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.
2,663 Comments
Thanks, Rafal — I have to agree, real bread is one of the healthiest foods out there!
I am due to feed my starter for day 2 in a couple of hours. I checked how things are going (per my post below, I used 100g each of fresh milled soft white wheat and 100g of warmish water, it’s in a loosely covered Ball jar), and it looks kinda… gray on top? Is that okay? Smells fine. But the weird color didn’t happen when I was using store-bough KA AP flour….
Gray is usually ok (especially if there’s still rye in there, which tends to have a gray hue). The only time to really be concerned is if you see signs of fuzzy mold (white, pink, green, black, etc.). Stick with it!
Hi Maurizio, I decided to dive in and get started on the starter project today. I mill my own whole wheat (soft white) and used 100g of that along with 150g of filtered water (and we are on a well so there’s no chlorine, surely). It’s four hours in, and already the water is separating from the wheat. That seems…. not aligned with the goal? I can also tell you that this ratio of 100g-150g yielded quite a runny mixture, doesn’t seem anywhere NEAR the thickness in your day 1 mixture shown in the photo above. Am I already wrong, 4 hours in?
Using fresh milled flour will be great for this process! I’d say try reducing the water so it’s a bit thicker: perhaps 100% hydration (equal water and flour) will work out better for your flour.
Thanks so much for responding so quickly!!! I’ll report back and let you know how it goes!
do you know anything about making sourdough vinegar?
I’ve not heard of that!
Could I use bread flour to feed starting day 2 or should I stick to the all purpose?
I personally would stick with all-purpose flour until your starter is up and running. Even after that I like to use all-purpose (flour that’s < 12% protein) for my feedings. However, if you only have bread flour on hand, things should still work just fine.
I was wrong when i said that you didnt say when to use it. However, mine has separated into flour with water sitting on the top – start again?
This is all very nice but you dont say when the starter can be used
I do, near the end! Once it’s rising and falling predictably each day it’s strong enough to bake with. Also, check out my sourdough starter maintenance routine for pictures and descriptions for when it’s ready (mature, ripe) to use.
you do indeed – my apologies, i missed it (see comment on your website) – many thanks for the response.
regards
Bill
I got to about day 7 and then this part got me
“In the morning on day seven, place a clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 50 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight. To this, add 100 grams all-purpose flour and 100 grams water (no rye flour is needed). Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours. In the evening (after about 12 hours), refresh again with the same ratio of ingredients and let rest until the next day.”
In the evening refresh again? I added 100g of flour and 100g of water but I didn’t take any out as it doesn’t say to do so. Then it says that if it’s not ready-looking for making the bread keep doing this. Keep adding? Doesn’t say anything about taking any out.
All the sourdough recipes say it’s easy to do but the instructions fizzle out just when things get interesting. So I am now on day 7/8, some bubbles and I just added 100g of flour and water to yesterday’s 100g of flour and water. Is that right?
I see it was answered elsewhere – you always need to discard some (or most). Wonder what will happen to mine then seeing as I didn’t discard.
Anyway, great site Maurizio, thanks!
Thanks for pointing that out, I can see how that might be unclear. I’ll update the post!
After day 7, do you leave the starter out on the counter and continue to feed it twice a day indefinitely? If I only bake once every couple of weeks, should I refrigerate my starter after day 7 and then follow your weekly maintenance schedule?
I do feed it 2x a day but that’s because I bake every single day. Yes, follow my weekend baking schedule if you plan to just back once per week — this way you can keep your starter in the fridge most of the time and not have to feed it.
Once your starter is rising and falling reliably each day then you can place it in the fridge. If you try to put it in the fridge before you see this regular rise and fall it may not have had enough time to build up enough strength to withstand the fridge.
Hi i am about to embark on my first ever starter. Do i need to keep it in the yogurt maker in the initial stages at all times
Nope, but I do recommend you keep it warm, 76-80°F would be ideal!
Hi Marizio, thank you so much for all you do on this site. Absolutely incredible! My question is regarding my starter and I should throw it out and start from scratch or keep going. I followed the instructions up to day 7, but the only activity I really saw was on day 2 when it rose enough it spilled out of my Mason jar. Other than that I haven’t seen any rising/falling at all. I feed it once a day now, usually at night. So is it wasted now? Should I start over and throw this out? Im not sure what I did wrong. I tried keeping the H2O at 80 degrees when I added it, and used purified bottled H2O each time except for once when I used tap H2O. Please help! Thanks
Same happened to me on day 2 (it rose about 3 times its size). It did the same on day 1, in the afternoon. On Day 3 grayish spots were showing and just a few bubbles, but it didn’t rise again. I read that the gray spots are a sign that I should start feeding more often, which I am doing (twice per day). Today, Day 3, I skipped all the steps and started to feed as Day 7 is supposed to be: 50g starter, 100g wheat flour and 100g water. I hope to be doing the correct thing. I read that as long as there is not mold (orange or pink coloration) the starter should still be alive.
Hopefully you stuck with the schedule and your starter is rising and falling predictably each day! There’s typically a lapse of activity there near the end (as I mentioned in the post) but stick with it, eventually it’ll take hold!
There is no mystery in making sourdough starter. It’s just flour and unchlorinated water no salt as it inhibits the yeast in the beginning of the starter.( I’ve read that it doesn’t matter if it’s chlorinated or not, I use unchlorinated). I put mine in an oven with the door ajar (oven off of course) with the light on for a little heat. Check and move around in oven if needed. A bit of common sense is necessary here as it can get to hot in there. 100 to 115 deg. F is plenty. The natural yeast comes from the air where you live. once it starts to bubble and grow, it’s sour dough starter (it’s the natural yeast in the air that makes it “sour dough”, mine started and was bubbly in less than 24 hours). I use bleached AP white flour, no problem. I’ve added rye, and whole wheat flour to it when making bread and so far not had any problems.(I’ve been making it like this over 25 Years). You don’t need a scale, special spatula, instant read thermometer or special jar to start making it. Use what you have. (I Make mine in a 4 cup plastic Measuring cup I got at wally world and use a regular table fork to mix it). You can start out with about 1/2 a cup of flour and enough water (1/4 to 1/3 of a cup) to make a loose sponge in any vessel that you can put a cover that can accept outside air ( I’ve used tea towels, or paper towels with a rubber band to hold a tight seal so unwanted particles or critters or whatever doesn’t get in it) after your starter is formed.add whatever flour to make enough sponge for your recipe plus whatever to make a little more to save for the next time you want more starter, ( as a side note look up Bakers yeast or Commercial Yeast on google). I believe that how sour (Tangy) sourdough gets is how it is stored and handled. I I’ve had it stored in my refrigerator about a year and rejuvenated it with no problems. Some liquid may form on top when stored for long periods of time in the fridge( it’s called Hooch) to much water in sponge when stored. Some say stir it back in and add more flour,(I do) some say throw it out and start over, Is there really a right or wrong way? I’m not saying your way is wrong and mine is right. Just that there’s more than one way to achieve the same result. I’ll keep doing it my way, it works for me.
That’s right, there’s no right or wrong way to get a starter going and maintain it — whatever works for you is the way to go!
Hi
I have a question about feeding the starter two times a day. You discard the mature starter until you have 50grams left and refresh that 50grams with the food. At the end of the day you say refresh with the same ratio of ingredients. Do you also discard down to 50grams at the end of the day or do you keep all the mature starter from the morning feed?
Hi Jared,
At the end of the day the starter is fed with the same ratio of ingredients, therefore, you need to discard again to 50 grams.
As Corina said below, yes you’ll discard down to 50 grams each time you do a feeding.
Hi! Thank you so much for the detailed information! I was wondering if I could ask you a question… My starter seems to be behaving like I started a day late, according to your descriptions. What I mean is, I’m supposed to be starting day four, but yesterday I had a crazy amount of activity (like you described on day 2), and today It seemed like it had almost 0 activity (like your description of day 3). My question is: should I do one more day of feeding it just once, to let it “catch up” or is it better to just follow the days no matter what?
Thank you so much for your help 🙂
You can definitely adjust and shift the schedule to fit your starter. Each one is different and, like you guessed, some get going faster, or slower, than others!
Hi Maurizio! Thanks for the really helpful guide! I have a question – I saw a lot of activity early on with lots of vinegar smells, but as of day 3, I’ve had very little activity – just a few bubbles on the top. I’m on day 6, and it’s not really growing or falling at all. We already use a filter that pulls out chlorine and I’ve stuck with the schedule, but I’m in Arizona, so maybe it’s too hot? Any thoughts would be helpful.
Hey, Karen! This is pretty normal. I’d stay stick at the last stage using rye flour, keep feeding it this way until you do see some activity, then proceed on with the process. Have a look at my sourdough starter frequently asked questions for answers to questions just like yours!
I just began a new starter yesterday and it is separating, what might this be an indicator of?
That separation is pretty normal, typically it means your mixture needs to be fed or stirred down earlier. It’s really nothing to be worried about, just stick to the schedule and it’ll eventually stop.
For other questions and answers to questions like this, check out my sourdough starter FAQ — lots of good info in there!
Hi Maurizio. Greetings from Norway:) Great site and explanations! I got hold of some old traditional organic rye which has been sowed in the ashes of downburnt wood through centuries. Sounds amazing right?;) It’s supposed to be more powerful in taste and have better qualities and leaven better than other rye. I’m so excited to see how my first sourdough starter will turn out. One question though: Doesn’t the yeast prefer full darkness like other yeast? (Im a Beer brewer also and beer yeast prefers darkness)
Whoa, I’ve not heard of that! Fascinating. If by “darkness” you mean whole grain, then yes, typically yeast/bacteria will find more nutrition from flour that’s comprised of an entire berry instead of flour that’s sifted. You should see quite a bit of fermentation activity with whole grain rye!
Hi again. Usually we cover our fermenting beer with a towel or place in a dark room, so the yeast can work in the dark. But this might not be the case for the wild yeast of course…
Ah, sorry about that, I totally misunderstood what you meant! I do not keep mine in total darkness, it’s fine with ambient light. Just take care not to keep it in direct sunlight as it’ll likely get far too hot.
I am first time sourdough starter newbie. I followed your recipe pretty much exactly. I started with 1 jar. After first day, I made them into 4 jars based on your proportion/ weight. Essentially, the 4 jars had exactly the same flour,, water and condition. Now after 1 week, 2 jars are bubbling really nicely while one has almost zero activity. The 3rd one is just average. How interesting is that! Just wonder what you think happened.. THanks
Very interesting! It’s possible each jar has formed it’s own little microbiome with varying strains of dominant yeast & bacteria. If there’s no cross contamination between the jars, they’ll likely display different fermentation symptoms, perhaps. Just an idea, and very interesting indeed!
You can purchase Campden tablets (or powdered potassium/sodium metabisulfite) at any homebrew shop; one tablet will de-chlorinate 20 gallons of water, removing both chlorine and chloramines. This is a chemical reaction that occurs *almost instantly*, no need to leave the water sit overnight.
I de-chlorinate my water using this method for every batch of beer and mead I make; never thought to worry about the water in my bread, but I will now!!! 🙂
Wow, fascinating Brian, I had no idea this was possible. Thanks for that, I’m going to update the post with this info!
Hello, Imwhere i live right now most days are getting up to 20-25 degrees but the nights are a lot cooler. I’m wondering if there is anything i can do to help the fermentation process in cooler climates ?
Anything you can do to keep the mixture warm (80°F would be ideal!) the better. If you are interested, have a look at the B&T Folding proofer, it’s an awesome little device that keeps the chamber at whatever temp you set. You could also set something like this up on your own with an electric seedling mat and a cooler. Another option is to use your turn off oven as an insulated chamber: turn the interior light on and let it warm up slowly, then turn it off and keep your mixture in there. An ambient thermometer will let you know when you need to turn the light on to keep the temp up.
Once your starter is fermenting reliably it’ll still perform just fine at cooler temps!
Thank you so much! Just made my first loaf and I’m so happy!! Your blog was amazing and helpful. I will most definitely be following more of your stuff
Right on, Daniel! Enjoy 🙂
Hey there, another quick question. Is the best time to use the starter after 12 hours of fermentation or when its risen to the highest point ?
I wouldn’t go by time, I would judge by look, feel, smell. If it’s ready before 12 hours, use it (or discard and feed) when it’s ready. I look for that slight drop in height after some number of hours, that’s when I try to time its use.
Hello Maurizio, thank you for this post. I’m just about to try my first starter! Just one question I didn’t see in your instructions-do I cover on day 1??
Thanks kindly,
Tami
Hey, Tami! Yes, I cover the jar at all times. Happy baking!
Does that mean in the case of a jar to screw the top on? Or just cover? I have been using a paper towel to cover (with a rubber band) and it’s autumn and kinda cold.
Ah I see it was answered in the FAQ (which is great thanks!).
Hi Maurizo, Love your site and have learned so much, thank you! I maintain a starter but wanted to give your method a try. I’m on day 7 and not seeing any activity. I’ve followed your steps to the “t” and have kept meticulous notes. I saw great activity after day 1 with 100% rye but when I started the 50/50 flour blend it slowed, rose maybe a smidge but has since become very stubborn. I stuck with your instructions and now on day 7 reduced to 50g starter 100g flour and 100g h20 at 80F. My kitchen temp for this entire week as been steady at 75F and between 48-53% humidity (I’m in north Alabama:) Any recommendations to get this sucker going? Btw, looking forward to meeting you in November at Bellegarde!
Hey, Aaron! Looking forward to seeing you in NOV as well — it’s going to be a ton of fun, I can’t wait.
Your mix and temps sound great. I’d recommend you still use some rye flour, though, if you’re not. You could go back to the 50/50 blend until you see signs of fermentation really taking hold, then finish the transition (if you desire).
Are you leaving your water out on the counter? It’s possible your tap water has chlorine which really impedes fermentation. I’d suggest you pick up a couple gallon jugs of distilled water from the grocery story and use that for your feedings for the next week or so — this might really help your situation.
Stick with it. I know it can be frustrating after days of work, but keep with it and hopefully the mods I’ve suggested help kickstart things! Keep me posted.
Well that did it! I went back to the 50/50 blend and I’m happy to say it’s now doubling in size in about about 6-6.5 hours after it’s morning feed. Getting really nice gas activity on the sides, but not so much on the surface. It’s definitely putting off some warmth too and has a strong sour taste and smell. I think we’re getting there! If it keeps on track, would you stick with the 50/50 blend for regular feedings or step down until I get to 100% white flour?
Fantastic, great to hear that! In the end you can switch to whatever flour mix you’d like. Personally I like a mix of 50/50.
Why do you like 50/50? Great work with this site!
Thanks! I just find the best performance and flavor with that blend. It’s easy for me to keep stock of whole wheat (I usually mill it myself) and white flour is always in my pantry in some form.
Excellent instructions!! I donate $100!!
Thanks so much, I really appreciate that! All donations head right back into the site — I’m hoping to increase the depth and breadth of my posts even further. Happy baking and thanks again!
Hi Maurizio, I reside in South East Asia so room temp is usually 29-32 deg on average. I attempted twice to cultivate my own starter but failed on both attempts. Decided to try again based on your method. On Day 1, I discarded half the mixture after 17hrs as the mixture rose to the top of the container and fed it 50Rye/50AP. I checked the mixture after 8 hours on Day 2 & realized that the mixture had receded about 1cm and the surface was flat…can see visible cracks so I discarded half the mixture and fed the same flour combi 50/50 as before. This morning, the mixture had receded again after approximately 8-9hrs. Should I discard half and feed the same combi as it’s not even 12 hrs since last feed or should I wait for 24hrs before I start discarding and feeding again? I am a bit confused here and do not want the mixture to be overly acidic or go bad since the weather here is very warm and humid so fermentation is faster. Your advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Hey! Those are very warm temps, I would do a feeding every 12 hours if you notice activity that vigorous!
Thanks!
Just discovered my “held over in the fridge for a few too many weeks” start molded 🙁 Sad day in whosville for sure. But, I am starting over and I do not remember having day 1 be soup? 100 grams whole grain rye flour and 150 grams water. Am I understanding this correctly?
Ahh, bummer! If it’s mixing up way too wet, reduce that 150g water down to whatever works for your particular flour. I’d probably start with 100g and see how that feels when mixing. You want it wet but not like soup 🙂
Thank you, Maurizio. I can’t say enough about how helpful your blog is. What I appreciate is that you share the concepts behind the formulas, which has helped me make better decisions rather than following the formula to a tee.
For whatever reason, my schedule deviated somewhat from Maurizio’s before my starter stabilized. After about two weeks, I now refresh 40g of starter with 20/80g of rye/all purpose and 100g of room temp. water. It peaks almost exactly at 12 hours, but I may need to lower the amount of carryover mixture as it seems to be gathering strength. The bubbles are bigger, and I’m getting about a 130% rise.
Like many people, after I switched to the 7th day of feeding 100% AP, my starter showed few signs of activity. I went back to feeding with rye at varying percentages, settling on 20%, and I made certain to refresh when the starter peaked. More than anything, I think this made the biggest difference.
Maurizio, my question is this: is the point of switching to AP flour on Day 7 to test the strength of the starter? That is, if it can thrive with AP flour, then it’s certainly strong enough for use in dough.
You’re very welcome! Glad I could help. It sounds like you’re adjustments were spot on, that’s great. Sometimes it needs a little longer to take hold and using rye flour helps it get off its feet.
That’s a great question, and I could see why it may seem that way. The answer is no, I don’t prescribe switching to AP as a test for readiness (although I could see why you thought that!). I switched because most people are looking for a white flour starter and it’s also kind of a baseline — from there you can switch to any flour you’d like, really. But, feel free to skip the AP if you’d like, you can really feed it anything you want (AP, rye, whole wheat, spelt, etc.).
The real test is whether it consistently rises and falls each day. Once you see this your starter should be strong enough to leaven your dough.
I hope that helps and great questions!
That makes sense, Maurizio. Thanks for the reply.
I’m hoping you can help me diagnose a problem. The problem is the crumb. The crumb shows big holes, suggesting to me that fermentation is working fine, but the texture of the crumb is too gummy and not light and fluffy. I’m getting a moderate rise.
My starter is active and predictable. I hand mixed using a method I picked up from Trevor Jay Wilson. This made the dough much easier to handle. I bulked for 5 hours in the proofer at a consistent (the dough stayed between 78 and 81). It looked almost exactly the same as yours in the picture before pre-shaping. I shaped delicately and got a very tight exterior. (I know it was tight, because the scoring was easy and clean.) I put it in the refrigerator overnight for 12 hours for proofing with one hour on the counter before baking.
However, when I scored the dough, I noticed that I did not see the gluten strands that I typically inside other people’s dough after scoring. A well-proofed dough almost looks to me like it’s been baking in a way. I did the “poke test” and my feeling was that it wasn’t quite ready, but I got too eager and should have let the final proofing continue until I was certain. Do you think the problem is under-proofing or is there another point I should be watching?
Thanks yet again.
I should have mentioned that I used a 90% bread flour, 10% whole wheat, 76% hydration, and 20% inoculation formula.
It sounds like your dough was not quite ready as you guessed — a bit under proofed. A good sign of this is usually large holes but they’re surrounded by dense spots and pockets. A sign of even and full fermentation is usually consistent openness throughout, no dense spots, and no massive holes either (although these could be due to improper shaping as well).
I’d say, yes, a bit longer proof might have really helped!
That’s a perfect description of my loaf. I feel pretty confident in my shaping, so I think it’s the final proof. Patience, like temperature, should be treated as an ingredient! Thanks again, Maurizio!
I’m on my second day of a sourdough starter. Sourdough is the only bread I have never had success with. It is blissfully warm in the UK at the mo, and I used rye flour. 24hrs produced a gratifyingly bubbly concoction. So should I move to twice daily feeding tomorrow?
I’d stick to the schedule (I hope you did!) because sometimes that initial burst of activity will subside. If you move too quickly through the steps we might be discarding too much too quickly.
Hi Maurizio,
I live in Florida so I used my yogurt setting on my IP to control the temperature. It started out well but now on the six day it quit bubbling and just does the hooch on the top and is soupy. Should I start over?
Don’t start over, just stick to the schedule. If you can, try to keep an eye on your starter after you feed it to see if it’s actually fermenting rapidly on you — usually hooch accumulation on top means it might need a feeding sooner or the need to switch to 2x feedings per day faster.
Check out my sourdough starter FAQ for answers to questions just like this!
Hi Maurizio,
I’ve been following your starter guide since Wednesday before last (the 11th of July). My starter wasn’t really rising all that much (1.5x), however he was quite bubbly and passed the float test around day 5. Unfortunately, ever since I switched to only AP, i have noticed that he doesn’t rise at all, has a foul smell, no longer passes the float test. This morning I decided to feed him 50/50 AP/WholeWheat, in the hope that he recovers a bit. Given that it’s summer, my room temp is quite warm at the moment (27c/80F) so i think that might be having an impact on the poor guy. If I wanted to give him more food (perhaps he doesn’t have enough to last him 12 hours), would I scale up the water, the flour, or both?
Thanks
Edit; Later in the week, and this guys on fire now! Doubled and bubbly. Unfortunately he’s still sinking like a brick whenever I attempt a float test 🙁
The activity you’re seeing is a great sign. Sometimes smells like this can be ok, too, it just depends. I know when I feed my starter a high percentage of whole grain flour, especially when fresh milled, it can smell a little… off. It’s ok, though! The important thing is we’re seeing a consistent rise and fall each day, indicating a stable mixture of (good) bacteria & yeast. I hope by now it’s stabilized for you!
Like Mark, I’ve been following your starter guide for about four weeks. I get good rise and fall each day. Smells great every day. I will say I don’t use a consistent blend of flour. I add in about 25% rye twice a week and alternate between Trader Joes WW and King Arthur AP for feedings. I’ve made rockin’ great pancakes, crackers and biscuits. But my bread attempts so far have been thumbs down. Mostly under-proved … dense, chewy crumb. Mark mentions the float test. How essential or accurate is this? Mine has never floated … ever. Straight to the bottom every time.
The float test isn’t definitive but it definitely gives you a good gauge for levain readiness. If you’re making a levain with mostly white flour then it’s a good indicator, if you’re making one with 100% rye it’ll likely never float (rye flour isn’t able to trap gasses created during production in the same way as traditional wheat).
It sounds to me like your starter needs more strength through regular feedings. Have you tried using bottled water for a week or so to see if that is causing an issue? Some cities have high levels of chlorine in the water which can impede fermentation!
Hi Maurizio. First thanks for this very helpful tutorial. This is my second time trying, the first time was February and I live in a very cold country so it did not work now my second time around in summer is doing well, I am on day 3.
I have one question about this day 3 when I went to open my starter was very liquid and smell very sour so I wonder if it is doing ok, I follow as you explain for day 3 now waiting to see how it will be day 4. If you have any comments I will appreciated. thanks.
Update:
morning day 4, very liquid again evening same. day 5 morning and evening same (very liquid, no hooch.
You’re very welcome, Lucia! That’s pretty typical. At this point I hope you kept with the feeding schedule. Sometimes this sourness will come and go away after a few days. Stick to it!
Maurizio, thank you for the reply, I did stick to it, got better, I kept feeding it over the seven days, thinking in baking this week and then give it a rest as I will do more of the once a week baking.
Hi Maurizio, I’m on day 9 or so with my starter. Everything has pretty much gone to script–I made the switch to 100% AP flour on day 7 as you laid out and have been feeding twice daily. As with other commenters, I’ve seen a big decrease in activity. If I’m reading your answers to other commenters correctly, it looks like the best thing is to stick to the schedule (and maybe add some of the dark rye back in to the mix). However, I’m heading out of town for a week–will the starter be okay if I stash it in the fridge for the week until I can get back to start feeding it again? I have someone house-sitting but he’s already attending to a very needy golden retriever so I feel like asking him to feed my starter twice a day may be over the line 🙂
Hey! Yea, the decrease in activity is expected without the rye flour. You can continue feeding with a percentage (whatever you want, really) of rye if you’d like, it’s up to you! It should be fine to stick your starter in the fridge at this point. I don’t like to do it too early, especially if it’s not fully taken hold, but life happens, right? Stick it in there and I’m sure it’ll be just fine when you get back! Use some rye flour and regular feedings when you return to get it back on track. Hope that helps!
Very helpful article, thank you.
I’ve just today kicked off my starter using whole wheat flour (no rye available where I am) and I’m concerned that my initial mixture is very liquid and runny, a total contrast to the photos of your starter mixture which is clearly thick and paste-like.
Should I be more worried about the consistency at this point or keeping to the exact grams specified? Cheers.
I like to have the mixture a little more on the runny side when first starting out. If yours is more wet that is just fine. You can reduce the amount of water as well; bring the water down until the mixture is to your preference. Happy baking!
Thanks for the article, does this mean I need to switch jars every day when feeding for the life of the starter?
Nope, not at all. I clean my jar every other week or so, or if it starts to get too dirty (too much dried flour on the sides).
Would Bobs’ Red Mill Bread Flour be a suitable replacement for the AP Flour?
Sure, that would work just fine!
Hi from Melbourne Australia. Ive spent a lot of time reading your website and Im on day 8 of the starter. Thanks very much for your webstie its great. A question: How important is it to use your starter when it is at its peak to make the levain? If I use the starter to make my levain “off peak” will I end up with a dud levain and a dud sourdough? Oh another question: Is it ok to use rainwater? We have a rainwater tank and I have been using a filter but wondered if I could use it unfiltered (I drink it unfiltered). By the way Ive got a “Schnitzer Country” Grain Mill at home. Have you used one before?
You’re very welcome, Brent! It’s very important to use your starter when it’s mature to build your levain — this way we can ensure the maximum number of yeast/bacteria to start with. It’s ok if it’s not exactly at the right time, after all, it’s very hard to judge this exact moment. We, as bakers, try to get as close as we can each time we bake.
Typically any water that’s safe to drink should be just fine to bake with.
I’ve never used a Schnitzer mill, I’ll have to look these up!