with my very very low vision. Thank you so much for all your help and all your videos. This is a great website.
Hi Tina, I have never tried giving my starter cassava flour!
Thank you for the comments <3
Hi, what is the trick to have all the dough from the bowl out? Thanks
During shaping? It will happen once you have a great bulk fermentation!
Hi, I am on day 8 of making my starter. I have noticed the last couple days that I would say halfway to hru the day it starts getting thin like it’s hungry but it’s bubbly. I have t gotten any type of rise on it yet. I have tried several different spots in my house for warmth but nothing. Do you think it needs a o be fed twice a day?
Have you switched up your ratio? If you are doing a 1:2:2 you could switch to a 1:4:4. I never feed my starter twice a day!
Hi, I just started working on my starter and wanted to ask, when can we start using the discard for baking and what are some things you have baked with it?
Once the starter is established you can keep the discard! I have some discard recipes on here as well as on my social medias!
Hii! Wondering if it is detrimental if you miss a day here or there when in the early days of establishing the starter?If you miss a day or so how can you troubleshoot to get back on track?
You need to be feeding it every single day. It is important that you don’t miss a day!
Can I use bottle water like
Dasani?
I’m on day 10 and still haven’t noticed it doubling in size yet. I’m following all the instructions. How long does it usually take for it to become active?
Day 10 is early! The first time I made a starter it took 15 days to establish.
I will be away for a few weeks soon, if my starter is established what should I do with it while not being able to feed it?
Hi! I’m on day 5, I accidentally missed a day (didn’t feed her on day 4) and got back on track earlier the next day (6 hours earlier than it’s usual feeding time). Do you think I should get back on track or should I start earlier?
My starter is established, been doing 1:1:1 ratios – discarding alot of discard – ready to give her a rest. Do you refrigerate right after a feed or wait for the rise and then refrigerate?
when is the best time to refrigerate your starter?
You can do both! If it is going in the fridge for a long time I would feed and then put it in the fridge.
When should I feed my starter with whole wheat flour, and how often? I just started a new starter with your guide yesterday, because my last one seemed to get too hot next to the oven and stopped rising. I find it so hard to keep my starter at a good temp and to make it strong.