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
Hi Maurizio. Thank you for the detailed information. I’m on day 14 and nearly lost all my hope because the starter hasn’t risen since day 2. The only active is some small bubbles and a really thin layer of hooch on the top. I used bread flour and spring water to feed it with the 1:1:1 ratio. I would love to feed it with rye or whole wheat flour but I could not find them anywhere here. I did neglect my starter for on day 9 for 3 days to see if it could rise but there was nothing happened. Also, I live in a tropical climate so the temperature is not my concern. Should I start over or keep going? Thank you so much.
I would not start over. Go back to feeding once per day for a few days but stir the starter after 12 hours so no hooch forms on the top. If hooch still forms, you can stir it a few more times during this period.
Check in on your starter here and there, is it rising and falling without you noticing? If so it probably needs more than 1 refreshment per day!
Hi-
I too have had the same issue! I started strong with rye flour on hand and when it ran out, finding more was like trying to find a golden ticket. I have only been able to find limited AP flour in stores. I am also around day 15 and have not seen my starter rise or fall much, especially since reverting to AP flour. If you recommend going back to one feeding a day, would it be 75 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight; 100 grams AP flour, and 125 grams water?
Thanks for the support, your site has become my destination for all bread questions!
Be well!
Hey! Yes, rye seems to be super rare at the store these days. I’d say yes, go back to 1x feeding a day but you could do 50g leftover starter in the jar, 100g AP flour, 100g water and just keep it there for a few more days. Be sure to keep it warm!
Maurizio, I have a question regarding the double refreshments that begin on day 4. You mention “discard down” the starter that fermented over night. Does that mean reduce the quantity of starter from that same jar or place the 50 grams of starter in a clean jar? Any clarification would be wonderful!
Many thanks!
Either way will work at that point. I’d keep it in the same jar — I’ve updated the instructions to make this more clear 🙂
Hi Maurizio. Today is day 4 of my starter feeding and I have seen very little activity. I have a level of liquid on top but no bubbly activity below. Should I scrap this and start again?
Hello Maurizio! First of all, thank you for all this detailed information. I am on my 3rd day and I’m a little confused because my starter is forming a layer of water on the top of the jar since the 1st day… I am supposed to throw it out or to just mix it? Has it gone bad? Thank you so much.
It hasn’t gone bad, just mix it in and keep with the schedule!
Dear Maurizio,
I follow you on Instagram and love your blog and photos. I am going to start my first sourdough starter with your recipe after doing a lot of reading on sourdough starters. Can I use whole wheat flour instead of rye flour as my starter? Rye flour is very difficult to come by during this pandemic and I have much more whole wheat flour on hand. Do I need to make any changes in the water amount? Thank you so much.
Thanks, Elsa! Yes, use WW instead of rye, that’ll work just fine for now. I would keep the water the same.
Hi, Great site…so glad I found you! If my starter does not float in water after 6 days, is it not ready? I have lots of healthy bubbles and a delicious smell. Thanks!!
I like to use consistency as a better indicator: if it’s rising and falling consistently each day it should be ready to go. It should transform from a sticky gooey mess when you mix to bubbly and more sour smelling over the day.
Its a shame there is no flour in the UK at the moment!
It’ll be back 🙂
You’ve got this!
hi there — I’m on day 3 and a bit confused. Why do I have to take out 75g of my original starter, feed it, and get rid of the rest? It feels like such a waste of the original starter — am I doing this correctly?
You are doing it correctly! If you kept adding to the jar you’d eventually have a massive pot of starter — we need to discard down and give it fresh flour and water to “eat.” Check out my starter FAQ for a more in depth answer to this question, and more!
Try making a crumpet or crackers with the discard 🙂
Hello Maurizio,
first of all, thank you for the wonderful blog, it’s full of information. I created my starter in the morning of the fourth of march, I feed it 50g whole wheat, 50g 00 (I am Italian) and 100g water (26 °C) at 12h intervals and keep it in glass jar with a lid barely on, in a turned off oven with a small pot of hot water. I placed an ambient thermometer there and it reads between 25-28 °C (room temperature during the day is around 21-22 °C, but drops to 18 at night) with 98-99% humidity. It is very active and doubles in volume in almost exactly 3 hours, however, at the 4-5 hour mark it has already collapsed,does this mean that my starter needs a few more days before I can use it for bread? What can I do to have it “ride” the peak longer?
Grazie mille!
It sounds like you have strong fermentation, which is great. When it starts to fall like that it means it needs a refreshment at that time. I would drop the temperature a bit, perhaps to 26-26.5C, and leave less starter in the jar when you refresh it. OR you can give it appx. 3 feedings a day at that schedule, but I like to do just 2x a day.
Generally, if you leave less starter in the jar at each refreshment it’ll last longer before needing a feeding. Similarly, keeping it cooler will also do the same thing.
I hope that helps!
Thanks Maurizio, you also mentioned switching flour types (going all AP) to slow fermentation, since WW is in limited supply but I have plenty of 00, I may also try this. So maybe 20g starter, 100g 00 and 100g water at 26 °C in a slightly cooler environment?
Hi there
I’m about 5 days into my starter and it’s not rising at all? There’s bubbles scattered on the surface but that’s it. I’ve been using all purpose flour and a smaller batch, could those be the problems?
It might take longer with just all purpose flour, but stick with the process and it should come around eventually. If you have whole wheat flour I’d use some of that, too! Also, keep it warm, 78-80F will really help speed things up!
Hi Maurizio,
First of all, thank you flor sharing your knowledge. It has been such a pleasure reading your blog and discovering the art (and science!) of bread making.
I’m on day 5 of my first sourdough starter, and even though I see some bubbles on the surface, there is not much else going on. I did see a substantial rise and fall on day 2 as predicted. I was trying to troubleshoot reading your responses to other bakers’ comments, and one thing came to mind…
I have been following your exact proportions, but with a combo of rye and whole wheat (pastry flour). Is that my issue? Could I replace the pastry flour with rye? My feedings would then be rye only. Would love to know your thoughts.
Hope I didn’t damage my starter!
You didn’t damage anything, don’t worry about it — these things are very, very resilient! I like to use a mix of rye and white flour because the white flour will help us notice fermentation a little easier, especially in the beginning. If you still have rye, I’d go with 50% rye and 50% white flour for another 2-3 days, perhaps only feeding once per day. See if that helps, it should! Generally, just stick to the process, sometimes it takes longer — and I know that’s frustrating, but it’ll come around!
My starter starting day 6 is rising nicely, doubling in size. But the mixture I get during feeding is extremely thick, almost like a paste. Is this normal?
Also, it appears most recipes call for an equal part starer / flour for maintaining, but in this recipe it’s 1:2. Why is that?
That’s ok if it’s thick, but if you want it a little more runny, just add a bit more water until it’s at the consistency you’d like. I feed with much less starter so it doesn’t quickly become overly acidic and falls fast in the jar (which indicates it needs a feeding). This gives it more “runway”, more food to consume before needing more.
Thanks! I guess since I switched to whole wheat I should maybe adjust the water contents a bit to compensate? I tried feeding it 45g rye, 45g whole wheat and 110g water and it mixed a lot easier now and overall looks “healthier”.
Hi Maurizio, sorry if this has been answered but I’m currently on Day 6 (just fed the second time), and I’m not seeing much activity. The starter probably only rises like 1cm over the course of 12hrs and few bubbles on top. I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong because I’m following your recipe to the T! I had massive surges of activity on Days 1-3 but not much now. Hoping it’s not spoiled because rye flour is super hard to come by these days, and quite expensive here! Any advice would be much appreciated!! Thanks heaps!
It’s normal to see a burst of activity in the beginning (possibly with lots of bubbles) only to see a decline the day(s) after. Stick with the starter creation process of feeding and discarding and it will eventually take hold. That initial activity is most likely a bacteria we don’t want to stick around in the long run, it will eventually die off when the bacteria/yeast we do want acidifies the culture to the point where other bacteria cannot survive. Keep with it!
Maurizio, hi
I Have followed the instructions and on day 2 and day 3 no rise, and a clear separation between water on top and flour on the bottom. Any idea what is happening?
Just stir it together, it’ll be just fine. Sometimes this happens when fermentation is strong and it needs an extra refreshment, but so early on I wouldn’t worry about it.
So hard to say… I likely wouldn’t use it 🙁
Go with the KA AP. That’s a shame about the rye, it would help, but it’s possible to get this going with just AP, too!
Hi, Im on Day 8. Just found your instructions. Followed another site and when my results were questionable, began researching and reading every site I could find. Starter not doing much!
I only used all purpose flour, donor have any whole wheat or rye
Know there is chlorine so been using filtered water, not sure if chlorimide, will check with our city.
I haven’t had much fermenting, not much odor, did have a skin like on pudding twice, removed and discarded it.
Not many bubbles or growth. Did use day 4’s discard today for waffles and they were the best I’ve ever had. Glad I’ve been saving the discard in clean jars daily.
Any suggestions, should I just keep feeding for a few more days!
Definitely keep going with it. I like to keep a lid on my starter that’s on loosely (to let any gasses escape but no air in) to help prevent that crust from forming. Try to keep it in a warm spot (78-80F would be ideal) as this will definitely help. Keep with it, I know it’s frustrating but soon enough you should see some activity!
Thank you!
Hi there! I am on day 7, and I’ve been following your instructions to a T with good results. However, it only rises about an inch in the jar… It’s far from doubling in size. At this point, do you recommend moving to the 50-100-100 ratios for day 7, or keeping on with the 75-100-125 ratios from days 4-6? I notice other recipes usually call for a higher ratio of starter. Could adding in more starter so it’s 50-50-50 help the rise along? Merci!
Just replying so I can see the answer… Same results here.
See reply above.
You could definitely try keeping around more starter, especially in the beginning. Try that for a day or two and, if you’re around your starter, check in on it from time to time. If you see it start falling really early in the day, it might mean it’s time to decrease that a little next time — then keep decreasing until it lasts 12 hours (or however long you want to go between feedings).
Hello
I am on day 13 using the King Arthur Flour directions. I have bubbles and a little rising. After reading some articles I have adjusted my feedings to 80g starter, 80g water and 80g of flour. I started with Whole Wheat Flour and have been feeding with Unbleached AP flour. I have been storing the starter in a cupboard that has lights under it and the temp of the starter is 79 degrees. Should I start over or just be patient? I feel like it wants to rise but just can’t quite get there.
Thank You!
Be patient, Jennifer. You’re doing exactly as you should, it’ll come around here at some point, especially when it’s nice and warm 🙂
Thank you for responding.
It finally happened and I am so excited! My family thinks I am crazy but when you are on lockdown it’s the little things that keep you going 🙂 Now I just have to keep it alive and learn how to make some bread!
Hello Maurizio! Great post/website! Writing to you from Ohio. Few questions (sorry if you have answered them previously),
1. if whole grains are better for the starter, why do you feed your starter AP flour in the first place ? (I understand this does not matter based on your post, but I am curious why you choose to use AP flour).
2. With spring and bugs around, do you ever worry about leaving the water standing overnight (To get rid of the chlorine),
3. I see that the initial ratio is 0.75:1:1.25 (starter, feed, water), is there a critical volume for good yeast/bacteria development or can i start off with a smaller volume rather than the 75g starter ? (for eg: 15g starter, 20g flour and 25g water)
4. I see from your posts that you use a baking proofer. Since then your temperature is constant, why do you change the ratio with change in seasons ? do you think there is more to seasonal changes than just temperature in regards to bacterial/yeast growth ?
Thanks much!
Thank you!
1. I like to use some AP flour to help exaggerate the signs of fermentation: it’ll rise up higher, hang onto bubbles a little more, and it’s just a good, basic flour to help augment the whole grains.
2. I don’t worry about it! You can leave a lid just slightly ajar. I’ve never had a problem (we have few bugs here in the desert that would go investigating, also).
3. I have always started it with these ratios, but some bakers suggest huge quantities. My method has worked very well and I use a lot less than them, so it’s possible you could reduce mine and have good results as well.
4. It’s 99.9% temperature, perhaps with some fluctuation with humidity. The temperature in my proofer isn’t 100% stable, either, and it gets very, very warm here in the summer. Usually it’s just minor modifications from day to day.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for taking the time!
Hello Maurizio! Can sprouted whole wheat flour be used for the base flour in a starter? Flour is in short supply where I live and sprouted whole wheat is all I can find. I do have some unbleached all purpose flour already on hand to use for feedings in combination with the sprouted whole wheat. Thank you!
I haven’t tried this with sprouted flour, I’m honestly not sure if it will work, but my gut says it should work just fine. I’d use it in combination with the AP flour!
Thank you Maurizio!
HI Maurizio, thanks for sharing all this extremely helpful information, we had just one question we hope you could help with. We are from Singapore where it is fairly warm (maybe about 30-32 degrees during the day) and we are currently on Day 2 of your plan, and on both days, the starter has bubbled out of the jar that we have used, perhaps because of the temperature of the environment. this is despite us trying to put it in a cooler environment. For day 3 tomorrow, we were wondering what were your suggestions? We have thought of the following:
1) Reduce the amount of old starter that we use.
2) Reduce the proportion of rye flour as compared to all-purpose flour.
3) Leave it out to feed for a couple of hours, before putting it into the fridge.
thank you so much, we appreciate your help!
Hi! I am currently on Day 9 of my sourdough starter, and it has been bubbling and rising well every day. I introduced Barley Flour to the feeding today (25g starter, 50g Barley, 50g AP) – and now, 12 hours later, the bubbles have become very large – some of then even looking like whole air pockets! The bubbles are also only on the sides and not on the top.
Is this normal? Previously I used 100g AP flour and there would be lots of bubbles, but not this big.
Thank you!
I’ve never used barley flour to feed my starter, but this might be normal — barley is pretty high in nutrients and I notice when I use it in my dough it gets quite active!
Thank you Maurizio! Appreciate your tireless efforts to help us newbies 😀
hi.. I’m trying your starter recipe and today is Day 5. from day 2-4 I fed my starter twice a day, usually i fed it before the starter deflate and produce a lot of hooch. between day 2 – 4 the starter was very active. But on day 5 morning I saw very little activity. no significant rise, only bubbles. is it still OK ? I live in Indonesia, so the weather is quite warm and what we have only regular white flour. thanks for your advice.
Hi Sinta, your starter is still going. Keep at it! Usually from day 4 to 7 there is very little or no growth and a rather pungent smell. This is just the yeast and bacteria finding a balance. Keep feeding it once a day and from day 8 you should see growth again.
As @disqus_wRIH0Z3fsi:disqus said below, keep with it, it’ll come back. If you see no activity, switch back to 1x a day feedings.
hi, Kirstin and Maurizio, will do your suggestion to my starter. 🙂
thank you for your kind help.
hello, can I halve the amounts of flour/water used in your recipe in order to make a smaller starter? will there be any disadvantage to halving the amounts? (because dark rye flour is really expensive right now where I live, due to COVID.) Thank you so much!
Yes, you can do that and it should work! Once your starter is rising and falling predictably, you can definitely reduce the amount of flour used for feedings. Check out my latest post on how to keep a smaller starter for a good method!
Can I add any seeds to it? Like rye flakes, oats, flax,, millet, etc? Very excited to bake!
To a bread dough? Absolutely. Check out my recipes page, lots of ideas there!
Thank you so much for all you do to keep this site running and updated — very helpful! You mention using, in the absence of a proofing machine, an oven with the light turned on. Perpetually? Or is there a window — say the first two hours after a feeding — when the light should be on?
You’re very welcome. I keep a little ambient temperature thermometer in the oven with my dough. I toggle the light on until the thermometer reaches the temp I’m after, then turn the light off. It’ll hold that temp for a while and I check in periodically to see how it’s going, if it drops drastically I’ll turn the light back on for a while. And repeat. It doesn’t have to always be exact, remember, your dough is inside a thick bowl and has mass itself, it won’t change temperature too fast. This just helps keep it a little warm.
I do this during bulk right after mixing. I bring the oven up to the final dough temperature (again, with the light) and off we go. 🙂
Very strange, Nicole, I don’t see that here on my iPad! Here’s day 4:
Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight; add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 125 grams water.
Day 7:
Scoop in 50 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight. To this, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 100 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours. In the evening (after about 12 hours), discard the jar contents down to 50g, add the same ratio of ingredients as earlier in the day, and let rest overnight.
Hey Maurizio, been using your website as a resource for quite a few years now with great success and my family has really enjoyed the bread. Thank you so much for your time and resources. I have got all my tools through your site as appreciation. Unfortunately I have to start over with my starter. I was on day 3 and it went totally neglected for way over 24 hrs. It rose well and then sadly died and soured. I was having good activity and now that it went so far passed its scheduled feeding it seems dead. Should I just start over to get rid of the bad bacterias or do you think it can revive? Any info would be great. Thanks
Mark
Glad to hear that, Mark! I’m happy to help and thanks for picking up all those tools from here, that helps me out! I’d probably try to revive it and keep it going. It’s likely just fine, even if it smelled super sour/off (as long as you don’t see any mold!). Keep it going!
Hi Maurizio, I’m on day 8 with my starter and facing what I believe is a very unusual combination of messages from my starter. I’m feeding it every 12 hours and when I go to feed it it has a decidedly vinegary smell, but very few bubbles and only 1-2 mm of upwards expansion. I haven’t been able to monitor the starter consistently as I’ve been finishing up all my school work before exams strike and the house I’m in is very cold. I’ve kept the starter in the warmest place I could find and have been using warm water. The starter is also quite thick for 100% hydration, so I first tried upping the water to 105%, but it was still quite thick so I changed the flour percentages to 75% all-purpose and 25% rye (still at 105% water). It was a better consistency with more bubbles on top, but fewer bubbles all around. The fact that it smells so sour while still not showing any other signs of fermentation is what’s really got me stumped. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
No worries changing the hydration like that, it’s what I’d do also. I’d say just stick with it, you want to see some rise (especially if it’s stiffer) and I think over the course of the next few days to 1 week, you’ll likely see more and more evidence of consistent fermentation — which is what we want. Keep with it!
I’m on day 5 using all whole grain spelt and happy to see good activity! I found I needed to decrease the water to about 90 g for feeding and feed every 12 hrs or so. My oven with light on was registering 90 degrees F so once I cracked the door a bit, I now have a nice consistent 80 degrees. I’m excited and trying to be patient for the good vigorous rise and fall! Thanks again for your excellent, detailed instructions; plus the love shines through!
Thanks for that info, Joyce! Yes, with spelt you’d likely need to drop the water a bit — it’s not a bad thing, just different. Thanks for the kind words and I’m happy to help. Happy baking 🙂
Hi Maurizio, thanks for your wonderful blog and apologies in advance for asking so many questions. I’m on day 5 of the process outlined above, and though I’ve got some bubbles there’s not a lot of rise and fall going on. Should I just continue as described through day 7 with fingers crossed? And if on day 7 I’m still not getting a lot of rise, would you switch back to once daily feedings or continue with twice daily? Also I’m running out of all-purpose and rye flour. I do have some whole wheat flour, some bread flour, some spelt flour, and some cake flour. Any thoughts as what would be best to continue with? THANK YOU!
I’d say keep a little rye flour in the feedings if you can, just to see if that helps (even if it’s just 10g). If it’s not warm where you’re keeping your starter, you could switch back to 1x a day feedings, but if you start to see a layer of clear liquid on top switch back to 2x a day feedings (no harm will be cause). But if you see a few bubbles then you’re on your way!
You’re a gem to reply! Thanks so much Maurizio! I genuinely appreciate the help and fingers crossed this thing will come alive.
Hello! I am having a little trouble with my sourdough starter and was looking for some insight!
It has been 16 days and i have seen very little rise in the starter (some days it’s less than others). I keep it in a warm room as i noticed it seems to help. i have been using 1/2 rye flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour when refreshing. I have been refreshing every 24 hours as I am not confident that it is strong enough to refresh every 12 hours. Recently i started using filtered water in case that was the issue but i see no difference.
Should I just stick to the schedule and give it time? I feel so discouraged.
Do you have any white flour on hand? If so I’d switch to 50% white, 50% rye just so you can possibly see more signs of rise and fall each day. Keeping it warm is great, 78F or so would be ideal. Usually by now I’d expect to see some rise and fall!
Hello. So I have been feeding my starter for the first 4 days with a mix of half rye flour and half whole wheat flour instead of plain all purpose flour, will this be an issue? Whoopsy
That’ll be just fine, Lilly!
Hello Maurizio! I followed Joshua Weissman method to make a starter, and I have one that’s 10 days old now. But from day 3 onwards, my starter only showed some bubbles, never rose and fell like a healthy starter should. I’ve read several of your replies to others that it might be normal and just follow through with the routine, but it’s been at least 5 days with no big activities. I’ve changed the routine and followed yours from day 7 onwards. But it is still the same.
I started another starter with your method, and on day 2, within 7 hours, my starter produced hooch. I just fed it as I don’t think it can wait for another 12 hours to be fed again.
I’m using dark rye flour and unbleach APF. I live in Singapore, which is always warm and humid here. I really hope you could advise me on what I could do better with my starters. Thank you so much!
Hey, Xuan. I’ve seen this type of activity, sometimes with those living in very humid environments. It’s ok if your starter doesn’t fall, but it should get more and more bubbly on top, and eventually smell super sour. If yours never falls, you’ll have to read the signs you do see (and smell) in your starter to just when it’s ready for a feeding. I personally have always seen mine fall, even if it’s just a little bit…
One thing you could do is try to reduce the hydration of the starter a bit and see how that works. Try going down to 90% hydration and see if that stiffer mixture shows a little more in terms of fermentation.
Thank you for your reply! I tried changing the ratio of the flour, adding more APF instead of 50/50. And my starter doubled in size! I guess I’ll stick to the new ratio. Thank you for help again! 🙂