Sourdough Starter Recipe

Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe

Looking for an easy, sourdough starter recipe for beginners? Adapted from Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, follow my no-nonsense guide for practical tips, tricks, and ongoing care- anyone can do it.

Yield: 240

Ingredients:

• 1x (5lb) bag all purpose flour (I use either KAF, Trader Joe’s, or Whole Foods)
• 1/2 cup (60g) whole wheat flour (I use KAF whole wheat)
• Water (preferably warm around 85F )
• The overall process typically takes 7 days, if the temperature is warm enough. However, it can take up to 2 weeks or more for a strong starter to become established. Please be patient. Find a warm spot for your starter to rise (see tip in recipe below), and use warm water in your feedings (if necessary) to give the fermentation a boost.
• Only a small amount of whole wheat flour is used to jumpstart the fermentation process. If you don’t want to commit to a large bag, smaller bags are available in most grocery stores. Alternatively, you can use all purpose flour only.
• You will also need one large 3/4 L jar, or something of similar size (I use this one.).

Instruction:

1. Day 7: Remove & discard half of the starter/ 116.25 g starter + 60 g flour + 60 g water = 236.27 g starter

Sourdough Starter

Whether it conjures up a crusty, flavorful loaf of bread or a bubbling crock of flour/water starter, sourdough is a treasured part of many bakers’ kitchens. But where does the path to sourdough bread begin? Right in your own kitchen, with your own homemade sourdough starter. Sourdough baking is as much art as science. The method you’ll read here for making sourdough starter isn’t an exact match for the one you read on another site, or in a cookbook, or in your great-grandma’s diary. But it’s the tried-and-true method we use for making starter here at King Arthur, and we feel you’ll have success with it. Along with the tips at the end of this recipe (which we highly urge you to read), Our Sourdough Baking Guide offers a wealth of information and advice you new (as well as veteran) sourdough bakers need for your guaranteed sourdough success.

Prep: 50min

Total: 5D 50min

Yield: varies

Serving Size: 234g (1 cup)

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 234g (1 cup), calories 440 calories, Carbohydrate 92g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 3g, Protein 15g, Sodium 5mg, Sugar 0g, Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (113g) King Arthur Organic Pumpernickel Flour or King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup (113g) water cool
• scant 1 cup (113g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup (113g) water cool (if your house is warm) or lukewarm water (if your house is cool)

Instruction:

Day 1: Combine the pumpernickel or whole wheat flour with the cool water in a non-reactive container. Glass, crockery, stainless steel, or food-grade plastic all work fine for this. Make sure the container is large enough to hold your starter as it grows; we recommend at least 1-quart capacity. , Stir everything together thoroughly; make sure there’s no dry flour anywhere. Cover the container loosely and let the mixture sit at warm room temperature (about 70°F) for 24 hours. See “tips,” below, for advice about growing starters in a cold house., Day 2: You may see no activity at all in the first 24 hours, or you may see a bit of growth or bubbling. Either way, discard half the starter (113 grams, about 1/2 cup), and add to the remainder a scant 1 cup (113 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, and 1/2 cup (113 grams) cool water (if your house is warm); or lukewarm water (if it’s cold). , Mix well, cover, and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 24 hours., Day 3: By the third day, you’ll likely see some activity — bubbling; a fresh, fruity aroma, and some evidence of expansion. It’s now time to begin two feedings daily, as evenly spaced as your schedule allows. For each feeding, weigh out 113 grams starter; this will be a generous 1/2 cup, once it’s thoroughly stirred down. Discard any remaining starter., Add a scant 1 cup (113 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, and 1/2 cup (113 grams) water to the 113 grams starter. Mix the starter, flour, and water, cover, and let the mixture rest at room temperature for approximately 12 hours before repeating., Day 4: Weigh out 113 grams starter, and discard any remaining starter. Repeat step #6., Day 5: Weigh out 113 grams starter, and discard any remaining starter. Repeat step #6. By the end of day #5, the starter should have at least doubled in volume. You’ll see lots of bubbles; there may be some little “rivulets” on the surface, full of finer bubbles. Also, the starter should have a tangy aroma — pleasingly acidic, but not overpowering. If your starter hasn’t risen much and isn’t showing lots of bubbles, repeat discarding and feeding every 12 hours on day 6, and day 7, if necessary — as long as it takes to create a vigorous (risen, bubbly) starter. Note: see “tips,” below. , Once the starter is ready, give it one last feeding. Discard all but 113 grams (a generous 1/2 cup). Feed as usual. Let the starter rest at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours; it should be active, with bubbles breaking the surface. Hate discarding so much starter? See “tips,” below., Remove however much starter you need for your recipe — typically no more than 227 grams, about 1 cup. If your recipe calls for more than 1 cup of starter, give it a couple of feedings without discarding, until you’ve made enough for your recipe plus 113 grams to keep and feed again. , Transfer the remaining 113 grams of starter to its permanent home: a crock, jar, or whatever you’d like to store it in long-term. Feed this reserved starter with 1 scant cup (113 grams) of flour and 1/2 cup (113 grams) water, and let it rest at room temperature for several hours, to get going, before covering it. If you’re storing starter in a screw-top jar, screw the top on loosely rather than airtight., Store this starter in the refrigerator and feed it regularly, using your normal process: Discard all but 113g starter; feed that remaining 113g starter with a scant 1 cup (113 grams) flour and 1/2 cup (113 grams) water. We recommend feeding once a week, if possible. The more frequently you feed it, the less time and effort it takes to get your starter ripe and ready for baking. For more details, see our blog post: How to make your own sourdough starter.

Sourdough Starter Recipe

This sourdough starter recipe will help you create your own sourdough starter from scratch at home in seven easy steps. Your starter is the cornerstone of great bread—once you have it showing consistent signs of fermentation each day, which takes on average 5 to 7 days, you’re ready to start baking sourdough bread!

Prep: 168h

Total: 168h

Yield: 1

Ingredients:

• 300g all-purpose flour
• 400g whole-grain rye flour
• 800g water

Instruction:

1. Day OneTo a clean jar, add 100g whole rye flour and 125g warm water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours.
2. Day TwoTo clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day One (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours.
3. Day ThreeTo a clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day Two (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours.
4. Day FourOn day four, you will give the mixture two feedings. In a clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day Three (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix and let rest for 12 hours. In the evening, after 12 hours, repeat the discarding and feeding you did in the morning. Let the mixture rest overnight.
5. Day Five and SixFor days five and size, continue to discard down the jar contents and then feed with the same ratio of ingredients as Day Four, twice a day. You can use the same jar for these feedings.
6. Day Seven and OnwardIn the morning on Day Seven, discard the jar’s contents down to 20g of the mixture and add 30g whole rye flour, 70g all-purpose flour, and 100g water. Repeat this feeding twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, indefinitely.

Simple Sourdough Starter

How to make your own Sourdough Starter (see the step-by-step video in post) using simple ingredients with no special equipment, in 6 days, that can be used in sourdough bread. Sourdough Starter is a wild yeast, made from fermenting flour and water.

Prep: 30min

Total: 144h30min

Yield: 1

Nutrition Facts: calories 50 calories

Ingredients:

• 120 grams whole grain flour (whole wheat flour, rye flour, or freshly milled flour) 1 cup, fluffed, spooned and leveled
• Organic White Bread Flour (5-10 lb bag ) I like Shepherd’s Grain or Bob’s Red Mill.
• 120 grams Water per feeding (1/2 cup water)

Instruction:

1. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘xa0using a wide-mouthxa04-cup mason jar or Crockxa0or Glass Measuring Cupxa0mix 1 cupxa0whole grain flour (120 grams) with 1/2 cup (120 grams) filtered waterxa0using a fork making sure you’ve incorporated all the dry flour. xa0For your first measuring – it is a good idea to weigh the flour, using a kitchen scale so you get an idea of how thick it should feel. It should be like a thick paste. Thick like peanut butter. If you need to add a little more water to incorporate the flour, that is OK, but be precise with the flour.xa0Place the lid on top (using the Weck jar is really handy here) or a damp towel to keep moisture in, or plastic wrap-xa0and letxa0sit at room temperature (70-80 degrees) on the kitchen counter for 24-48 hours, or until you see some bubbling. If you are not sure how warm it is, use a kitchen thermometer and check it a few hours later. See notes for TEMPERATURE.’, ‘name’: ‘Day 1: Starting in the morning or at night,’}
2. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘After the first 24 hours, you may or may not see a bit of bubbling. I prefer to let this rest until I see a tiny bit of activity (bubbles) and sometimes this takes 36 or up to 48 hours. xa0So start “day 2”, when you see a little bit of bubbing. Discard all but 1/2 cup (136 grams) of the starter. (See notes for discard). xa0Add to the remainder, 1 cup of white bread flour, (120 grams), spooned and leveled, xa0and 1/2 cup filtered water (120 grams), mixing well with a fork. Place the lid on loosely again and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature (70-80F) xa0for another 24 hours.’, ‘name’: ‘Day 2’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-2’}
3. {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘id=”instruction-step-3″>Day 3’, ‘itemListElement’: [{‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘By the third day, you should definitely see some bubbling- and if not, let it go a bit longer. Depending on how warm your house is and how active your starter, you may need to begin feeding more often, or even move to two feedings a day roughly 12 hours apart,xa0like in the morning and at night.xa0In a nutshell, you want to feed the starter only after it has peaked (metabolized all the flour from the last feeding) and has started sinking down or gets liquidy- this is when it is hungry!xa0This might be 12 hours, it might be 14, it might be 18, or 24, depending on the temp in your house. In very warm climates it may only be 8 hours.xa0xa0It is better to underfeed rather than overfeed here.xa0For each feeding, like before, discard all but 1/2 cup of the STARTER (keeping roughly xa0½-cup of starter in the jar -4 ounces or 136 grams) Add 1 cup Bread Flourxa0 (spooned and leveled) and 1/2 cup water to the 1/2 cup starter and let this rest at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until the starter looks “hungry” again before repeating.’, ‘name’: ‘Day 3’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-3’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Feed 1-2 times, xa0discarding all but 1/2 cup of starter EACH TIME. Feed 1 cupxa0bread flour, 1/2 cup water. xa0Look for the hunger signs. Hopefully, you’ll begin to see some rising and falling. It’s helpful to put the starter in a clean jar and mark the beginning level (with sharpie, string or rubber band) so you can easily see this. ***If for some reason your starter looks like it is still rising at the time of second feeding (at night) and there is no evidence it has fallen or no slide marks, it is still “eating” soxa0xa0skip this feeding and feed first thing in the morning. AGAIN, Feeding it when it is xa0“not hungry” will basically dilute all the growing yeast and make it lethargic. Better to starve than overfeed. xa0’, ‘name’: ‘Day 4’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-4’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Feed again, 1-2 times, roughly 12 hours apart, or when hungry, xa0discarding all but a 1/2 cup the starter EACH TIME. 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water. The starter should look active, bubbling, rising, sliding down,xa0hopefully, close to doubling in size. (If not, repeat this day until starter doubles in size within 8-12 hours of feeding- and read the troubleshooting section.)xa0’, ‘name’: ‘Day 5’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-5’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘xa0Give it one last feeding. Discard all but a 1/3 cup. Add 1 cup flour ( 120 grams) and 1/2 cup water, and place it in a clean jar so you can see the action clearly. xa0You can use a sharpie or place a rubber band around the jar to mark the beginning level. The starter should hopefullyxa0double in volume within 6 hours of feeding.xa0xa0When it peaks,xa0DO THE FLOAT TEST: To test the starter, place a teaspoon of starter (just from the top, while it is peaking, don’t stir it down) in a glass full of water, it should hopefully float. If it does, you can make sourdough bread. Tonight!xa0Let the starter keep resting at room temperature or a few more hours allowing it to fully metabolize the flour, perhaps sinking a little before making your dough. You want to make dough with slightly hungry starter. Place the remaining starter in the fridge and feed it in a week. You’ll have enough stater to make one more sourdough loaf during the week, and still have enough to feed. xa0If you want to wait to make bread until later in the week place starter in the fridge. Be sure to feed it in 7 days. Read maintenance section.’, ‘name’: ‘DAY 6:xa0’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-6’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘At this point, if your starter does not double in size don’t give up! Often it just takes longer, sometimes up to two weeks, especially if it’s cold. xa0Continue feeding one-two times a day (only when hungry) for a few more days, until you see a visible rise and fall.xa0Read the troubleshooting section.xa0If you need to take a break, just put it in the fridge and try it again up to a week later. Don’t toss it- if there are bubbles, it is still alive.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-7’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘This batch of starter will make two loaves of bread with enough left over to feed for the following week.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-8’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘xa0It is typical to see a “stall” on day 4 or 5. If your starter is not rising but there is evidence of hunger (liquid at the top) try 3 things: substitute 1/4 cup whole grain flour (add to ¾ cup white bread flour) on your next feeding. Try using mineral water like San Pellegrino instead of water. xa0Stir the starter a couple hours after feeding to allow wild yeast from the room to get in there.’, ‘name’: ‘STALLING:xa0’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-9’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Starter should smell slightly sweet and tangy, and not off or “bad”. xa0To me, it smells like a wet horse;) xa0If it smells VERY unpleasant, you may have used an unclean jar, or an unclean utensil, or somehow introduced another foreign bacteria. I would start over.’, ‘name’: ‘SMELL’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-10’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘if your starter overflows from the jar, this is a good sign,(not bad) it is alive and active. This often happens in warm climates. You’ll need to feed it more often or find a cooler spot. Even if it floats on day 2-3, please keep feeding it the full 6 days before using it to make bread. It will add more flavor and complexity.’, ‘name’: ‘TOO MUCH ACTION:xa0’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-11’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Thick or Thin? If you have been careful about measuring feedings, but are not seeing rising or falling, another way to tell what stage of your starter is in is to look at the consistency. If the starter seems really thick, it is still “digesting”. If it seems loose or runny or liquidy, (to the point where you can pour it out of the jar) it has digested all the flour and is now “hungry”. It loosens up as it metabolizes the flour. So even if you don’t see rising or falling, look for consistency to give you clues.’, ‘name’: ‘CONSISTENCY’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-12’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘For example, maybe, feeding 2 x day at 12-hour intervals is too often.xa0You want to feed after the starter has peaked, then deflated a little or is runny (see photo above- you’ll see some slide marks on the jar) and this tells you that it is hungry. If you feed the starter before it has had a chance to metabolize (or eat) all the flour and then you discard part, and feed it again, you are actually diluting all that amazing yeast. Get it?xa0So it’s all about watching your starter in your home. There are lots of variables here. Just be patient, pay attention and watch. This is a living thing- it doesn’t care about time schedules and recipes or what it “should” do. It will “eat” when it is “hungry” and sometimes it likes to eat slowly.’, ‘name’: ‘DO NOT overfeed’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-13’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Use a kitchen thermometer and take its temp. Is it under 65F? Find a place where it can be warm. xa0Or use lukewarm water when mixing. Place it xa0in the oven with the light on overnight. (Not in direct sunlight) or above the fridge, or on the stovetop. Sometimes if cold, xa0it takes 10-12 days. Be patient, keep going. If it is doing absolutely nothing, leave it out on the counter for 24-48 hours and see what happens. If you see bubbles, it is alive and can be coaxed. If you run out of flour or need a break, don’t just toss it, put it in the fridge and see if you can get it going a few days or up to a week or two later.’, ‘name’: ‘It may take longer than 6 days in colder environments’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-14’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘If you still can’t get that starter going, some people recommend subbing pineapple juice for the water for one feeding- raising the acidity level. My good friend just tried this and it got hers going.’, ‘name’: ‘ACIDITY’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-15’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘If you see any liquid at the top of your starter, it means your starter is hungry. So, yes it’s still alive which is a good thing! You can stir the liquid in, or pour the liquid out, either way, but feed it! This may be a sign that you may need to feed it more often than you are.’, ‘name’: ‘LIQUID’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-16’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘if you see any discoloring or mold on the surface, the starter was probably contaminated. If it is only on the surface, you could salvage it. Scrape it off, save 1/2 cup of the underneath starter, and keep going. Feed, smell, use your best judgment.’, ‘name’: ‘MOLD’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-17’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘If your starter is consistently rising and falling and it is has been over 8 days, but still doesn’t pass the float test, try baking a loaf of bread anyway. xa0Remember, use hungry starter when mixing up the dough.’, ‘name’: ‘FLOAT TEST:xa0’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-18’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Pick a scheduled day and try to stick with it, always reserving 1/2 cup starter (130 grams) and feeding it 1 cup flour xa0(120 grams) and 1/2 cup water (120 grams). Discard the remaining, or give it away, or keep the discard in a separate container to use inxa0waffles, pancakes, sourdough buns, banana bread, biscuits, etc. I usually don’t feed the discard unless giving away.’, ‘name’: ‘REFRIGERATE & FEED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-19’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘If you forget to feed it one or two weeks in a row, it is most likely OK, just feed it 1-2 x day for 1-2 days in a row to revive it (keeping it out on the counter) until bubbly and active. xa0I’ve left my starter for a month on vacation (in the fridge) without feeding and simply revived it by feeding it 3 days in a row, 2 x day. It’s actually kind of hard to kill. You can also freeze it for longer storage.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-20’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘If you find yourself wanting to bake more often than once a week, you can keep it out and feed it 1-2 times daily. Or if baking every few days, you can pull it out of the fridge, feed it 8-10 hours before using, leaving it out, use what you need while it is peaking, then put it back in the fridge that evening. Do the same thing a few days later when ready to use it again. So this would be feeding 2-3 times a week, best if baking 2-3 times a week.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/#instruction-step-21’}]}

How To Make A Sourdough Starter From Scratch •  Tasty

FAQ

What makes the best sourdough starter?

What flour is better for sourdough starter?

How long does it take to make a good sourdough starter?

Is sourdough starter just flour and water?