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!
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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
Hi there! I’m on Day 1 using organic whole wheat flour. At about 18 hours with little activity. A couple of bubbles but no real change in volume. I just put it in my InstaPot on the yogurt setting. If it does start to become active, when should I start the Day 2 feeding? Thanks!
Start day 2 on day 2! It’s ok if you don’t see any activity on day 1. Using the IP is a great idea.
I am on day 6, I am a little confused about how to keep the starter in the fridge later, right now as I will be home for at least another few weeks I would like to bake bread every couple of days, but when I return to work it may be more on the weekends, can you share more information on keeping a viable starter in the fridge?
Hey, Lisa! Check out my weekend baking schedule post, that sounds like exactly what you’re looking for 🙂
Hi, I want to make a new starter as I think the one I have on the go has too much water in it. Can I make the starter with just strong plain flour and no rye as I can’t get hold of any at the moment.
Thank you,
Caroline
Hey, Caroline! I would not make a new starter. Just use the one you have, give it less water next time to make it more stiff. For example, if you’re feeding 100g flour and 100g water, just do 100g flour and 80g water to make it more stiff.
If you really do want to make a new one, you can use just all purpose or bread flour, sure. It might take longer to get going, but it will work.
I’d keep your current starter, though!
Thank you so much. I have done that and hopefully will bake something worth eating soon! Great site.
Hi Maurizio,
I feed my starter 1:2:2 1/2 white bread flour and 1/2 spelt flour. It tripled in about 7-8 hours, but it doesn’t have big bubbles on the side only lots of small bubbles. You think this maybe the reason I don’t have a lot of rise during bulk fermentation? How long can I extend the bulk fermentation? I usually bulk for 4-4.5 hrs but I don’t see much rise.
That’s ok if you’re not seeing lots of large bubbles in your starter, in fact mine is usually this way depending on the flour I’m using. As long as you’re seeing the same rise and fall in your starter each day it’s just fine to leaven your dough. You can extend bulk as long as you need to, really. If your dough is cold, like below 74F, then bulk might take 4 or 5 hours until the dough is ready to divide, depending on the flour you’re using in your mix. Be flexible and give the dough the time it needs 🙂
It’s important to watch the temperature of the dough during bulk. Take the temp right after mixing, if it’s around 78F you can expect bulk to go from 3-4 hours or so. If it’s low 70’s, it’s going to take 5-6 or more.
Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. I will follow your advice tomorrow when I make another bread. I just wasn’t sure how long you can extend the bulk time.
Hi Maurizio
I feed my starter 1:2:2 1/2 white bread flour and 1/2 spelt flour. It triples in about hours, But I can only see small bubbles on the side and not one big bubble. You think this can be the reason I don’t see a lot of raising in bulk fermentation? It’s ok to use if it doesn’t have big bubbles?
Hi Maurizio I’m using 50% organic strong white flour and 50% wholemeal spelt would that work? I’m on day 5 but it’s hardly rising
Yes, that’ll work just fine. Be sure to keep it warm and stick with one feeding per day at those ratios, it’ll come around at some point — sometimes it takes longer than others. If you keep it around 80F that’ll help, and if you can’t keep it at that temp warm the mixing water to 80-85F to help it along.
Given the current global circumstances, I am hesitant to be discarding so much each day, not knowing if or when I can replenish my personal supply of flour. I saw that there are options for using the discarded portions (waffles, pancakes, banana bread), but given that I live alone, I cannot be consuming everything everyday (granted, I also don’t know the portion sizes those discard recipes). So I was wondering if there was a way to minimize, or more preferably, eliminate the daily wastage when preparing the starter, or if I should just wait for things to get back to norm before I attempt this.
Totally understandable. Unfortunately I can’t tell you with 100% certainty you’ll get a viable starter going if you drastically reduced the amounts listed here in my post. I know it will happen at some point, but it might take longer — I’m just not sure. Every time I’ve created a new one flour wasn’t an issue. Once you have a starter reliably fermenting you can drop the maintenance refreshments very low and use the fridge to slow things down even further, but you still have to create one… If you know someone with a starter they could give you some of theirs to get going — that’s another option!
Hello everyone! I’m on day 3 and I notice lately the top of my starter seems to be watery, with no real rise. Any reason why, or will this be an issue?
Sounds normal, just keep with it. You can stir that separated layer back in when you refresh.
Thanks! Things are looking great! Is it okay to start baking a day earlier? Also, can I add other seeds, rye flakes, oats, flax etc, or will it effect it?
Hi! Has anyone tried this is gluten free flours? I’m using brown rice flour and gf all purpose flour and would love to hear if it’s worked for you? I’m on day 5 and only now seeing some rise and bubbles 🙌🏻
I haven’t tried this, sorry! Perhaps someone else has…
Gluten free….I saw a video from France on bread making and someone who was gluten sensitive found that he could enjoy a purely made sourdough bread. I found this article online in English that might back that up.
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/gluten-sensitive-sourdough
Can I offer everyone some cheap advice! I live in Canada and it’s still cold. I’m lucky if my home us 21c. I use a rice neck warmer in close proximity to my jar after feeding. I warm it 50 seconds in the microwave a few times during the day. You can make one of these with rice and some material for a couple dollars. Or buy them for about $10. It really perks up the activity!
Great idea!
Good morning Maurizio! So happy to have found your site! Week #2 and I am prepping to make my bread again and this time I will be sure to make both loaves! It was so good toasted! This past week I followed your “weekend starter schedule” and it’s perfect for me. Leaving it in the refrigerator from Sunday to Thursday is a godsend for sure and a lot less waste. Looking forward to making the pancakes tomorrow and a loaf of the banana bread.
Awesome, Barbara! Sounds like you’re well on your way now. Happy baking!
Hi Maurizio,
Thank you so much for this wonderful blog! I have made countless recipes from your site, and they’ve always been absolutely incredible! I’ve made several starters in the past, but am currently struggling to get a new one off the ground. I’m using whole 50g wheat flour, 60g water, and 20g starter in each feed – twice a day. I’ve been doing this for about two weeks. I have lots of bubbles on the top and sides, but not much rise. Also, it smells off – kind of putrid, and someimes there’s a bit of water/liquid at the very top of the jar. Should I keep going, change something, or start over? Any suggestions much appreciated! I hope you and yours are staying safe!
Hi there! I am on Day 5 of the starter and its working perfectly, lots of action. But I am baffled at why we are discarding so much starter. Couldn’t I just start with less starter and add more flour and water daily? Or is there a specific reason that your starter requires us to discard so much daily and now twice a day (when other sites have us just adding)? Flour (and rye flour especially) is a precious commodity these days. 😉
Yes, I totally understand. This was written a while back and it’s what I’ve found to work reliably over the years. You could certainly try adding and adding, but I have not done this!
I’m on day 9. I only have AP flour so that’s what i’ve been using. I’m putting warm water in and it sits in a counter above the stove which is one of the warmest places in my kitchen. I get bubbles and it smells fermented but it won’t rise. Did i do something wrong? Will it not work with just AP flour? Can i use it even if it’s not rising?
thanks.
Yes, it’ll work with just AP flour it just might take longer. If the hydration is too high for the flour you’re using you might not see too much rise — and that’s ok. You do want to see the same signs of fermentation each day, though: some rise (even if small), bubbles, sour smell. This should happen consistently each day!
Hi Maurizio, you mention cooking other things with discarded starter. How early can you start using the discarded starter? Does it need to be “mature” or can you cook with the discard from the first few days of establishing a starter?
I like to wait until it’s fermenting reliably each day (meaning, it’s established) before saving the discard. This way, we know the discard has been properly fermented with beneficial bacteria and wild yeast 🙂
Hi. I am at Day 5, doing 2 feeds with rye and ap flour. My starter rises a fair bit and is bubbly. However, it smells quite bad. Has it gone off?
It’s typical to have a bad smell but it will eventually go away. Hopefully by now it’s gone!
Hello, quick question, whats the hydration percentage of this starter, and how you calculate it in starters in general. And also, i put wholemeal flour instead of rye – do you think will be fine? Thank you in advance, and keep up the good up.
Like many others, I’ve had a go at making a sourdough starter. First off, thanks for all the great tips!
I am now at day 7 or so, and have been doing the 2 feeds for a couple of days. Since I started doing the 2 feeds a day, there is hardly any rise and fall in my starter. I do see some bubbles, but not as much as when I was just doing 1 feed a day in the first week.
Is it best to go back to one feed a day, or should I stick to two a day? I’m using 50gr rye flour and 50gr whole wheat (unbleached) flour.
Thanks!
I am seeing also similar signs on day seven. The only difference is I am using 100% all purpose as I am unable to get any other flour at this time. Also in house temperature is around 70 F not sure if that has an effect.
Yes I’ve been thinking the same! Room temperature here is usually 68-70 F, so I’m guessing it’s not warm enough to have plenty of activity in 12 hours. I’ve tried going back to one feed today, I’ll see how that goes!
My house is always cool as I live in Florida and the AC is always on. I have found that putting my starter in my microwave works. I set a thermostat next to it so I can gauge the temperature. If it goes below 70 degrees I turn on the light over the stove which warms the inside just enough. Hope this helps!
That’ll work!
As others have mentioned, if temperatures are low in your kitchen (low 70’s) then you won’t see as much activity. If you don’t have a dedicated bread proofer (which I highly recommend) you can either try to find a warmer spot (like in the microwave with a warm bowl of water as @disqus_gFJntHrJJI:disqus suggested) or switch back to one feeding per day. One last option would be to leave more starter in your jar at each feeding, this will reduce the feeding timeline (and this would be the option I would take since I bake so often).
HI! So I have access to unfiltered well water, with a pH around 7 and ppm 450, straight out of the tap OR reverse osmosis water (from a different source) with a pH of 5 and ppm of around 10-30…which would be a better choice for feeding my starter? Thanks! Brook
Brook — really any water that’s safe to drink is good for baking. The only issue you might run into is if your water has excessive chlorine which can inhibit fermentation for starter trying to get going. I’d probably use the RO water to get your starter going and then whatever you’d like once it’s fermenting reliably.
Hey! I am on day 10 and have bubbles on and off but no significant rise… How much is significant? I only had all purpose the first 6 days and after that I switched to using just rye… is there a problem there? Thanks!
Hey there! You won’t see as much rise using just rye flour as it won’t be able to trap as many gasses produced during fermentation as wheat will. I’d recommend switching back to 50% white flour and 50% rye, or if you’re confident your rye starter is working well then you’re all set. You should see consistent signs of fermentation each day, regardless if you’re using rye or white flour. You want to see bubbles, smell sourness, and see some rise (it’s not important how much, just some).
Ciao Maurizio and fellow bakers! I have a few questions and perhaps your answers will help others who may have same. 1. As far as saving/using discard: At what point can you start saving? AFTER it has become viable (7th day or so) or during the process of creating the starter, as in, any day the starter is forming? 2. Some continue using the same jar during the sourdough starter process while you suggest a clean jar each day (as I do) but I’m wondering why or if it’s truly necessary? 3. “Make sure there is no bit of dry flour remaining after mixing into the sourdough starter” … out of curiosity – will bits of flour retard or ruin the batch? 4. I’ve read that some like to stir their starter a few times during the day – is this suggested? 5. Is there an optimum time to feed in the “growth” cycle or simply go by 12 hour intervals? 5. Following your sourdough starter recipe, mine was very active and bubbly on the 6th day. On day 7 (after reducing the starter used to refresh) it has become less active. Is this to be expected? And a shout out to my fellow bakers —- I recently contributed to Maurizio’s website as financial support and I encourage you to do the same. I know we enjoy and have benefitted from his experience 🙂 Thanks for such an informative and well done website, Maurizio! Much appreciated!
Answers:
1. I would start saving discard once it’s rising and falling predictably each day with all the signs of fermentation (bubbles, sour smell, etc.) — but the key is the rise and fall needs to happen consistently each day. This way you know the mixture you’re saving has properly and fully fermented.
2. It’s fine to use the same jar over. I just recommend a clear jar to help keep things clean and so you can clearly see how high the mixture has risen and fallen (if at all).
3. Dry bits will not ruin it, but they won’t be available for fermentation if it’s too try.
4. It’s just fine to stir the mixture a bit between feedings.
5. That’s fine. It’s hard to say if it’s normal or not, but that can happen. Should be just fine!
Thanks for the contribution, I really appreciate that! I think I’ll make a little FAQ section at the bottom of this post and add your questions — thank you for submitting all these!
Happy baking 🙂
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your speedy reply! I’m not new to bread baking but I’m a newbie to sourdough so your website (and your answers) are so helpful to me and your followers. I’m really excited to explore this sourdough adventure – and be forever hooked 😉
Why, and what would you do with the discard you are saving? And how long would it last?
I have been growing my starter for about 7 days following the instructions religiously. I’m not getting much rise. I do see bubbles- though not a ton like your photos. Any suggestions?
Ellen — switch back to one feeding per day, with some rye flour if you have it! Keep the mixture somewhere warm and stick with it, it will eventually come around. I know it’s frustrating, but sometimes it just takes a bit longer 🙂
Maurizio, Thanks for your excellent and detailed info! I have dried, flaked starter that was tucked away for 2 years since family started a low gluten diet, I’d like to try spelt flour now, I did reconstitute a few tsps of the starter and then added about 1/4 c spelt, Do you have any suggestions using spelt. Thanks,
Can I continue to feed each day? So far I haven’t seen any activity.
I’d continue feeding once per day. You should be able to use spelt with no problem, a one-to-one substitution for wheat and you can use in some combination with wheat also.
Maurizio, thank you for such an incredible site with such simple and easy to follow instructions! When I graduated high school, I moved to France and worked on a farm that grew grains and made sourdough! I learned so much from them about creating the bowls, but I never learned the process of actually creating the starter because they have been using the same one for 7 years!!
I am now finally creating my own starter here back in America and am on day 3. Because it is about 70 degrees F in my house, I have been putting the jar in the oven with the oven light on which keeps it at about 80 degrees. I also am using whole wheat wheat berries that I ground myself since i do not have Rye. Is that okay?
Yesterday, day 2, it had a small layer of liquid in the bottom that was different from the rest of the thicker substance. I mixed it all together before my feeding. A few hours after the feeding yesterday, it grew really quickly and overflowed the jar (which I know is okay). Then today for feeding it had gone down to normal size. The majority of the substance was thick and without bubbles. right above that was a layer of liquid, and above that was about an inch of bubbly stuff. Is that okay? I am concerned about the layer of liquid.
Thank you so much!
Caroline
Wow, what an incredible journey, Caroline! I like the sound of moving to France to bake 🙂
What you’re doing is great: keep it warm and use whole wheat and white flour if you don’t have rye. That’s perfect.
No worries about that layer of liquid either, that’s common and not an issue. Keep with the process and you’ll have a starter eventually (sometimes it’s quick, sometimes it takes a few more days). Thanks for the comments!
Thank you so much for your reply and your encouragement Maurizio! In the way you answer our comments and questions, I can see how you are so passionate about helping others succeed in baking!
You bet Caroline, happy to help 🙂
Hi I’m trying this for the first time but I’m surprised there is no yeast, live yoghurt or milk used in this. Is this unusual? Also I’m on day two and my starter (using double measure of wholemeal flour as it’s all I could get hold of) is not doing much aside from forming a layer of liquid on top. Is this normal? No bubbles, etc. Thanks so much!
Yes, what you’re seeing is very normal. I’ve always created my starters with just flour and water — that’s all that’s needed!
I’m now at day 8 and starter looking good. I only want to bake bread once per week but worried how I manage starter going forward. Able to get flour at the moment but not sure for how much longer.
If you start getting low on flour and want to pause your baking, check out my guide to storing your starter, with tips on short and long term storage.
If you want to keep baking, but perhaps once a week, look at my weekend baking schedule.
And finally, if you want to keep your starter going each day, but reduce the amount of flour needed, check out my guide to keeping a really small starter.
I hope one of these helps!
Hello, thanks for this wonderful website I’ve been spending all my time on. I have two starters going: Oldie is a starter from my fridge from 2 years ago that I’ve been reviving for about two weeks with 1:2:2 rye and AP every 12 hours @ 75-77C. It’s starting to look good now, but I am finding that it’s not quite ready for a feeding that frequently and is more suited to every 24 hours. But somewhere in the process I got nervous and created a new baby starter about 5 days ago based on the above 75g:125g:100g which is also looking good, but under same temps is doubling in only 4-6 hours. My plan was to bake a loaf of each and see what tasted better. Do you recommend I should change the timing of either or ratios to try and get either of these better timed or ready for baking day? I’m so overloaded with information!! Any advice is so appreciated. Thank you!!
Hey there! As long as they are rising and falling consistently each day they should be just fine to use. It’s not a problem if the timing is different and there’s no set time of day when it needs to be mature — that’s all very flexible. It’s very cool that you have two so different, would be interesting to bake with each and compare the results (keeping everything else equal)!
😀 I’ll share pics on IG if it’s not a total disaster lol. One more question – so I am ready to bake and going to make the levain, but I don’t understand at what point to do that in relation to a feeding? I fed my starter at 8pm 1:2:2 … do I wait 5-6 hours and then do it so it’s halfway fermented? Your FAQs says a sufficient amount of time. I am doing the Beginner’s Sourdough. Thanks Maurizio!!
Hi Maurizio,
Thank you for your sharing. In the place where I live, I cannot find any of the whole wheat, unbleached or rye flour. However, I got a bag of oatmeal in the fridge, can I use a mix of 50% oat flour and 50% bleached APF? Then afterward, can I replace the APF part with bread flour to feed my starter?
I honestly don’t know if oat flour will work, I’ve never tried this. If you only have AP flour, I’d start with that!
Hello, what if I don’t want to discard the left over starter. Can I make something out of it or put it in the fridge? I’m on day two..
Thank you
Yes, you can use that discard to make waffles, pancakes, banana bread and even mix it straight into a focaccia! Wait to do this, though, until your starter is rising and falling predictably, this way we know it’s fermenting properly before you use the discard.
Thank you!!!
I’ve been dabbling in sourdough research for a while. Always been a little overwhelmed by the process. This blog along with social distancing gave me the motivation to finally take the plunge into sourdough making! I went out and got myself a Dutch Oven today even. I’m on day 6 of my starter and loving seeing the activity today! Going to try making my first loaf! Thanks for a great blog.
Right on, glad to hear you’ve got things going! It’s a little bit of a time investment upfront, but we all have a bit of that right now, don’t we? Have fun and happy baking!
Hey there! You’re welcome. Hmm, well rye flour does smell different that’s for sure, I’m not sure I’d say rotten egg, though! Your starter will have a very strange/odd/off smell in the beginning, but the flour itself shouldn’t be gross smelling at all. Check the package to make sure it’s not expired (yes, whole grain flour will expire!). Even if you’re not seeing activity, just stick to the schedule and keep at it, things will pick up.
Yikes! Ahh I’m sorry to hear that. Well, at least now you know the issue. Good luck on this next go, KA is definitely a trustworthy source 🙂
Hi Maurizio, your website is so well organized and easy to understand for a beginner like me, thank you.
I’ve found a way to use my Instant Pot’s yogurt setting to provide a stable temp of around 80F to get my starter going.
My question is whether I need to keep the starter in the Instant Pot indefinitely, even after it strengthens and achieves that predictable rise and fall. Would it be strong enough to thrive back in normal kitchen temps of around 68F?
You’re welcome, thanks for the kind words! Great idea using the Instant Pot. No, you don’t have to keep it in there indefinitely. I personally like to keep mine at a warm temp, around 76-78F, but 68F will work, it will just take longer to rise and fall. That’s ok, leave more of your mature starter in the jar to help speed it up to fit your schedule if necessary — that’s the most effective means for adjusting the time between feedings. I hope that helps and happy baking!
Hello Maurizio, I want to go back to the smaller starter. I’ve downloaded and read your instructions and looked at the 4 different pictures. No problems there. What I’m reading, and please correct me if I’m wrong, I will need to refresh my starter about every 12 hrs?? I want to get away from doing a refresh every day so is my best option to put it in the refrigerator and if so, how often and when should I do a refresh?
I typically feed my starter every 12 hours, yes. If you want to stretch that to 24 hours you could leave less starter in the jar when feeding, try to keep i cooler, and it’d probably be best to use 100% all purpose flour for the feedings.
My sourdough loaf is delish, not so great on the bread bowls. They came out really dense so I cut off the crust, cubed them and made them in croutons. So good!
Glad to hear it, Barbara!