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How To Start a Sourdough Starter
There are three main ways to start a sourdough starter: borrow, buy, or trap.
Borrow
My favorite method of acquiring sourdough is definitely from a friend. If you can find someone with a healthy, active sourdough starter who is willing to part with some then you can be baking as soon as the next day! Sourdough is a joyful and loving hobby and most sourdough bakers will be happy to share that passion with a beginner.
Buy
You can also purchase a dried starter from many different sources. My first starter was originally given to me as a gift from my husband before we were married. Little did he know how important that gift would be to our health! There are some really awesome choices for sourdough starter on the market and I will list a few below that I personally trust.
Trap
If you want to get super authentic you can start your own starter by trapping wild yeast off of wheat flour, fruits, herbs, or vegetables.
To start a starter with flour you will want to use organic, freshly milled flour if that is available. Flour that still has some of the hull will help you start a vigorous starter quickly.
Organic whole wheat or rye flour is a good choice for starting a vigorous starter. Rye flour tends to have plenty of wild yeast and bacteria and (in my case) makes a sweet-smelling ferment.
Again, any organic flour will work, but those that are milled with the hull start sourdough cultures faster.
A seven-day-old rye starter made with freshly milled organic flour.
Homemade Sourdough Starter
Easy instructions for trapping your own wild yeast and bacteria strains to make a 100% hydration sourdough starter. This process takes fourteen days to complete so plan accordingly. You will end up with a sourdough starter that can be used for baking breads, cakes, tortillas and more!
Ingredients
- 575 grams organic flour, divided
- 575 grams water, divided
Instructions
Day 1
Mix 50g of flour (1/4c + 2t) and 50g (3T + 1t) of water into a paste. Store it in a clean locking lid jar with the rubber seal removed. Keep your jar in a draft-free place at room temperature. This is the beginning of your starter!
Day 2 -7, feed your starter once a day.
Remove 50g of starter (half) from the jar and replace it with 25g (2T + 1/2t) of flour and 25g (1T + 2t) of water. Stir well and store it at room temperature.
- By day seven you should be seeing some signs of activity. The starter should be bubbling, smell fermented (slightly sweet, sour, or alcoholic). You may even see it rise after feeding.
- If there is mold, off color, off smell and little to no activity do not continue the feedings and please see my troubleshooting guide in the body of this article.
Day 8-14, feed your starter twice a day.
- Morning: Remove 50g of starter (half) from the jar and replace it with 25g (2T + 1/2t) of flour and 25g (1T + 2t) of water. Stir well and store it at room temperature.
- Evening: Remove 50g of starter (half) from the jar and replace it with 25g (2T + 1/2t) of flour and 25g (1T + 2t) of water. Stir well and store it at room temperature.
Day 15, your starter should be ready to bake with!
Notes
- Some people have found that their starter is ready to bake with by day 7. I add an extra 7 days of double feedings to insure that the starter is powerful, active and ready for all the baking projects!
- Keep in mind, sourdough is as unique as you are. Results may vary!
- To build your starter up prior to baking just add a larger amount of flour and water to the last feeding. If you need 250g of starter for your recipe add at least 125g each flour and water!
- All cups and spoons measurements are approximate, please weight your ingredients for accuracy!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Escali Primo P115C Precision Kitchen Food Scale for Baking and Cooking -
Checkered Chef Stainless Steel Baking Sheet With Rack - Heavy Duty Half Sheet Pan for Baking with Oven Safe Baking/Cooling Rack -
Parchment Baking Paper -
Stoneware Loaf Baking Dish -
King Arthur, 100% Organic Unbleached Bread Flour, Non-GMO Project Verified, No Preservatives, 2 Pounds (Pack of 12) -Packaging May Vary -
9 Inch Bread Banneton Proofing Basket - Baking Bowl -
Oval (13,8 x 6,1 x 2.7 Inch) Bread Banneton Proofing Basket -
Camp Chef Home Seasoned Cast Iron Bread Pan -
Cultures for Health San Francisco Sourdough Style Starter Culture -
Tovolo Stainless Steel Dough Whisk, 12 Inch -
Danish Dough Whisk and Bread Lame Set Double Eye -
Pyrex 8-piece 100 Years Glass Mixing Bowl Set (Limited Edition)
Reviving a Dehydrated Starter
Check out my instructions for reviving a previously dehydrated sourdough starter.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Guides
Whole New Mom – Super Easy Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
Fermenting For Foodies – Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
Cathleen
Saturday 25th of February 2023
What is the difference between bread flour and home ground 100% wheat flour? Thank you for your help.
Butter For All
Monday 27th of February 2023
Hi Cathleen!
Bread flour is in most cases a hybridized wheat with a high protein content. Typically it is either sifted or hulled to remove the outer bran and keep the soft, white, inner starch. The high protein content translates to higher gluten development and a more open crumb structure.
Home ground wheat flour can be any wheat variety you choose, but it will have 100% of its hull ground into the flour. So it will have more vitamins and minerals, more flavor, translating to a higher chance of spoilage due to the increased oil content, and more anti-nutrients that will need to be taken care of with soaking, sprouting or souring. It's best to keep whole wheat kernels and fresh ground flour in the refrigerator or freezer. Or only grind as much as you can use in a few days. Whole wheat flour will create a bread that is much more dense with less gluten development, but a lot more flavor and nutrition.
I hope that helps!
Courtney
Ella
Wednesday 22nd of February 2023
Hello Courtney, I started my sourdough starter journey last week. I used day 1 50g of whole wheat flour and 50g water, day 2,3 and 4 i used ratio 1:2:2 (25g starter, 50g flour and 50g water). It was doing very well day 2 (almost rised twice by 24 hours), day 3 rised less but bubbles were there, day 4 the same. Am I feeding it too much? You have a different ratio in your recipe - 50g starter, 25g flour and 25g water. Temperature in my kitchen is between 70-72 degrees
Thank you for your advice! Ella
Butter For All
Monday 27th of February 2023
Hey again! I answered you in the previous question, but I will say that the temp could be increased to really favor the yeast. Check out the temperature inside your oven with the light on. If it's between 80-95℉ you could keep your starter in there while it becomes established. If it's too warm in the oven, try cracking the door to see what temp the oven stays at.
Ella
Wednesday 22nd of February 2023
Hello Courtney, I started my sourdough starter journey last week and I'm on day 4 now. It rises less then before and it troubles me. I used 50g whole wheat flour and 50g water 1st day. Next days I used ratio 1:2:2 (25g starter, 50g flour and 50g water). I noticed that you used a different ratio in your recipe - 50g starter, 25g flour and 25g water. Am I giving him too much in my feedings?
Thank you, Ella
Butter For All
Monday 27th of February 2023
Hi Ella!
Sorry for the slow reply I recommend a 1:2:2 ratio for reviving a dehydrated starter, but for starting a starter from scratch, I like a 2:1:1 ratio. This ensures the yeast (who may be struggling to reproduce quickly) aren't getting overly diminished with each feeding. It's really very normal for you to see a big rise in the first day or two when the bacteria isn't as established, followed by a slower period of yeast growth as things start to balance out and the lactic acid starts to build. The yeast have to adjust to this new acidic environment. Hopefully you kept going and are starting to see some consistency with rising. I think you could continue with a 1:2:2 ratio (there is no definitive ratio) or try reversing it to see what works best in your situation. I hope you'll follow up to let me know how it goes!
Best of luck,
Courtney
Wendy
Sunday 15th of January 2023
Hello!l Courtney!
I am a beginner and I appreciate your very thorough articles. So helpful and something I plan on sharing with my daughter. 😊💕
One request… when viewing your articles on my iPhone, the DO NOT SELL tab blocks the left side of the screen making it difficult to read all of your instructions. If there is any way you could move that tab to another location, it sure would be helpful.👍
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to being your student!
My Best, Wendy
Butter For All
Wednesday 18th of January 2023
Hi Wendy,
Thank you for your thoughtful note, I love hearing that you are getting your daughter involved in cooking and baking!
I'm so sorry there is a tab blocking you from accessing the site correctly. I'm not sure what the "Do not sell" tab is. So would you mind grabbing a screen shot and emailing it to me at courtney@butterforall.com please? I will check it out and see if it's something I can fix myself!
Sarah
Sunday 7th of August 2022
Hi Courtney!
I’m very new to the sourdough world and am doing some reading before I fully commit. With your starter recipe, what size of glass container do you use? Some have said it can more than double in size... I want to have a big enough jar but not too big... Also, would a plastics twist lid work? I’m thinking it would breathe very well?
Thanks for being such a thorough sourdough resource for this newbie!
Butter For All
Thursday 11th of August 2022
Hi Sarah!
Welcome! Typically I use a quart jar or larger. I like to have lots of starter on hand for many baking projects. But it really depends on how much you want to keep. You can always switch containers if you need to make more or less. You are right, a plastic screw on ball jar lid works great! I also like locking lid jars with the seal removed. You'll have to keep me posted on your progress!!
Happy Baking,
Courtney