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
Hello Maruzrio, I have a question for you I have a proof, in the summer should I keep it to 75 Fahrenheit and in the Winter should I put it up to 80 Fahrenheit for my starter..?
I tend to try and keep my starter around 76-78F year round.
Thank you 😊….
Question: Im on day 3 now and its looking solid. According to the guide it says from day seven and onward to feed it twice a day indefinitely. Can I not at day 7 put it in the fridge and feed it once a week to keep it alive?
Yes, once it’s fermenting reliably you can keep in the fridge as required. See my Guides page for schedules on how to do this!
thanks!
Hi Maurizio. Been following this sourdough starter recipe and am on day 5. I noticed that when I started feeding twice since day 4 that the starter does not rise. There are bubbles present. What could be the issue?
Try switching back to one feeding per day for a day or two, then once you see activity pick back up, continue with the schedule.
It’s starting to rise again with one feeding and today the starter is 6 days old. Should I continue with one feeding? I was using 50:50 rye and AP up until now. Is it safe to switch to only AP since I ran out of rye?
Using 100% AP flour after day 2 is acceptable. Rye gives a different flavor and has more enzymes so it makes it work faster but AP would likely work similarly from day 1 if used at 100%
I love your content! Do you recommend using 50% starter or 20% starter when you feed after day 7? I saw that you’re using 20% in your other post and 50% in this post
Thanks! I like to switch to 20% starter carryover once it’s fermenting reliably each day.
I accidentally used my past starter, which was given to me, in a recipe a bit ago 🤦🏼♀️ So I decided this time to make my own from scratch! So far so good 🙂
But just wondering, when you say to discard down – are you throwing the contents in the garbage? And at what stage do you start to save the discard like you use to make your glorious sourdough discard pancakes ?😋
In the beginning, yes, I throw the discard—and I would recommend this. Until fermentation has become stable the mixture you have there hasn’t properly fermented (the acidity isn’t high enough to ensure unwanted pathogens cannot exist).
Once you have a stable starter that’s fermenting predictably each day, then you can use for anything I talk about on my sourdough starter discard recipe collection. Have fun, Jalissa!
After the week of building your starter, the stuff you ‘discard’ for maintenance is what you use to make sourdough bread. If you bake once a week, keep it in the fridge and when you are ready to do maintenance on the starter, the ‘discard’ is what you put in your recipe.
I’ve been thinking about branching out a bit with my starter and trying cultures from different areas of the world, but I’m thinking it’s an idea destined to fail. It seems to me that no matter where your starter has begun, it won’t be long before the local yeast and bacteria will take over. Would using starters from different areas of the world have any long term effect on taste?
In my experience, no, it won’t. Like you said, eventually the bacteria/yeast population in your starter will eventually converge on whatever strains are fit for the conditions (temp, humidity, etc.) and food (flour) given.
Ok; I’ve solved the problem with this two-day burst and then death of the starter. It turns out that yeast have ears. Who would have guessed, huh?
But it must be true because I was throwing in the towel on some 6-day old starter. It had exploded on day 2 and then nothing afterwards. Then, I forgot to feed twice on day 3 and day 4. On day 5 I forgot to feed at all so, finally, on day 6 I told my wife, in the presence of the starter, that I was going to throw in the towel and use store-bought yeast for bread. I forgot to throw out the starter that night but the proof that they heard me and feared for their lives was that the following morning, the starter had grown to nearly double over night. I still didn’t get to feed it (I work from home and from sunrise to sunset it seems I’m on Zoom) so I fed it after my after-work garden chores at about 6:30 PM. Here it is, not quite 9:00 PM, and the newly fed starter has doubled!
So, it must be that the yeast have ears…. Or, it has to do with something else. I read online, maybe another page on this site (I’ve read a lot here) or some other site; I don’t remember, that the 2-day explosion followed by what seems to be dead starter is not uncommon. Apparently there are other yeasts and bacteria that grow fast the first few days and die but the yeasts and bacteria that we want take longer so just keep following the proper feeding cycle (don’t do like I did and forget) and after around 7 to 10 days you’ll have a great starter. Well, that seems to be the exact case. I probably tossed 3 or 4 starters the day before they would have taken off. Or I could have made the first one work by simply threatening them – though threats never worked to make my children work. Well, as with children, patience seems to be the best practice for getting the results you want from your starter.
He he, well I agree with your findings in the end: patience is key! Sometimes it simply takes longer to get going, and for whatever reason (temperature, water, flour choice, etc.). It took me a bit to get my first starter going over 10 years ago, but I stuck with it and eventually things turned around. For me, it was discovering whole rye flour that really made the difference, but for many their water choice is usually the culprit. Thanks for the comments and here’s to some awesome baking!
Hi Maurizio,
I’ve been following your steps (thank you for this digestible write-up!) and I had a really good peak on day 2. I stuck to the schedule but there’s been no activity from day 3 onwards. I’m currently on day 5. I tried to increase the dark rye flour to 75g, AP 25g and still no rise, and almost negligible bubbles. Should I continue feeding once a day, start afresh, or leave it to ferment on its own without feeding for a day or two?
Thank you!
I also have had two “dead” starters after day 2. I start it on day 1 in a one-pint wide-mouth mason jar. Then, after the day 2 feeding, mine grew so much that I took the ring off before going to bed, leaving the lid, because I was afraid it was going to overflow the jar for sure. On day 3 feeding, I moved to a one-quart jar but I needn’t have bothered. From then on it hasn’t grown a bit. I’ve had two starters do exactly this same pattern.
One thing I wonder about is the water. I don’t remember for sure what I did on the water the first time, other than that I started with distilled on day 1. The second starter, I definitely did distilled on day 1 but filtered water on day 2, 3, and 4, I used filtered water. I have a pretty high-end filter for my kitchen water but it’s possible there’s still something in the municipal water that is getting into the starter and killing it. I’m going to try a third one with distilled water and stick with distilled to the end and see if it helps.
Maybs, posting in reply in case you set up to receive notifications. I posted a new comment on the page, I won’t post it again, but how I seem to have solved the two-day explosion and then dead starter problem. Check it out and see if it helps.
Maybs, posting in reply in case you set up to receive notifications. I posted a new comment on the page, I won’t post it again, but how I seem to have solved the two-day explosion and then dead starter problem. Check it out and see if it helps.
Can I use white rye flour?
Yes! Whole grain rye would be more effective, but white rye will work as well.
Thank you! I’ll try 🙏🏼
Hello,
Can I use high grade flour and brown rice flour to start my starter?
Thank you
I’m not sure what high grade flour is! I’ve also not tried this with brown rice flour. I’d suggest going with wheat and rye, then once the starter is fermenting consistently, try switching a bit over to the flour you have and want to bake with and see the results.
Maurizio,
Thanks for all your great information and well compiled site!
Do I leave the starter jar uncovered on days 1-3? I saw you mentioned covering it on the narrative on day 4, but not on the recipe card, so wasn’t sure. Should I leave the jar on the counter or in a proofer (or does that matter)?
Help appreciated!
You’re welcome! No, I always leave it covered the same way—sorry about the confusion! If you have a proofer, keeping it warmer is definitely better.
K, thanks! 😀
I have been reading your posts for months and the comments within this post for as long. I began my starter Sunday and had explosive results in two days then – nada – and am confused. I have been making adjustments in the starter location, cooler, and back to oven/light on door closed/then cracked the door because it got too warm but still no activity, no bubbles. I also haven’t started the second 12 hour feeding because there is nothing going on. However here is where it gets weird, I saved my starter discard from day one despite the fact I know you do not advocate for that. It has been in the fridge sealed, and has WAY more bubbles than my starter. I have mixed the entire contents of the discard as I add it to it, so I am shocked there are bubbles. How is this possible when my starter is sitting flat and no activity in bubble or rise/fall? I tried to look in the comments before asking. Going to keep at it with the present starter and switch to 12 hour two a day feedings when there is more sign of life I guess!
Hard to say why you’re seeing bubbles from the one in the fridge, but fermentation will continue in there to some degree! Hopefully by now your starter is up and running (sorry for the delay). Has it picked up?
Thank you for the reply, it is now rising with more bubbles. Not rising and falling predictably yet. I am looking forward to making your focaccia pizza. Thanks for all of your amazing content!
Excellent, so glad to hear that! You’re going to love both the focaccia and pizza, great stuff 🙂 Happy baking!
Hello – first of all, thank you for the time you’ve put into this tutorial.
I’m 18 hrs into day 1 and I’m seeing no action in the jar – I seemed this morning the oven was a bit warmer than 80 degrees and when I opened the jar to look it was pretty funky smelling.
Am I being impatient or do you recommend starting again?
Thanks in advance
Nervous Novice… 🙂
P.S. I just checked the temp and it the starter mixture was 100 degrees F!
I pulled it out of the oven, turned the light off, and will check the temp again in about 15 to 20 mins.
I may have answered my own question! 🙂
Thanks again for this fount of knowledge!
Don’t start over, keep with it! But yes, 100F is way too hot, you need to drop that down to around 78-84F 🙂
I did, the problem was with the size of the jar I was using.
I couldn’t see the ebb and flow of the starter.
I changed to smaller jars – now waiting for 2nd feeding on day 5!
Cheers!
Thanks again for this info!
Hi Maurizio,
I followed your direction exactly but my starter isn’t rising like yours. It does get bubbles and has a good smell, just no rising. I keep my sourdough starter in a brod & taylor proofer at 80 degrees and am elevated about 2500 feet which should both help with this situation. I use the flour you recommended throughout the entire 7 day process and then feed it with 25% rye and 75% all purpose like you suggested. I use central milling bakers craft for the all purpose flour and also use their dark rye. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. I am about to start over in hopes that it will create a better starter…. Any suggestions on why my starter isn’t rising.
That can certainly be used! You could sub out the whole rye I call for with the whole wheat. Same instructions and process.
Is there any danger of mold growing on the slides of the jar? I am keeping an eye on it and so far so good. Just wondering if anyone has had this issue.
If you forget to feed it, it may grow a white mold. You can just scrape it off if it has not infected the whole starter, or just start over.
Yes, there is a concern there just like any food. Keep an eye on it and if you see any signs of mold (green, pink, white and fuzzy), I’d probably start over.
If you are keeping it in the fridge I would recommend transferring to a clean jar at the weekly feeding. Fungus and molds grow on top because they require oxygen so if you’re not making a weekly loaf scrape the top layer to discard any spores that may be germinating, don’t mix up the top layer into the bulk of the starter before doing the discard.
Hello. I just wanted to ask what consistency my starter should be initially. I’m on day 2 and the starter is quite viscous almost like a paste, is this right or should it be more runny? Thank you
That’s totally fine.
I’m doing well and have baked 2 batches of bread. They are amazing! I do have a question though…. The starter still rises very well daily, but doesn’t seem to fall quite as much as earlier and doesn’t get as “watery” as it used to. Is this normal?
That’s ok, it’s likely the flour is able to hang on to more of the water.
Hi Maurizio,
I followed your direction exactly but my starter isn’t rising like yours. It does get bubbles and has a good smell, just no rising. I keep my sourdough starter in a brod & taylor proofer at 80 degrees and am elevated about 2500 feet which should both help with this situation. I use the flour you recommended throughout the entire 7 day process and then feed it with 25% rye and 75% all purpose like you suggested. I use central milling bakers craft for the all purpose flour and also use their dark rye. Any suggestions on why my starter isn’t rising. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. I am about to start over in hopes that it will create a better starter….
I’m a little confused about days 5 and 6.Are they any different from day 4? Do I take anything out of the jar for the second feedings. Confused, because it says to use the same jar. And wondering how days 5 and 6 are any different from day 4.
Please help…
Janice—yes, you always discard from the jar at each feeding/refreshment. As stated in the post, days 5 & 6 are essentially the same as Day 4.
Thanks so much…. So far so good. I’m using my oven with the light and the temperature is good. Can’t wait until this weekend to bake bread!
Let me know how your bake goes—happy baking, Janice 🙂
Hi Maurizio,
Thank you for the most well written , detailed and accurately researched sourdough compilation I have come across.
Once my starter is ready. Let’s say Day 9. Day 10 I feed it in the morning 11 am. When would it be ready to directly use into a Sourdough bread ??( not make a levain)
Thanks
Thanks, Nick! If you’re not making a levain, use your starter in the morning when it’s ripe and you’d normally give it a feeding/refreshment.
OK. My starter tripled in volume again in about 4 hrs. I’m putting it in the frig. Anything else I can do? Or do I even need to be concerned? {See my first post below)
It’s ok if it rises quickly, but you do still want to see the other signs of fermentation: many bubbles, a sour aroma, a consistency change to looser and soft. It might be getting too warm in your oven, try taking it’s temperature after 3 hours and see where it’s at. I like to keep mine around 76-78F. If it gets very ripe early, you can always refresh it to keep it mild.
I refreshed my starter the 2nd time on day 4 and it tripled in volume in 3 and a half hours. I keep it in the oven with the light on and the oven may have gotten warmer than usual. Should I refresh it early? I had to leave after that and when I got back it was reduced to 1 times the original volume.
Hello Maurizio,
First off, thank you so much for your website and sharing your wealth of information! This is my third time trying to make a sourdough starter; I am on day 8 after following your guides and it is rising and falling predictably and I am so excited. It is still getting ripe and ready to feed after 12hr and I would like to get it on a one refresh a day schedule. I am using the B&T proofer and I have been decreasing the temperature to try to get it to ripen slower, but it has not affected it too much. I set the proofer to 72 degrees F after this mornings refresh. I am still doing 50g carry over of starter with 50g rye, 50g bread flour, and 100g water. My next idea was to try to use less carry over of starter, but I was not sure how or if the other components will need to be adjusted as well. Any advice would be amazing!
I have also noticed with my proofer that the ambient temperature (I have a digital thermometer inside the proofer) inside the proofer is reading much higher than the temperature my proofer is set to. My house is usually around 66-68 in the winter so I don’t think that would be increasing it. Do you see this discrepancy with your B&T proofer?
I am so excited to try to make my first loaves this weekend and then I have my eye on your Cardamom Roll recipe to try after. Thank you for reading!
Best,
Sarah
You’re very welcome, Sarah! I would say reduce the amount of starter carryover at each refreshment. Try dropping your 50g carryover to 20g and see how that changes the timeline (it should slow it).
Check out my new post on how to use the Brod and Taylor proofer for answers to your other questions!
Happy baking 🙂
I keep the starter in the oven with the light on. I have to crack the oven open a bit but the temp stays at 80-85 degrees. It work great since my kitchen is always cool.
Hi Maurizio. I’m having real trouble getting my starter to rise. I’m on day 9 of your recipe and, aside from a slight rise on day 3, I’m not seeing anything other than a few bubbles. What I’m struggling most with is temperature – I’m in England, and it’s a cold, wet winter. The warmest spot in my house is probably around the 22C mark – is this just too low to get a starter going?
Hey, Andrew. That’s pretty chilly. I’d say warm the water you’re using to mix your refreshments, go up to 29°C, and then keep your jar warm if you can. You could mix everything together, then wrap it in a kitchen towel for insulation. That should help.
It’s not too cold to get a starter going, it’ll just be a little longer of a process. I did this exact thing when I made mine about 10 yrs ago. Took a few weeks.
Thanks. Will try that – and settle in for the long haul!
Hi Andrew, you can also try to put it in the oven and turn the oven’s light on, don’t turn on the oven just the light :), if you have a thermometer you can measure the temperature when the light is on. It works for me as here in Bulgaria the winter is quite severe.
Hi! So when I’m done with day seven, I can directly use the starter for my bread, right? And if I keep it in the fridge and want to make a new bread in lets say 2 weeks, do I have to feed it 7 days before on room temp or is like one or two days enough?
Hey there. Yes, once it’s ready you use this to mix into a dough directly or make what’s called a levain, before mixing a dough. I like to take it out a few days before using it if it’s stored in the fridge, then give it a few consistent refreshments to get it back up to full strength.
Check out my guides page for schedules, tips, and more 🙂
Just wanted to thank you for your sourdough starter instructions. They have been very helpful. I began my starter about 9 days ago, and it behaves just like the instructions. I do warm the water to 80°F before I add it.I keep the jar in a bowl on a seed starter mat and cover it with a towel. It works great. I have done a “float test” and it floated! Yesterday it seemed to have gotten thicker with more bubbles on the sides. Hopefully in a week I will be able to make my first sourdough bread! Thank you again!
You’re very welcome, Carla! Glad to hear things are right on track. Warming the water was a good move, it surely helped get things going quicker. Happy baking!