If you had told me many years ago that I could make enticingly crunchy, tender, and healthy bread at home with only a few elemental ingredients, I would not have believed you.
I would have claimed that baking bread requires a professional mixer, a specialized oven, and a list of ingredients so long your eyes start to glaze over. But now I perform this alchemy daily in my home kitchen: transforming three basic ingredients into wholesome sourdough bread. How does one begin the journey of making naturally leavened bread at home? It starts with, well, making a sourdough starter from scratch.
A healthy sourdough starter means great bread.
Despite all the mysticism and lore about creating the concoction, a sourdough starter is merely a naturally fermenting mixture of flour and water. Add water to dry flour, let it sit on the counter for a few days, and you’ll see nature weave life into a once lifeless lump: bubbles will appear and the mixture will rise.
This natural fermentation can be harnessed and (once it is stable) controlled to produce bread so flavorful and healthy that it’s hard to go back to anything else.
I created my sourdough starter years ago (using this sourdough starter recipe), and it’s the same one I use to this day. It’s a spoiled brat now, to be sure, thanks to all my coddling, but in exchange for my attention and flour, it stays on schedule. Besides, when I’m baking, it does the heaviest lifting (bread nerd joke, sorry). Initially, it was the quintessential rebellious child. Sometimes it wouldn’t show any fermentation activity, and at other times it was utterly unruly. Back then, I didn’t realize what it needed to thrive. I didn’t see how vital timely refreshments (also called feedings) were or how much temperature impacts fermentation.
The key to raising a well-adjusted starter is to observe its needs, give it space to grow, and adjust the refreshments to encourage maximum fermentation activity. And a healthy starter means great bread.
But first, let’s quickly look at what a sourdough starter is.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
At a high level, a sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that hosts a stable blend of beneficial bacteria and wild yeasts. This mixture is continually maintained with regular refreshments (or feedings) and is used to leaven and flavor new bread dough. The starter is the cornerstone of successful sourdough baking, and especially for a home baker with changing environmental conditions in the kitchen, learning how to care for and use one is the key to bread with the best flavor, texture, and keeping qualities.
A Few Tips Before We Begin
Water that’s high in chlorine or chloramine (disinfectants used by some cities to clean tap water) can impede fermentation. The night before you want to make your starter, fill a large jug with tap water and let it sit out uncovered overnight to allow any chlorine to dissipate. If your city uses chloramine instead of chlorine, letting a jar sit out overnight will not work. In this case, you’ll have to use bottled water or filtered water (if you are concerned, you can test your water with over-the-counter test kits to determine whether there are additives or other issues). Alternatively, you could use bottled spring water until you get your starter fermenting reliably, then try switching back to tap water with a portion of the starter to see if it’s able to handle the tap water (but don’t use all of it just in case it doesn’t work).
After you mix the flour and water in the jar, be sure to keep the jar lightly covered during the rest of the process. Either a porous cloth or a lid resting on top of the jar will work well. Use a container with enough headspace for the mixture to rise—I like to give at least 5-inches of headspace. Additionally, it’s a good idea to place your jar in a bowl while it’s resting in case the mixture overflows.
During the first couple of days, there’s often a surge in fermentation activity that then drops off dramatically; this situation is probably caused by other yeast and bacteria that are initially present but eventually die off. When this happens, many first-timers think that it has “died,” and they start over. Don’t be fooled by this lapse of activity; continue with the schedule and eventually, the desired yeast and bacteria will move in and stabilize the starter.
The entire process is exceptionally temperature-dependent. Instead of a typical cooler room temperature, I find a warm temperature of around 80°F (26°C) helps kickstart activity since this is near the temperature at which the bacteria and yeast are most active. A home dough proofer (which I highly recommend) and a yogurt maker are great tools for maintaining such an environment. If not, a home oven, turned off, with the light on the inside (and a thermometer to monitor the temperature), or a microwave with a bowl of warm water inside, will both work well.
For even more tips on this whole process and many things related to sourdough starters, check out my Sourdough Starter Frequently Asked Questions page →
Helpful Tools to Make a Sourdough Starter
You can see a rundown of all the tools I use for baking sourdough, vetted over years of baking, over at my favorite sourdough baking tools page. Here, I list what I consider the necessary tools to get started:
Weck glass jar
Have at least two clean jars on hand. I like these Weck jars (#743, 3/4 liter jars) best because they taper out towards the top, making it easy to stir, and they don’t have any hard-to-clean lips or edges. Also, using the glass lid without the provided rubber seal and clips provides just enough of a seal to keep moisture and heat trapped inside.
I recommend using glass jars because you can easily see the fermentation as it progresses. It can also help to place a rubber band around the jar at the height of your starter after mixing so you have a visual guide for how high it rises between refreshments. Two more reasons I like these jars: they’re high quality and very economical. They are canning jars, so you can use them for many other things around the kitchen (jam, homemade pesto, dried fruit, cereals, and so on).
Silicone spatula
I use a small, firm spatula to do my feedings. It’s sturdy and easy to clean with a sponge, and if things get messy, you can run it through the dishwasher.
Scale
A kitchen scale is indispensable and guarantees accuracy when measuring the amount of flour needed for each starter refreshment. Measuring flour by volume is inherently imprecise as the amount of flour packed into a measuring cup can vary. Further, it’s a good idea to get used to using a scale for weighing ingredients, as this method is essential for improving your baking consistency.
Rye flour
Using whole grain (“dark”) rye flour helps expedite the fermentation process. In comparison to white flour, rye flour is teeming with extra nutrients that help kickstart the entire process. If you don’t have rye flour, a good quality organic whole wheat will also work well.
Unbleached, all-purpose, white flour
With my starter of 10+ years, and outlined in my post on how I feed (refresh) my starter these days, I typically refresh it with 70% all-purpose flour (or bread flour) and 30% whole rye flour. I like this mix because you get the fermentation boost from the whole-grain flour and the white flour’s increased gas-trapping ability and gluten strength. This helps me spot the signs of fermentation throughout the day and is a good compromise, using just enough whole grains without my starter getting overly acidic too quickly.
Thermometer
An instant-read thermometer will help monitor the temperature of your starter and ensure that it’s in the optimal range for increasing fermentation activity.
My Free Sourdough Starter Quicksheet
My sourdough starter quicksheet is a free, one-page printable guide to feeding, maintaining, and using my sourdough starter. Download it, print it, and keep it in your baking notebook for quick reference!
Starter Refreshment (Feeding)Schedule
In the beginning, your starter refreshments will occur just once a day. As your culture becomes more active, you’ll increase this to twice a day. Because of the frequency of these feedings, one of my goals is to help you set things up so it’s quick and easy to do your feedings and move on with your day. Once you get the hang of things, you only need about 5 to 10 minutes per day to keep your starter going–totally manageable.
A sourdough starter is very resilient. If you forget to feed it one day or feed it several hours after it needed a refreshment, don’t worry, in almost all cases it will spring back.
The following sourdough starter recipe schedule will provide you with a reliable and robust sourdough starter in 6 to 9 days. Once you have the culture stable, it will last indefinitely as long as you refresh it regularly. If you don’t plan to bake frequently, you can toss the starter in the fridge and feed it only once a week. (I’ll discuss this in more detail later in this post.)
Your schedule will follow the natural rise and fall of your starter. As soon as you feed it, the yeast and bacteria in your culture will begin to metabolize the sugars in the flour, creating gasses (among other things) as a byproduct. These gasses cause the starter to rise throughout the day as seen above. Once they subside, then the starter falls.
Daily Refreshment Process
At each refreshment, we will perform the following quick steps:
- Stir your starter a little bit with your spatula
- Place a clean jar on your scale and scoop in some portion (outlined below) from the jar you just stirred down
- Add fresh flour and water; mix well to incorporate completely
- Cover the jar loosely and let rest until the next feeding
That’s it! Once you get your process down, it should take no more than a few minutes each day.
Sourdough Starter Recipe: Making an Incredible Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Day One
Initially, I like to use two jars for this process: each time you refresh, swap in a clean jar. Starting on Day 4, you can use the same jar: discard down and add fresh flour and water.
I first like to weigh the jars I’m using (without the lids) to find their empty weight. Then, take a permanent marker and write the jar’s weight on the bottom. This way, we know the baseline weight of the jar so we can quickly figure out how much starter to keep during each refreshment.
In the morning, place a clean, empty jar on the scale and tare (the “tare” button on your scale will zero it out after you place your jar on top. This will allow you to measure the flour and water your place in your jar and exclude the jar’s weight). To that jar, add 100 grams whole grain rye flour and 125 grams water and mix until all dry bits are incorporated. If it’s cool in your kitchen, warm the water to 80°F (26°C) before mixing. Lightly cover the jar and set it in a warm place–80°F to 85°F (26°C to 29°C) is ideal–and out of direct sunlight for 24 hours.
Day Two
You may or may not already see some fermentation activity. As mentioned above, this potential initial surge of activity is typical and should subside around Day 3. What you can see below is how my initial mixture expanded significantly (in fact it bubbled out of the jar; this is why setting the jar in a bowl is a good idea). Don’t be discouraged if the surge disappears by the third or fourth day. Stick to the schedule, and it will come back!
Place a second, empty jar on the scale and tare so that it reads 0 grams. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that has been resting for 24 hours. Next, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams of water. Again, if it’s cold, warm the water to 80°F(26°C).
Mix well until all dry bits are incorporated, cover, and place in the same warm spot for 24 hours. Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.
Day Three
In the morning, you may start to see more activity, or you may see none. You can see below that the initial surge of action I had on Day 2 disappeared. However, my mixture started to show the beginning signs of beneficial yeast and bacteria taking hold: some bubbles on the top and at the sides, rose to some degree, and it started to take on a sour aroma.
Regardless of what signs your mixture is presenting, don’t fret and stick to the schedule. Remember, if it’s cold in your kitchen, warm your water to 80°F (26°C) to help speed things along.
If a layer of clear liquid (“hooch”) forms on the top of your mixture just stir it back in and keep with the schedule.
Place a new, clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that rested overnight and add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams water. Stir until well incorporated. Cover the jar and let it rest for 24 hours.
Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.
Day Four
This day is the first day of the process that has two refreshments in a single day: one in the morning, and one approximately 12 hours later.
In the morning, you should start to see signs of fermentation activity if you haven’t already, and begin to see them again if you experienced the surge-and-drop that I described above. There will be bubbles scattered on the sides and top, and the level of the mixture might have risen and fallen a little (evidenced by streaks on the sides of the jar).
Refresh in the same way that you did on Day 3. Place a clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours.
Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar. From here on, simply use the same jar each day (no need to switch to a clean jar) by discarding the contents down and adding fresh flour and water as instructed.
After this 12-hour rest during the day, discard the contents to 75 grams and refresh again with the same ratio of ingredients. Let the new mixture rest for 12 hours (overnight).
Day Five and Six
For Days 5 and 6, continue to discard down the contents of the jar and then refresh with the same ratio of ingredients as you did on Day 4, twice a day. You will see fermentation activity increase more and more. If you’ve written the weight of the empty jar on the bottom as I indicated on Day 1, you should know exactly how much the resulting weight of the jar plus carried over starter will be—discard down to this weight.
Keep using the same jar for these refreshments.
Day Seven and Onward
In the morning on Day 7, discard what’s in the jar down to 20 grams of the mixture. To this, add 30 grams rye flour, 70 grams all-purpose flour, and 100 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours during the day. In the evening (after about 12 hours), discard the jar contents down to 20g, add the same ratio of ingredients as earlier in the day, and let rest 12 hours (overnight).
At this point, you should see the height of your starter rise and fall in the jar predictably each day. This periodic behavior is a good indicator that it is strong enough for you to use for your first loaf of bread. If your starter is still struggling to show activity, continue the refreshment schedule with the same ratio of ingredients for another day–or even several more days–until things pick up. The process of stabilization can sometimes take longer, depending on the flour used and the environment (especially if it’s cool in your kitchen). Be patient and stick to the schedule!
Once you get the hang of your starter and its feeding schedule, feel free to adjust the ratio of ingredients. For example, in warmer months I’ll reduce my mature starter carryover to 10g to 20g depending on the temperature. To read more about how I change these ratios and maintain my starter, check out my comprehensive sourdough starter guide page which includes my current feeding schedule, an in-depth FAQ, and more.
The starter will continue to develop flavor and strength over the next week and into the future. With an active starter, you can now use a portion of it when it is ripe. A starter is ripe when it has risen, is bubbly on the surface and at the sides, has a sour aroma, and has a looser consistency than when first refreshed.
Having issues? Check out my list of the 21 most common sourdough starter problems (with solutions) →
What is the Best Flour to Feed My Sourdough Starter?
I get asked this question often. Once your starter is rising and falling predictably, it’s okay to switch your refreshment flour to suit your preference. You can continue with a mixture of rye and all-purpose, change to 100% all-purpose white flour, or even switch to using 100% whole wheat.
There is no right or wrong flour to use when feeding a starter.
Each flour will affect the starter in a different way, changing how fast it ferments, how acidic it becomes in the same timeframe, and eventually, the final flavor profile. There is no right or wrong flour to use when maintaining your starter; it’s up to you and your starter!
Next Steps For a Healthy Sourdough Starter
After your starter rises and falls predictably, review my sourdough starter maintenance routine for all the steps I do to keep my starter healthy. You can adjust your feeding schedule based on your baking frequency. If you can bake almost every day, you’ll want to feed your starter once daily to keep it ready-to-use shape. If you want to bake only on the weekends, you can put your starter in the refrigerator to slow down its activity.
You can also scale down your starter and maintain a smaller one. Scaling down your starter will mean less flour and water needed for each refreshment (to save ingredients). See my guide to maintaining a smaller sourdough starter for a recipe and process.
What If I Need a Break From Maintaining My Starter?
Maintaining a sourdough starter should always be on our terms, not the other way around. Maintaining a starter indefinitely can be daunting, but there are ways to put your starter on pause if you need a break from baking for a while. Remember, the refrigerator is our friend to slowing fermentation, and there are even ways to stop all fermentation activity altogether (and it can stay this year for years!).
How Can I Save Sourdough Starter Discard?
Once your starter is rising and falling predictably each day, and only then, to ensure you have the right mix of suitable bacteria and wild yeasts in the culture, you can save the discard. I keep a jar in my fridge where I collect all discards and keep them for up to 2 weeks. Then, when I want to make pancakes, waffles, or another discard recipe, I can use starter from my sourdough starter discard cache at a moment’s notice.
Final Thoughts
These days, refreshing my sourdough starter is a liturgical part of my day. It takes minutes to provide my starter with fresh flour and water. In return, my starter produces flavorful and healthy bread. I like to think it’s me making the bread; it’s me controlling fermentation, it’s my hands mixing and shaping the dough. But the reality is, I’m just a small cog in nature’s machinery. All I need to do is lend a helping hand and stay out of the way. Happy baking and buon appetito!
Print
Sourdough Starter Recipe
- Prep Time: 7 days
- Total Time: 168 hours
- Yield: 1 sourdough starter
- Category: Sourdough, Baking, Bread, Starter
- Cuisine: American
Description
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!
Ingredients
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 400g whole-grain rye flour
- 800g water
Instructions
- Day One
To a clean jar, add 100g whole rye flour and 125g warm water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. - Day Two
To 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. - Day Three
To 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. - Day Four
On 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. - Day Five and Six
For days five and six, 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. - Day Seven and Onward
In 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.
Notes
You don’t have to use a new, clean jar each time you feed your starter, but I find it’s helpful to keep track of the weight of the jar so you know how much you’re carrying over.
If you use my method for creating a starter, tag @maurizio on Instagram and use the hashtag #theperfectloaf so I can take a look!
Sourdough Starter Creation FAQs
Why do you need a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a continually maintained mixture of wild yeast and suitable bacteria used to seed fermentation in new dough for bread, pastry, and more.
How long does it take for a sourdough starter to be ready?
In general, I’ve found it takes about 7 days from when you first mix flour and water to when a sourdough starter is ready to be used to bake bread.
Is a homemade sourdough starter safe?
A well-maintained sourdough starter can live virtually indefinitely. The high-acid environment of the sourdough starter helps stave off any unwanted pathogens. However, if you see any signs of traditional mold (pink, white fuzzy, green), it’s best to discard the entire starter and start a new one.
Should I make or buy a sourdough starter?
While buying a sourdough starter is very easy online, it’s a very easy process to do at home! Plus, creating your own starter exposes you to the signs of fermentation, what steps you need to perform to maintain your starter, and gives you a chance to get to know the feeding (refreshment) process.
How long does it take for a sourdough starter to peak?
Some bakers use the term “peak” to refer to either the point at which a starter is ready to be used or needs feeding, or it can refer to the physical peak height of the starter in the jar. I find judging a sourdough starter’s readiness based solely on the height it has risen to may lead to using it at an incorrect time. After all, the height of a starter is simply a display of the strength and other characteristics of the flour. To determine when your starter is ready to be fed (or used for baking), look for a combination of signs: some rise, bubbles on top and at the sides, a sour aroma, and a loose consistency (it should loosen the longer it ferments). From there, use the timeframe for fermentation as a guide: at about 72-78F (22-25C) with 30-50% whole grain flour and 20% ripe starter (the seed, or inoculation), it might be ready after 12-16 hours.
Why doesn’t my sourdough starter have big bubbles?
It’s okay if your starter doesn’t have big bubbles. Large bubbles can be the result of the flour you’re using and the hydration. What’s more important overall, is to see strong signs of consistent fermentation: some bubbles, consistent rise each day, a sour aroma, a loosening in texture.
Why is my sourdough starter not rising?
It’s worrisome if you don’t see any rise in your starter, you should see some. Usually, no rise is a sign it’s not fermenting properly and needs more time to establish. Continue with the feeding schedule outlined in my guide on how to make a sourdough starter and it should begin fermenting after a few days.
What’s Next?
If you’re looking for something to make with the discarded sourdough starter that you’re generating every day, have a look at my sourdough waffles, sourdough pancakes, and sourdough banana bread.
If you need a high-level look at each step of the bread-making process, read through our Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Bread.
2,657 Comments
When you leave the water out on the counter to evaporate the chlorine, do you cover it? Or could I put it in a glass pitcher without a lid? I’ve been working on a starter for a couple weeks now using filtered water, but I think it would be happier with even less chlorine. Thanks for the detailed photos and advice!
When I leave my container out I leave it open, but just a crack. I try to prevent anything from going in but at the same time still allow stuff to get out. A glass pitcher without a lid would be perfect. You’re very welcome, happy baking!
Hi! I´ve been trying to make a starter several times with no luck. My current attempt was using you post above (which I find fantastic since it very precise and detailed with pictures ). On the first two days I was over the moon because mine looked exactly like your pictures and I thought ‘we are on to something here!’, but after day 3 (as it has happend before) all bubble activities ceases, it becomes flat and soupy. Today is my 6th day and I am still feeding it, and actually added a couple of additional grams of my flour mix but the bubbles are still missing. I live in Panama (Central America) where temperatures are usually between 26C-32C and lots of humidity. I read on a comment below you suggested adding salt to the feedings. I will try that, but I wonder if feeding it every 12hrs and not every 24hrs would be appropiate ?
Thank you so much!
M.
I would not add salt just yet, use salt only when your starter is reliably rising and falling and it’s established. Salt helps inhibit activity in your starter but it sounds like you don’t yet have a strong starter. Continue with the schedule, it might just take you a few days longer to get things going. That initial surge of activity is normal, after which sometimes you’ll see a lull and then it will pick back up.
Have a look at my Sourdough Starter FAQ for these questions and a bunch more!
Hope that helps, happy baking Mercedes!
Thank you so much for replying and your comments!! Actually I never did add the salt. Instead, I started feeding it twice a day and its coming around pretty nicely. Neverthless, I did get going on another starter just in case this one gave up on me. I’ve read your entry on controlling fermentation and realized that you have to play it by ear a lot, guess with time I’ll get better at it. My goal is to have a decent loaf by Thanksgiving. So crossing my fingers here!
Sounds good! I think by Thanksgiving you’ll definitely have a fantastic loaf in your repertoire. Yes, a lot of maintaining your sourdough starter has to be adjusted for your flour, environment, and even your particular yeast/bacteria in your mixture. Just learn to read the signs and adjust as necessary! Good luck, keep me posted on this Thanksgiving bake 🙂
Will do!! I am itching to try several of the recipes on you page 🙂
I live in french guyana, where the climate is hot and very humid (even more than in panama). I have really struggled with the starter- just like you. I finally succeeded, when i added a bit of water from my fermented cucumbers in the very first feeding (like two spoons). The starter is now two months old and very vigorous!Also- the quality of flour is veeery important- I now only use bio flour- the white ones from the supermarkets are often heavily bleached and refined!
Wow! Thanks! I had not thought of that. I ‘ve not had luck fermenting cucumbers so far (mold takes over) but I do make sauerkraut, so I could try that. I´ve only been using unbleached organic flour forseeing that cutting corners in that will only make it harder. However, I have successfully been able to get through the rough patch (started feeding it more often) and now its rising up like crazy! Currently scheduling my first baking and excited! 🙂
Fantastic, really glad to hear this!!
Mercedes,
Thanks for your post on getting a starter working in a humid environment. We live in Hawaii without AC (temps are usually 84 day/ 78 night), and had a similar problem where it got soupy after two days. We’ll try feeding it twice a day. Have you figured anything else out for living in a humid hot location? We also started another batch which is doing well on day two.
Thanks, Luke
Hi Luke! I did change things a bit. Additionally, I started only throwing away 25% of the started each day and feeding the regular 40g flour mix (I did dark rye and artisan flour because its what I had at the time) and 40g spring H2O at room temperature (which like you its usually 80 or above). On each feeding I added the water first (I’ve been reading a lot and seeing many videos and somewhere I picked up that this sort of oxigenates the starter) and it helps also to get all the dry bits of the walls of the jar. Then I would add the flour mix and after everything was well mixed I left the jar uncovered for a bit (depending on time availability it could be from 30 min to an hour) and then covered it back up and put into a cupbord. If you have the schedule availability I suggest you check it during the course of the day, because I think I could have started a third feeding ealier than I did, but due to my schedule I was not able to supervise it during the day unless I took it to work with me (I actually considered it!). My back up starter actually catched up with my other starter and basically I started the third feedings to both at the same time. So don’t neglect him (mine is actually stronger that the original starter for some reason). Good luck!!! 🙂
Hi,
I started my culture yesterday, but I am confused as to how tightly I need to cover it. I was under the impression that the yeast came from the air and so I should not cover tightly, but does it come from the flour so I can cover with cling film to keep the starter from drying out? Or is it a bit of both?
Many thanks
Elaine
Most of the yeast we want to cultivate here is actually on the grain itself, not the air. Yes, you can cover the jar however you’d like. I like to place a lid on top that will allow any gasses that build up inside the jar to escape safely. Plastic wrap will work just fine 🙂
Thank you for your reply. One other thing that occurs to me… does it matter what container you use to make it in? I am using a Pyrex bowl, but does it work better if the dough can ‘climb’ up the sides of a jar, or does it not matter?
Generally I’ve found that it doesn’t matter but I find it’s best if the container is small enough so the mixture can actually rise up inside, but also because you want to keep things as “together” as possible. If you have a very large container and it spreads out into a thin layer you’ll be exposing it to a lot more oxygen, it might cool down and heat more quickly, and it’ll be hard to see when it does rise up and fall (since there won’t be much height). I’d say use what you have just try to find something that keeps it as together as you can 🙂
Hi! Great blog! This is my first starter so I wanted to make sure I’m on the right path. On day 1 you want to hit 351. Is that you target number every feeding.
Thanks
Nicole
Thank you! The key is every feeding to discard everything down to 40g remaining in the jar. For me 351g equals that 40g remaining in the jar plus the 311g the jar itself weighs. Just ensure you have 40g of starter left in the jar each time you feed, that’s it!
Hello, and thank you for the post!
I am on day 7, and want to be sure…
At 4:00, do you remove 40g first, and then add flour and water? Or JUST add the flour and water?
At 10:00?
You bet! You will always, always discard a portion of the starter at each feeding. You should have 40g left in the jar after discarding at each feeding, to which you’ll add fresh flour and water.
Hope that helps!
Indeed, thank you.
Life got crazy and the poor thing hasn’t been touched in 2 days… do I have to start over?
Sorry for the late reply, I hope you stuck with it and kept feeding it! If you discarded it, no worries, just start another one 🙂
No worries 🙂
How long can it go? Is it ever unsafe to continue?
The longer it goes without refreshment the worse conditions become in your starter — acidity will build up excessively and eventually it will “starve.” It becomes unsafe if you ever see any indication of mold on top (pink, black, blue, fuzz, etc.).
I find it’s best to treat the little guy as a new member of the family 🙂 Pay attention to when it needs food and get on a routine of feeding it the same time each day when it looks like it needs it. You can always use the fridge for slowing things down if you want to feed just once or twice a week (check out my sourdough starter posts at the top, the FAQ and the Guide, for more on this!).
Hope that helps!
Hello. I live in Singapore and its 32degrees all year. I’ve tried to make a started a few times but I fine the heat causes it to ver ferment. Any advice? Yours. B
That’s quite hot! One thing you can do to slow fermentation rates in your starter is to cool everything down by using cold water from the fridge or keeping your starter in a cool spot in your kitchen. I like to target about 26°C for my starter.
If you’re not able to cool things down you can use salt to inhibit fermentation activity in your starter. Once you have a reliable starter (it’s rising and falling predictably) you could try adding 1% salt to your starter at each feeding and see if that helps tame fermentation.
I hope that helps!
Hello! Thank you for your posts. This is my 3rd attempt at making a sourdough starter using 3 different blogs with 3 different recipes and approaches. Every single time, including this time, it goes like this:
Day 1-lots of activity and bubbles, starter quadruples in size….I get so excited!
Day 2 – little bit of activity, a few bubbles
Day 3 – nothing
Day 4 – smells like vomit, no activity
Day 5 – smells like vomit, no activity
Day 6 – I GIVE UP!!!! I can’t stand the smell in my kitchen!
Everyone is talking about how their starter smells yeasty and lovely or even like alcohol. This has never happened to me! I have followed your instructions TO THE TEE. My house is maintained at 76 degrees. HELP!!!! I want to do this so bad and make some healthy bread.
Thanks for your help…..
Signed,
Frustrated in Ohio!
Hey there Karen! You need to stick with the process past day 6 to allow your mixture to develop favorable conditions for beneficial bacteria and yeast to take hold. What you’re seeing is normal activity in the beginning stages of a starter — it will smell very strange the first few days but this will eventually go away. What you’re smelling is other bacteria we want to eventually leave the mixture as the acidity increase and allow the beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus) a place to live.
If you would, try my process above one more time and go past day 6, it might just be taking a bit longer for you in your kitchen and this is also normal.
A few tips:
– keep things warm. 76F is great, 78-80F is even better.
– use rye flour as I describe above, organic dark rye if available
– leave your water jug out overnight to let any chlorine dissipate (as I describe above)
I hope this helps, I know it can be frustrating in the beginning but trust me, it will take hold just stick with it. It might take 8-10 days for your environment.
Keep me posted!
I guess the only ingredient I am missing is PATIENCE! You’re not the first person to tell me this :-). Will try it again.
Hello Maurizio!!! Thank you so so much for the time and love you put in every post you write!!!!!!!! Im following the recipie for the starter, im on day 7, very exited about the activity of it!!!! I have a specific question, in the end we always have 40g of starter, and i read that for the “Beginners Sourdough Bread” we need 40g of starter. That would leave me with nothing to continue. I used the leftovers of the starter to start a new jar and continue de feeding, is that ok? So its always 1 jar for 1 bread?
Hope i was clear enough!!!!
Thank youu!!!
Lucia
You’re welcome, Lu! I think I understand what you mean — yes that will work. However, know that you can always scale your starter up and down as needed, just keep the same ratio of everything. For example, if you have 40g mature starter, 100g flour and 100g water this means you have 40% starter (40g starter / 100g flour = 40%). Scale up the quantities as needed, e.g. 80g starter 200g flour 200g water still equals 40% starter.
Hope that helps!
Hi Maurizio. First of all, thank you for taking the time to reply to everyone. I know you must overlap answers a lot and it is appreciated. I have attempted to create my own starter but have failed a few times now and I can’t workout why. I have read your instructions in this post many times and feel I have followed the steps exactly. I even acquired all of the equipment/tools you suggested and used the same brands of flour. I can you mention that temperature is often the culprit for failed starters but I have monitored this as well and believe I am in the correct/ideal range.
So far, each of the three starters I have attempted in the past few weeks has ended up extremely soupy with almost no activity. No rise and no bubbles. I always stick to the ratio you mention (leave 40g in the jar, add 40g flour, add 40g water), but it always becomes runny so I add another teaspoon or two of flour.
The only two things I can think of are that my jar is slightly bigger than yours (but the same brand which I bought from the link on this page), and that my apartment in New York City is on the 11th floor of a high rise building which might have something to do with air or circulation. My other thought was that I have the air conditioning on in the evening when I try to sleep, but this only changes the temperature from around 80 degrees to around 75 degrees in the kitchen area where I keep the jar.
My last thought is that I have been using bottled water (Evian). But I see that this should be ok, or even preferred to tap water.
Any thoughts on how I can identify the problem?
Other information :
I leave the starter with the glass lid on
My kitchen is quite bright and filled with indirect light
The starter jar has been near or on top of my fridge
SOS from NYC. Thanks again!
Hello – Thank you Maurizio for this wonderfully detailed article. I am having a very similar problem with my sourdough as Darren has described above. I also live in NYC, in a 12th floor apartment, with similar conditions. I tried making starter once using the less formal technique described in the Tartine bread book and got a mix that bubbled very quickly (within a day) but also separated in an unusual manner — clear liquid in a layer BELOW the main mixture, with a small layer of sediment below that. The smell was like strong parmesan cheese and after several days of continued feeding, the bubbling stopped but it continued to become soupy, developing a strong smell like acetone.
For my next batch I measured the 1:1 flour:water ratio by mass with a scale, and fed every 12 hours (because I suspected that the food supply may have been exhausting too quickly the last time). Once again, bubbles developed on the surface within a day and continued on the surface after each feeding. This time the smell was closer to the correct pleasant/bready/acidic smell, but the mixture continued to become soupy, never developing the desired porous structure.
I should mention that I have successfully made starter in the past, when I lived in a different (ground floor) apartment, and it wasn’t as difficult that time.
I have read elsewhere online that this problem could be a result of the wrong type of microbes developing — bacteria that eats protein predominating rather than bacteria and yeast that eats starch. Some comment boards seemed to suggest simply continuing to feed as usual, but this doesn’t seem to be leading to any progress for me.
Thanks again for any insight!
Hey, Ben! Sorry for the late reply. See my reply to @disqus_vdo4GFF80F:disqus above for most of my answer. Your comment about the wrong bacteria appearing in the mixture is correct, that will usually happen in the beginning of the process and eventually, as the mixture acidifies more and more, that bacteria will die off and give way to the bacteria and yeast we do want to keep around. This bacteria does usually smell a bit off as well.
Just ignore that and continue with the process, eventually the conditions will be just right to promote the beneficial bacteria and yeast we’re after.
Hope this helps!
Thank you! I tried again with some changes (mostly involving sticking more strictly to the process you describe in your article such as leaving the filtered water out overnight, etc, as well as adding a few extra grams of flour to the mixture) and after about a week my starter is looking great! In fact I was just planning when to start my leaven for the first loaf with the new starter!
Ahh fantastic news! Really glad to hear that. Have fun, you’re on your way 🙂
Hey, Darren! Sorry for the late reply to your question. I’m happy to help. I don’t think the floor you live on in your building should impact things in any way. It sounds like you’re following my steps here exactly, which is a good thing, but maybe we can ensure a few key details are followed. First, using bottled water should be fine but even some bottled water can have chlorine or other things that might inhibit fermentation. Try leaving whatever water you’re using for the mixture out and exposed to air overnight before using it (just open the top of the bottle). From there, we really want to make sure we’re using whole grain rye flour. If you’re using the same brand and I am then that’s great. Further, temperature is incredibly important here. If you can keep things close to 80°F that will speed up the process. You could also change the flour mixture to 50% rye for the first few feedings to see if that helps things a bit, then after the third day resume the process above.
If the mixture is too soupy that’s just fine, but you can (as you did) add a bit more flour to make things more stiff if you prefer. I would not make it too stiff, though, as that wet environment will help speed the process up.
Indirect light is not a problem. Leaving the lid on the jar is a good thing. On top of the fridge is fine.
My feeling is things really should come around at some point if you stick to the schedule and keep feeding as I’ve described. If you still don’t see any activity after a week and a half email me (Contact email is up top) and we’ll take it from there. I hope this helps get your starter going!
Your blog is just amazing and full of all kinds of wonderful information. Great Job! I am attempting my first ever sourdough starter (and bread baking for that matter) as I am an avid cook but have never been a great baker because of the precision involved. I’d rather measure in my palm and move along. 🙂 So, after reading this entry and the FAQ’s I have a somewhat naive question: Where is the yeast? Does the starter really only consist of the mixture of rye/apw flour and filtered water? I plan on attempting your starter beginning Friday! eek!
Thank you so much Brooke, I really appreciate that! Sorry for the late reply. The yeast we are trying to cultivate in our mixture is actually almost all present on the grain itself. It’s “dormant,” in a manner of speaking, until the flour touches water at which time yeast and (beneficial) bacteria begin metabolizing and reproducing. These wild yeasts are what leaven our bread for the most part, they’re doing the hard work 🙂 Good luck and I hope it goes well!
Hello! Thank you for a such an informative post. This is my first time attempting sourdough bread. I’m on day 4 of my starter. I’m using a mix of whole wheat flour and apf. My starter is moderately active. I feed it once a day. It doubles in size after feeding but there is no fall in volume, even till the next day. The consistency seems to be as you have described. Should I increased the feeding gaps? Or could there be some other problem? Also, I’ve noticed more air bubbles towards the bottom of the jar and not much at the surface of the starter.
Hey there! Sorry for the late reply to this, hopefully by now your starter is vigorous and all is well. That’s ok if you don’t see much fall (or rise) in the beginning. Just stick to it and keep feeding per the schedule and things will pick up at some point.
Good luck!
If you take what you would normally discard from any given day and put 40g of it into its own jar and feed it also, can you effectively split/multiply the starter?
Hey! Yes, that’s correct. You can create any number of “spin offs” with this method.
“We do everything by weight in grams,” That is mass not weight.
That’s correct. Colloquially though, saying weight by grams is often accepted. Out here at least 🙂
Nice product placement with the Klean Kanteen logo wherever possible
Hah! I never noticed that, total chance 🙂
What is the point of always taking out from your starter if you are always going to have the same amount it seems pointless ,because you will always end up with the same amount , I just don’t understand .
When you feed your starter culture fresh flour and water it will eventually be “used” through fermentation. Think of the flour and water (mostly the flour) as food that the mixture of bacteria / yeast need to survive. We remove this used up food after it’s been metabolized and provide it with fresh flour and water so the cycle can continue.
When feeding the starter are we supposed to cut it down to the weight of the jar + 40 grams every single time? Or do we just keep adding the 40 grams of water and 40 grams of a/p and wheat flour mix?
Yes, you discard down to jar weight + 40g every time you feed.
Does that mean that I always will have around 120g of starter (40g+80g of new mix)?
Now what do I do, if my recipe calls for 100g or more of starter?
Thank you:)
Yes, that’s correct. You can scale this quantity up or down depending on what you like to maintain or to what a recipe calls for. The key is to try and keep the same ratio of flour, water and mature starter at each feeding, while the quantity can go up or down.
Hi
It’s only day 3 of my starter and it resembles day 7 starter. I have hugh pockets of bubbles, it doubled in size, has the right smell, etc. I keep it up high at a very moist and warm location (probably around 80F or more). I definitely want to do at least 2 more feedings but is it necessary to feed the entire 8 days before using? Can “full strength” even develop this quickly?
Sheena,
Yes, it’s very possible your stater has taken hold faster than expected, especially at those temperatures (that’s a good thing). If you continue to see strong rise and fall predictably each day proceed with the later steps of the process.
Happy baking!
Help?
I have followed your instructions. I am using 100% Dark Rye. I am at day 10. After feeding – my starter rises 2.5X, it has that cobweb structure at the peak, it smells like yeast and bacteria.
What it does not do and why im reaching out. It still does not get all those bubbles on the sides of the glass and that frothy “active” look like yours and everyones elses on the web has :(. Any ideas? Is it strong enough now? Should I just make a loaf and see what happens?
Hey Joseph — it sounds like your starter is nice and healthy, this a great thing. You won’t see the same visual cues as my starter, rye flour is very different in terms of protein and it’s not able to trap gasses the same way as traditional wheat. As long as you see strong signs of fermentation (bubbles, a sour smell, etc.) you should be good to go now!
I would like to try this with einkorn wheat. Do you have any suggestions with the weight ratios?
Hey, Sarah! Sorry for the late reply. I’ve never created a starter with Einkorn but I’d suggest you replace the white wheat with Einkorn and keep the rye percentage as-is. Once your starter is reliably rising and falling feel free to change the flour type, and percentages, to whatever you’d like. Hope that helps!
When I first looked into starting a starter (2 weeks ago), I found a different blog post and followed their directions. It’s pretty similar to yours with the exception of using 100% rye flour. When following their guide, by day three my starter doubled and deflated by the time I came home from work. On day three (after the deflation), I discarded half and fed my starter as directed. From there on out, my starter would not double again nor produce as much bubbles as before. I tried feeding it a few more times but eventually gave up on it thinking I did something wrong (it also had a pretty sour smell. Maybe alcohol smell?).
So I started googling more and found your blog! Your volumes of flour and water are different from the directions I had followed before so I was hoping your guide would solve my issue. However, the same exact thing has happened while following your directions. Is my starter TOO active and is it burning itself out? I’m currently on day three (just fed my starter after the deflation) and hope you can shed some light on what’s going on. Should I just keep feeding and not give up?
Hey Nathan, sorry for the late reply. That initial burst of activity, followed by a lapse, is really common. It’s typically other bacteria in the mixture that eventually dies off when the beneficial bacteria we’re looking for takes hold. Continue with the feeding process, as it’s stated above, and eventually you’ll have a strong and reliable starter.
For more info on this, check out my Sourdough Starter FAQ!
Hi Maurizio, thanks for getting back to me. Since the comment I left, I persevered with the feedings and eventually it began rising and falling again. I’m seeing lots of large air pockets like your picture from Day 7. I ramped up to twice a day feedings and all is well. Pleasant sweet smell with slight hints of alcohol. I think I’m set now! Thanks again for the advice and the great blog!
That’s great, Nathan! Really glad you continued on, I knew it would take hold. Thanks so much and happy baking!
My starter has been going for about a week, but it doesn’t have any big bubbles they’re fairly small, and only doubles. I keep my house fairly cool for the summer (around 70) I know this is pretty cool for a starter. But if I just give it time it should eventually get to a good levain?
Yes, eventually it’ll take hold but warmer temps do help speed the process along. You could try mixing with a little warmer water, say 78ºF, and see if that helps increase activity. 70ºF is on the colder side, as you suggested.
The first couple days of my starter were great with lots of activity. I’m on day 4 and the activity is much less. I’m wondering if it is because of the AC on in my house. It’s 80F and humid out right now. Would it be a bad idea to let my starter sit outside to warm up for a little bit?
80ºF is a good temperature to keep your starter at, I wouldn’t warm it too much above that. It’s ok if you notice a dip in activity, things will perk back up with consistent, regular feedings. Stick to the schedule! See my Sourdough Starter FAQ at the top for more info.
I’ve been following your rules almost exactly. The only difference is that my starter was SUPER active from the very beginning but I have no idea why. We don’t have air conditioning so my house is constantly near 80F or above. I’ve been feeding it once a day, then twice a day for about a week. I fed it this morning at 9am and it tripled and fell partially around 12:30-1. I read that when it shows these signs, that you are supposed to feed it again, so I did. Am I feeding it to soon and should I let it sit longer before I feed it again? Most people say that there starter takes around 7-8 hours to double in size. I keep mine in a mason jar, with plastic wrap on the top. I also mark the level with a black marker when I feed so I can judge how much it is rising throughout the day. With the way that it is feeding, do you think that I could bake bread with it now?
Hey there, Jessica! Your starter does sound very strong and vigorous — that’s a good thing! The warm temperature will also increase activity so you’ll either have to do more frequent feedings like you’ve been doing, or you can reduce the amount of starter you leave in the jar each time you do a feeding (this will slow things down and make it so your mixture takes longer to mature).
It sounds like you’re good to go!
I have followed your proportions to a T but decided to use strictly all purpose unbleached flour. I am on day 4 and my starter does have some bubbles but it seams a bit liquidy. When I discard it’s very wet and hard to scoop. Also what’s your technique to make disgarding as quick as possible. Is it ok to discard by eye or does it have to be an exact 40g left?
Yes, with less whole wheat or rye you’ll notice the mixture will be more watery — this is totally fine, or you can reduce the amount of water you’re using until the starter is at the consistency you prefer. I’ve been feeding my starter for a long, long time now and I can just eyeball it, of course you can do the same! Over time you’ll really get good at judging the weight in the jar and I just recommend weighing things to get a good feeling for what 40g (or whatever you end up keeping in the jar) really is.
Hope this helps!
Hi, firstly great website! It has made for some very interesting reading and inspired me to have a crack at traditional sourdough. My starter is about a week old now, started and fed with 50/50 whole wheat and white flour. I decreased the hydration at about day 3 as it was getting a little soupy, but now at 100% hydration and achieving similar consistency to the photo at the start of this wright up. I am feeding twice a day now, and there is a lot of activity (similar to your day 4 photo) however it does not seem to be rising and then subsequently falling. Lots of bubbles (not breaking the surface though) but no evidence of a significant increase in volume. Just wanted to see if you had come across this issue and if there is there is anything obvious that I need to adjust, or just keep feeding and let it get stronger? Ambient temp is around 70 – 72f.
Gianni, thanks! I’d say keep with the feedings but it’s possible there’s still a bit too much water in the mixture, especially if you see a “frothy” top or it never really rises. Of course it’s also possible the flour choice is causing this (usually with really high percentages of rye or even whole wheat at high hydration might not show much rise overall). It’s ok if you don’t see a lot of rise, as long as you’re seeing significant fermentation you should be good to go. Smell it occasionally as well, it should go from sweet to more and more sour over time after a feeding.