If you had told me many years ago that I could make enticingly crunchy, tender, and healthy bread at home with only a few elemental ingredients, I would not have believed you.
I would have claimed that baking bread requires a professional mixer, a specialized oven, and a list of ingredients so long your eyes start to glaze over. But now I perform this alchemy daily in my home kitchen: transforming three basic ingredients into wholesome sourdough bread. How does one begin the journey of making naturally leavened bread at home? It starts with, well, making a sourdough starter from scratch.
A healthy sourdough starter means great bread.
Despite all the mysticism and lore about creating the concoction, a sourdough starter is merely a naturally fermenting mixture of flour and water. Add water to dry flour, let it sit on the counter for a few days, and you’ll see nature weave life into a once lifeless lump: bubbles will appear and the mixture will rise.
This natural fermentation can be harnessed and (once it is stable) controlled to produce bread so flavorful and healthy that it’s hard to go back to anything else.
I created my sourdough starter years ago (using this sourdough starter recipe), and it’s the same one I use to this day. It’s a spoiled brat now, to be sure, thanks to all my coddling, but in exchange for my attention and flour, it stays on schedule. Besides, when I’m baking, it does the heaviest lifting (bread nerd joke, sorry). Initially, it was the quintessential rebellious child. Sometimes it wouldn’t show any fermentation activity, and at other times it was utterly unruly. Back then, I didn’t realize what it needed to thrive. I didn’t see how vital timely refreshments (also called feedings) were or how much temperature impacts fermentation.
The key to raising a well-adjusted starter is to observe its needs, give it space to grow, and adjust the refreshments to encourage maximum fermentation activity. And a healthy starter means great bread.
But first, let’s quickly look at what a sourdough starter is.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
At a high level, a sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that hosts a stable blend of beneficial bacteria and wild yeasts. This mixture is continually maintained with regular refreshments (or feedings) and is used to leaven and flavor new bread dough. The starter is the cornerstone of successful sourdough baking, and especially for a home baker with changing environmental conditions in the kitchen, learning how to care for and use one is the key to bread with the best flavor, texture, and keeping qualities.
A Few Tips Before We Begin
Water that’s high in chlorine or chloramine (disinfectants used by some cities to clean tap water) can impede fermentation. The night before you want to make your starter, fill a large jug with tap water and let it sit out uncovered overnight to allow any chlorine to dissipate. If your city uses chloramine instead of chlorine, letting a jar sit out overnight will not work. In this case, you’ll have to use bottled water or filtered water (if you are concerned, you can test your water with over-the-counter test kits to determine whether there are additives or other issues). Alternatively, you could use bottled spring water until you get your starter fermenting reliably, then try switching back to tap water with a portion of the starter to see if it’s able to handle the tap water (but don’t use all of it just in case it doesn’t work).
After you mix the flour and water in the jar, be sure to keep the jar lightly covered during the rest of the process. Either a porous cloth or a lid resting on top of the jar will work well. Use a container with enough headspace for the mixture to rise—I like to give at least 5-inches of headspace. Additionally, it’s a good idea to place your jar in a bowl while it’s resting in case the mixture overflows.
During the first couple of days, there’s often a surge in fermentation activity that then drops off dramatically; this situation is probably caused by other yeast and bacteria that are initially present but eventually die off. When this happens, many first-timers think that it has “died,” and they start over. Don’t be fooled by this lapse of activity; continue with the schedule and eventually, the desired yeast and bacteria will move in and stabilize the starter.
The entire process is exceptionally temperature-dependent. Instead of a typical cooler room temperature, I find a warm temperature of around 80°F (26°C) helps kickstart activity since this is near the temperature at which the bacteria and yeast are most active. A home dough proofer (which I highly recommend) and a yogurt maker are great tools for maintaining such an environment. If not, a home oven, turned off, with the light on the inside (and a thermometer to monitor the temperature), or a microwave with a bowl of warm water inside, will both work well.
For even more tips on this whole process and many things related to sourdough starters, check out my Sourdough Starter Frequently Asked Questions page →
Helpful Tools to Make a Sourdough Starter
You can see a rundown of all the tools I use for baking sourdough, vetted over years of baking, over at my favorite sourdough baking tools page. Here, I list what I consider the necessary tools to get started:
Weck glass jar
Have at least two clean jars on hand. I like these Weck jars (#743, 3/4 liter jars) best because they taper out towards the top, making it easy to stir, and they don’t have any hard-to-clean lips or edges. Also, using the glass lid without the provided rubber seal and clips provides just enough of a seal to keep moisture and heat trapped inside.
I recommend using glass jars because you can easily see the fermentation as it progresses. It can also help to place a rubber band around the jar at the height of your starter after mixing so you have a visual guide for how high it rises between refreshments. Two more reasons I like these jars: they’re high quality and very economical. They are canning jars, so you can use them for many other things around the kitchen (jam, homemade pesto, dried fruit, cereals, and so on).
Silicone spatula
I use a small, firm spatula to do my feedings. It’s sturdy and easy to clean with a sponge, and if things get messy, you can run it through the dishwasher.
Scale
A kitchen scale is indispensable and guarantees accuracy when measuring the amount of flour needed for each starter refreshment. Measuring flour by volume is inherently imprecise as the amount of flour packed into a measuring cup can vary. Further, it’s a good idea to get used to using a scale for weighing ingredients, as this method is essential for improving your baking consistency.
Rye flour
Using whole grain (“dark”) rye flour helps expedite the fermentation process. In comparison to white flour, rye flour is teeming with extra nutrients that help kickstart the entire process. If you don’t have rye flour, a good quality organic whole wheat will also work well.
Unbleached, all-purpose, white flour
With my starter of 10+ years, and outlined in my post on how I feed (refresh) my starter these days, I typically refresh it with 70% all-purpose flour (or bread flour) and 30% whole rye flour. I like this mix because you get the fermentation boost from the whole-grain flour and the white flour’s increased gas-trapping ability and gluten strength. This helps me spot the signs of fermentation throughout the day and is a good compromise, using just enough whole grains without my starter getting overly acidic too quickly.
Thermometer
An instant-read thermometer will help monitor the temperature of your starter and ensure that it’s in the optimal range for increasing fermentation activity.
My Free Sourdough Starter Quicksheet
My sourdough starter quicksheet is a free, one-page printable guide to feeding, maintaining, and using my sourdough starter. Download it, print it, and keep it in your baking notebook for quick reference!
Starter Refreshment (Feeding)Schedule
In the beginning, your starter refreshments will occur just once a day. As your culture becomes more active, you’ll increase this to twice a day. Because of the frequency of these feedings, one of my goals is to help you set things up so it’s quick and easy to do your feedings and move on with your day. Once you get the hang of things, you only need about 5 to 10 minutes per day to keep your starter going–totally manageable.
A sourdough starter is very resilient. If you forget to feed it one day or feed it several hours after it needed a refreshment, don’t worry, in almost all cases it will spring back.
The following sourdough starter recipe schedule will provide you with a reliable and robust sourdough starter in 6 to 9 days. Once you have the culture stable, it will last indefinitely as long as you refresh it regularly. If you don’t plan to bake frequently, you can toss the starter in the fridge and feed it only once a week. (I’ll discuss this in more detail later in this post.)
Your schedule will follow the natural rise and fall of your starter. As soon as you feed it, the yeast and bacteria in your culture will begin to metabolize the sugars in the flour, creating gasses (among other things) as a byproduct. These gasses cause the starter to rise throughout the day as seen above. Once they subside, then the starter falls.
Daily Refreshment Process
At each refreshment, we will perform the following quick steps:
- Stir your starter a little bit with your spatula
- Place a clean jar on your scale and scoop in some portion (outlined below) from the jar you just stirred down
- Add fresh flour and water; mix well to incorporate completely
- Cover the jar loosely and let rest until the next feeding
That’s it! Once you get your process down, it should take no more than a few minutes each day.
Sourdough Starter Recipe: Making an Incredible Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Day One
Initially, I like to use two jars for this process: each time you refresh, swap in a clean jar. Starting on Day 4, you can use the same jar: discard down and add fresh flour and water.
I first like to weigh the jars I’m using (without the lids) to find their empty weight. Then, take a permanent marker and write the jar’s weight on the bottom. This way, we know the baseline weight of the jar so we can quickly figure out how much starter to keep during each refreshment.
In the morning, place a clean, empty jar on the scale and tare (the “tare” button on your scale will zero it out after you place your jar on top. This will allow you to measure the flour and water your place in your jar and exclude the jar’s weight). To that jar, add 100 grams whole grain rye flour and 125 grams water and mix until all dry bits are incorporated. If it’s cool in your kitchen, warm the water to 80°F (26°C) before mixing. Lightly cover the jar and set it in a warm place–80°F to 85°F (26°C to 29°C) is ideal–and out of direct sunlight for 24 hours.
Day Two
You may or may not already see some fermentation activity. As mentioned above, this potential initial surge of activity is typical and should subside around Day 3. What you can see below is how my initial mixture expanded significantly (in fact it bubbled out of the jar; this is why setting the jar in a bowl is a good idea). Don’t be discouraged if the surge disappears by the third or fourth day. Stick to the schedule, and it will come back!
Place a second, empty jar on the scale and tare so that it reads 0 grams. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that has been resting for 24 hours. Next, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams of water. Again, if it’s cold, warm the water to 80°F(26°C).
Mix well until all dry bits are incorporated, cover, and place in the same warm spot for 24 hours. Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.
Day Three
In the morning, you may start to see more activity, or you may see none. You can see below that the initial surge of action I had on Day 2 disappeared. However, my mixture started to show the beginning signs of beneficial yeast and bacteria taking hold: some bubbles on the top and at the sides, rose to some degree, and it started to take on a sour aroma.
Regardless of what signs your mixture is presenting, don’t fret and stick to the schedule. Remember, if it’s cold in your kitchen, warm your water to 80°F (26°C) to help speed things along.
If a layer of clear liquid (“hooch”) forms on the top of your mixture just stir it back in and keep with the schedule.
Place a new, clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that rested overnight and add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams water. Stir until well incorporated. Cover the jar and let it rest for 24 hours.
Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.
Day Four
This day is the first day of the process that has two refreshments in a single day: one in the morning, and one approximately 12 hours later.
In the morning, you should start to see signs of fermentation activity if you haven’t already, and begin to see them again if you experienced the surge-and-drop that I described above. There will be bubbles scattered on the sides and top, and the level of the mixture might have risen and fallen a little (evidenced by streaks on the sides of the jar).
Refresh in the same way that you did on Day 3. Place a clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 115 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours.
Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar. From here on, simply use the same jar each day (no need to switch to a clean jar) by discarding the contents down and adding fresh flour and water as instructed.
After this 12-hour rest during the day, discard the contents to 75 grams and refresh again with the same ratio of ingredients. Let the new mixture rest for 12 hours (overnight).
Day Five and Six
For Days 5 and 6, continue to discard down the contents of the jar and then refresh with the same ratio of ingredients as you did on Day 4, twice a day. You will see fermentation activity increase more and more. If you’ve written the weight of the empty jar on the bottom as I indicated on Day 1, you should know exactly how much the resulting weight of the jar plus carried over starter will be—discard down to this weight.
Keep using the same jar for these refreshments.
Day Seven and Onward
In the morning on Day 7, discard what’s in the jar down to 20 grams of the mixture. To this, add 30 grams rye flour, 70 grams all-purpose flour, and 100 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours during the day. In the evening (after about 12 hours), discard the jar contents down to 20g, add the same ratio of ingredients as earlier in the day, and let rest 12 hours (overnight).
At this point, you should see the height of your starter rise and fall in the jar predictably each day. This periodic behavior is a good indicator that it is strong enough for you to use for your first loaf of bread. If your starter is still struggling to show activity, continue the refreshment schedule with the same ratio of ingredients for another day–or even several more days–until things pick up. The process of stabilization can sometimes take longer, depending on the flour used and the environment (especially if it’s cool in your kitchen). Be patient and stick to the schedule!
Once you get the hang of your starter and its feeding schedule, feel free to adjust the ratio of ingredients. For example, in warmer months I’ll reduce my mature starter carryover to 10g to 20g depending on the temperature. To read more about how I change these ratios and maintain my starter, check out my comprehensive sourdough starter guide page which includes my current feeding schedule, an in-depth FAQ, and more.
The starter will continue to develop flavor and strength over the next week and into the future. With an active starter, you can now use a portion of it when it is ripe. A starter is ripe when it has risen, is bubbly on the surface and at the sides, has a sour aroma, and has a looser consistency than when first refreshed.
Having issues? Check out my list of the 21 most common sourdough starter problems (with solutions) →
What is the Best Flour to Feed My Sourdough Starter?
I get asked this question often. Once your starter is rising and falling predictably, it’s okay to switch your refreshment flour to suit your preference. You can continue with a mixture of rye and all-purpose, change to 100% all-purpose white flour, or even switch to using 100% whole wheat.
There is no right or wrong flour to use when feeding a starter.
Each flour will affect the starter in a different way, changing how fast it ferments, how acidic it becomes in the same timeframe, and eventually, the final flavor profile. There is no right or wrong flour to use when maintaining your starter; it’s up to you and your starter!
Next Steps For a Healthy Sourdough Starter
After your starter rises and falls predictably, review my sourdough starter maintenance routine for all the steps I do to keep my starter healthy. You can adjust your feeding schedule based on your baking frequency. If you can bake almost every day, you’ll want to feed your starter once daily to keep it ready-to-use shape. If you want to bake only on the weekends, you can put your starter in the refrigerator to slow down its activity.
You can also scale down your starter and maintain a smaller one. Scaling down your starter will mean less flour and water needed for each refreshment (to save ingredients). See my guide to maintaining a smaller sourdough starter for a recipe and process.
What If I Need a Break From Maintaining My Starter?
Maintaining a sourdough starter should always be on our terms, not the other way around. Maintaining a starter indefinitely can be daunting, but there are ways to put your starter on pause if you need a break from baking for a while. Remember, the refrigerator is our friend to slowing fermentation, and there are even ways to stop all fermentation activity altogether (and it can stay this year for years!).
How Can I Save Sourdough Starter Discard?
Once your starter is rising and falling predictably each day, and only then, to ensure you have the right mix of suitable bacteria and wild yeasts in the culture, you can save the discard. I keep a jar in my fridge where I collect all discards and keep them for up to 2 weeks. Then, when I want to make pancakes, waffles, or another discard recipe, I can use starter from my sourdough starter discard cache at a moment’s notice.
Final Thoughts
These days, refreshing my sourdough starter is a liturgical part of my day. It takes minutes to provide my starter with fresh flour and water. In return, my starter produces flavorful and healthy bread. I like to think it’s me making the bread; it’s me controlling fermentation, it’s my hands mixing and shaping the dough. But the reality is, I’m just a small cog in nature’s machinery. All I need to do is lend a helping hand and stay out of the way. Happy baking and buon appetito!
Print
Sourdough Starter Recipe
- Prep Time: 7 days
- Total Time: 168 hours
- Yield: 1 sourdough starter
- Category: Sourdough, Baking, Bread, Starter
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sourdough starter recipe will help you create your own sourdough starter from scratch at home in seven easy steps. Your starter is the cornerstone of great bread—once you have it showing consistent signs of fermentation each day, which takes on average 5 to 7 days, you’re ready to start baking sourdough bread!
Ingredients
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 400g whole-grain rye flour
- 800g water
Instructions
- Day One
To a clean jar, add 100g whole rye flour and 125g warm water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. - Day Two
To clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day One (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. - Day Three
To a clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day Two (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. - Day Four
On day four, you will give the mixture two feedings. In a clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day Three (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix and let rest for 12 hours. In the evening, after 12 hours, repeat the discarding and feeding you did in the morning. Let the mixture rest overnight. - Day Five and Six
For days five and six, continue to discard down the jar contents and then feed with the same ratio of ingredients as Day Four, twice a day. You can use the same jar for these feedings. - Day Seven and Onward
In the morning on Day Seven, discard the jar’s contents down to 20g of the mixture and add 30g whole rye flour, 70g all-purpose flour, and 100g water. Repeat this feeding twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, indefinitely.
Notes
You don’t have to use a new, clean jar each time you feed your starter, but I find it’s helpful to keep track of the weight of the jar so you know how much you’re carrying over.
If you use my method for creating a starter, tag @maurizio on Instagram and use the hashtag #theperfectloaf so I can take a look!
Sourdough Starter Creation FAQs
Why do you need a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a continually maintained mixture of wild yeast and suitable bacteria used to seed fermentation in new dough for bread, pastry, and more.
How long does it take for a sourdough starter to be ready?
In general, I’ve found it takes about 7 days from when you first mix flour and water to when a sourdough starter is ready to be used to bake bread.
Is a homemade sourdough starter safe?
A well-maintained sourdough starter can live virtually indefinitely. The high-acid environment of the sourdough starter helps stave off any unwanted pathogens. However, if you see any signs of traditional mold (pink, white fuzzy, green), it’s best to discard the entire starter and start a new one.
Should I make or buy a sourdough starter?
While buying a sourdough starter is very easy online, it’s a very easy process to do at home! Plus, creating your own starter exposes you to the signs of fermentation, what steps you need to perform to maintain your starter, and gives you a chance to get to know the feeding (refreshment) process.
How long does it take for a sourdough starter to peak?
Some bakers use the term “peak” to refer to either the point at which a starter is ready to be used or needs feeding, or it can refer to the physical peak height of the starter in the jar. I find judging a sourdough starter’s readiness based solely on the height it has risen to may lead to using it at an incorrect time. After all, the height of a starter is simply a display of the strength and other characteristics of the flour. To determine when your starter is ready to be fed (or used for baking), look for a combination of signs: some rise, bubbles on top and at the sides, a sour aroma, and a loose consistency (it should loosen the longer it ferments). From there, use the timeframe for fermentation as a guide: at about 72-78F (22-25C) with 30-50% whole grain flour and 20% ripe starter (the seed, or inoculation), it might be ready after 12-16 hours.
Why doesn’t my sourdough starter have big bubbles?
It’s okay if your starter doesn’t have big bubbles. Large bubbles can be the result of the flour you’re using and the hydration. What’s more important overall, is to see strong signs of consistent fermentation: some bubbles, consistent rise each day, a sour aroma, a loosening in texture.
Why is my sourdough starter not rising?
It’s worrisome if you don’t see any rise in your starter, you should see some. Usually, no rise is a sign it’s not fermenting properly and needs more time to establish. Continue with the feeding schedule outlined in my guide on how to make a sourdough starter and it should begin fermenting after a few days.
What’s Next?
If you’re looking for something to make with the discarded sourdough starter that you’re generating every day, have a look at my sourdough waffles, sourdough pancakes, and sourdough banana bread.
If you need a high-level look at each step of the bread-making process, read through our Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Bread.
2,657 Comments
Following the recipe, my starter was rising and falling a predictable amount until day 6. Then when I changed to 20g of starter, 30g rye and 70g AP starting day 7, feeding twice a day, it only rises maybe 2/3 of an in every 12 hours. What am I doing wrong? Do I go back to 75g starter and once a day or continue doing 20g starter and twice a day? It’s not temperature because I keep it in the proofing home with temp set at 83.
It sounds like the shift to twice-daily feedings with more white flour slowed things down temporarily. This is actually normal as your starter adjusts to the new feeding ratio and flour mix. Keep going with the 20g starter, twice-daily feedings. The starter needs time to adapt to the higher proportion of white flour, which ferments differently than rye. Give it another few days of consistent feedings at this schedule, and it should pick back up. Don't go backward in the process!
For adding the 75g of the mixture from day 1, should I keep 75g and discard the rest? Or should I keep more left in the jar?
Follow the recipe as it is stated, you'll discard down quite a bit each day.
I'm a beginner to baking and have had great success following Maurizio Leo's formula and steps creating my own Starter from scratch. I'm dismayed that others are not. I do notice most issues users discuss are to do with thickness or consistency of the mix or lack of rising. As beginner I should have no business giving advice, but if you'll forgive me that, I worked in a dental office for 35 years mixing plasters and dental cement powders with water, highly temperature and technique sensitive (meaning how well we mix) . What I do is this: as instructed I remove the starter from the jar leaving the 20g carryover, then add the 95g water which is abt 90 degrees. This I mix well prior to adding 30g Rye, and 70g white. Mix well, holding the jar firmly in palm use a spatula to press all the powder clumps against the sidewall of the jar, press and slide the spatula, this can take abt 3 minutes, it may still appear a bit clumpy but when pressed against the wall make it smooth. Then use the reserved 5 grams water to wet the spatula clean the sidewalls bringing the mix together. Yes, it is thick, but will loosen as it hydrates after mixing and don't forget to cover the jar so moisture does not evaporate off.
I hope this helps.
Really great tips here Rose, thank you! It can be challenging to get a starter going, especially in the winter. I think many have issues with keeping things warm and it's usually my first place to check for problems!
Good Morning, first Id like to thank you for the work you do. The detail, well there are no words but Thank you.
I made my own Starter, followed the instructions, used the scale, checked water temperature etc. every detail . Amazing success in my first loafs using the Beginner Soursough recipe. Since I started using 20g of carryover starter 30g rye and 70 white 100 H2O for 7 day twice daily my Starter is very consistant rising. My question is . . . since I want to bake only once a week, and would like to conserve flour usage, can I now switch to feeding once daily or is it too soon? if yes, to keep a smaller starter what change to the formula do I make ? I see in the book a formula for 5g carryover with 50/50 white flour/water ratio. this image is the 12th hour and it peeks at the 12th hour consistently.
Replying to my own post to say, I'm finding all the answers on the TPL pages Keeping a Smaller Sourdough Starter to Reduce Waste and Weekend Baking Schedule . Thank you for the amazingly complete tutorials !
Rose, sounds like your starter is in great shape—consistent 12-hour peaks mean you've built a strong culture.
Once daily feeding is just fine as long as it doesn't get too acidic (you'll notice a sharp vinegar smell or the starter collapsing well before you get to it). If that happens, you can either increase the ratio slightly or move to the fridge between bakes.
For going smaller, that 5g carryover in the book works well, or something like 10g starter, 50g flour (keep your rye/white mix), 50g water—just scale everything down proportionally.
Happy baking!
to clarify, reducing the volume I do 10g. starter / (50g total flour) that is it 15g. Rye 35g white ?
Hi! I’m a beginner. I’m on day 7, but so far I’ve been following another recipe that calls for feeding 1:1:1 and I’ve been using bread flour, so 100g starter, 100 spring water, and 100 bread flower. I saw a big rise on day 2, but nothing other than some bubbles on top since then. No rise. Do you think it’s a good idea to switch to this routine (75g starter, 50 rye, 50ap) or should I keep trying with the bread flour? Also today I put it in the oven, thinking I’d keep it warm with just the oven light on but it got up to 95 degrees! Do you think that ruined it? Thank You!
Nicole, that day 2 rise followed by quiet days is completely normal. That initial burst is actually bacteria we don't want, and it dies off as the culture acidifies. The starter you're after takes a bit longer to establish.
Switching to include some rye is a good move. Rye brings extra nutrients and wild yeast that can help jumpstart things. You don't have to follow that exact formula, but swapping in even 20-30% rye for your bread flour should help.
As for the 95°F, you're fine. Yeast starts dying around 105-110°F, so you didn't kill anything. Just keep it a bit cooler going forward (mid-70s to low 80s is ideal).
Stick with it and you should see consistent activity within the next week or so. Let me know how it progresses!
Hi Maurizio, so I have followed the instructions for the starter to the T, even getting the brands of flour you recommended, checking temps with a thermometer, and using bottles spring water. I am at day 7 and I think this starter is just goop. I am quite a good cook so I know how to follow up recipes. I have even got the book! What can it be? Thanks!
I would say try grabbing a bottle of spring water from the market and use that for the next few days, up to a week. Keep everything else the same, but drop down to just 1x feeding per day. Good move keeping an eye on the temps, that's super important, so continue to keep it warm (85F would be ideal). It will eventually come around sometimes it just takes longer! Keep me posted on how it's going.
I have been using bottled spring water. Well, I tried. It is very discouraging, to be honest
Take some photos of the mixture (top and side) and send them over to me in email (email is on About page) so I can take a look. We’ll get this solved!
Thanks!!!!
I'll say that around days 5-8 mine similarly was a pretty docile "goop" – Today is Day Nine and I starting to see a few bubbles on the surface. I did start adding maybe 10g more water to slacken it just a bit? I keep it at 79 in a Sourdough home and am using filtered water.
Same problem. Looks great up until day seven, and then the starter just turns to hard goop and dies. I started over and it's the same issue. I have been going through bags of flour and bottled water like a maniac. It's getting expensive and super frustrating. I'm back to just buying bread again
My starter has been looking great up until day seven. The starter is way too dry given those measurements. Are those measurements (100g flour, 100g water, 20g starter) correct? It seems to be a recipe for concrete.
It is thick since it's a 1:5:5 ratio/low inoculation feed. Mine is thick but seems active and smells pretty happy so far. Aiming to make the first loaf early next week.
Sounds like yours is on the right track!
If I were to swap the AP flour for whole wheat – would you change the hydration?
Usually when you go more WW you need to increase the hyration, yes.
That's the correct mix there, it should be quite loose actually, there's as much water as flour!
I don’t doubt you. I’ve seen that ratio in other places, too, but it just isn’t working for me. It has stopped rising at all and looks nothing like what you’re describing. 30g dark rye, 70g all purpose, 100g water, 20g carryover… There isn’t enough water to mix all the flour, so it is like a sandy dough-ball. I was trying another starter that was 100% rye, and that is even drier. Maybe water isn’t as wet where I live, I don’t know lol
Add more water!
Very happy with my new Sourdough Home and this starter recipe so far. At about 7 hours after the Day Two morning feed today in the 3/4 Weck Jar and its' risen to
3/47/8ths full! ;PDay 3 – behaving as described by Maurizio. Far less activity than the Day Two eruption, but here after the morning feed, the smell is starting to turn sweeter and more familiar.
Excellent!
I think there was a typo in the table on page 34 of the book – you should be using 75g of carryover until at least day 7, or until the starter is ripening predictably and peaking in ~4-6 hours after the refresh at room temperature (unless it is below 70, in which case it may take a while longer)
Typo's happen, and they aren't easily remedied in a published text. Plus – the correct instructions are present in the following pages, the issue is limited to the table. There's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I've already baked many of the recipes in this book, and they have come out great
Appreciate that. Tyler, thank you! Plus, the typo has been fixed 🙂
I do have errata posted:
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/cookbooks/the-perfect-loaf-cookbook-errata/
Hey Kirk! Yes, unfortunately there's a typo in the book, but just in the table (it was fixed in later printings). Ignore the table that's there and follow the paragraph text, it's correct there.
But to your comments, if you're still having issues after day 4, it's pretty normal. Just stick to the schedule and it will eventually come around. Keeping it warm will really help!
I wanted to share a quick tip I picked up. If your city uses chloramine in the water, you can neutralize it instantly by adding a tiny pinch of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to your water—about 50–100 mg is plenty to purify a full gallon. Just stir it in and let it sit for a minute or two before mixing.
Ascorbic acid is also a 'secret weapon' if you work with freshly milled flour. Since fresh flour hasn't had time to age and oxidize naturally, gluten development can be a bit sluggish. Even though it's an antioxidant, in the context of dough, ascorbic acid acts as an oxidizing agent. Adding just 20–60 mg per kilogram of flour helps strengthen the gluten network by promoting the formation of disulfide bonds.
Just a word of caution: be precise with your measurements! Adding too much can make the dough overly tight and resistant to stretching, which makes shaping a real challenge and can create large, irregular alveoli in the crumb.
Really fascinating Tyler! Never though to try this, though I don't think this is an issue here with my water (I recently got it tested).
By day 7 and your reducing the ripe starter to 20g, the 30/70 flour mix and the 100g water is it supposed to be pretty thick?
It'll be loose, but not like pancake batter.
I wish you had said what to do with the Day 2 explosion. Mine bubbled out of the jar in 4.5 hours. I'm going to call Day 2 done in 4.5 hours and go on to Day 3, despite. I had a starter that I used for several years but in the past week it developed a pink hooch. My research indicated that this is indicative of a BAD bacteria, so I tossed it. Thus the need for the now one. Do you agree that pink hooch is an indicator that this starter needs to be 86'd?
If you see a huge explosion like that, just discard down and follow the steps as-is!
I am on day 10 and using whole wheat flour and all purpose flour and have been seeing bubbles but it’s not rising. It stays around 70-80° so it’s not the temperature affecting it.
Should I still be feeding twice a day? Is there anything else I can do to help it rise.
If you're still struggling, Becca, drop down to 1x feeding a day until you see bubbles.
Hi Maurizio, i was following your method to make the sourdough starter, on day 4 ,5 and 6 my starter rise to its pick in about 5 hours,i want to know should i start to feed it at the pick or just wait and feed after 12 hours? i keep my sourdough in 26C place all the time,
thank you in advance
It sounds to me like you can switch to 2x a day now.
Hi Maurizio. I am on Day 7 and have followed your guide by reducing the starter carry over to 20g, with 30g Rye, 70g All Purpose & 100g water. My starter all through the process showed strong signs of fermentation, bubbling, marshmallow like texture when it peaked. Since I changed to this new ratio of Rye v All Purpose I noticed the starter seems to have slowed down its rise and general signs of bubbles/fermentation. Is this normal
It's probably just fine Lewis. Sometimes it takes a feeding or two to switch over to a new flour (and for you to adjust your sensitivity to what it's doing).
Should I feed and discard after the first 24 hours if I see no activity at all or just stir and wait another 24? No rise, smell, bubbles etc. Used 100 grams rye flour and 125 grams filtered water and kept at 80 degrees in a proofer.
Edward: No activity after 24 hours is completely normal. Just give it a stir and wait another 24 hours before doing your first discard and feed. It often takes 2-3 days before you see any signs of life. Patience is key at this stage!
After the first 24 hours there is no activity at all. No rise, no smell, no bubbles. I am using dark rye flour and filtered water. It is being kept at 80 degrees. Should I just stir and wait another 24 for some activity or discard? Don't want to dillute it to early.
Omg! I encountered the same issue as many of the people do!
I’m so sad my sourdough starter seems dead at the mark of 4th day ( 2 feedings per 12 hours).
Right now I’m almost a week in and there’s no activity. Except for that “puke” smell.
Is it because of the environment temperature?
Don't give up yet! A week with no activity can be frustrating, but that "puke" smell actually means there's microbial activity happening. This is a common phase where less desirable bacteria are active before the beneficial ones take over. Keep feeding consistently and make sure your environment is warm enough (75-80°F is ideal). It can take 10-14 days for a new starter to really get going. Stick with it!
Can I maintain it with less feeding?
Yes, check out the links at the end of the post for weekly feeding schedules using the refrigerator.
Hi! I have had two failed attempts with just plain flour already so I’m trying this now, but my rye mixture from day one looks way thicker than yours. I think it’s too thick to allow bubbling but what do I know. Is that okay or should I adjust?
Totally find if it's thicker. You could add more water if you want to thin it out.
I am on Day 7 and there has been no activity since Day 3. I do not know what to do. Do I have to trash the process and start all over again?
I see your post from earlier and have had the same experience. I’m on day 6. No growth since day 3.
My starter is kept in my oven with the light on. I checked temp today, it’s 87 degrees. I’m wondering if it is too warm…
I’m ready to stop and try something else.
NO! Keep with it. Sometimes it takes longer. Switch back to 1x feeding a day for a few days.
I am on Day 7 and there has been no activity since Day 3. I do not know what to do. Do I have to trash the process and start all over again?
I think I made a mistake. I followed the instructions for Day One and Day Two correctly, but I think I messed up on Day 3.
Night 1: Prepared the starter per the instructions. Placed jar in oven as the overnight temps in the house have been around 65° F
Night 2: Already seeing a reaction. Performed first feeding per instructions. Placed jar in oven.
Night 3: Still seeing a reaction. Performed feeding per instructions. Placed jar in oven.
This is where I may have made a mistake.
Morning 4 (12 hours from Night 3): Noticed a fall in the starter. Performed morning feeding per instructions. Placed jar in oven.
Will my starter still be okay?
It'll be fine Gary, keep with it! Hopefully by now you have a bubbling starter.
Is it possible to cut the ingredients in half if I don’t need that much?
I would stick with the ingredient amounts listed here until your starter starts fermenting regularly, then maintain a smaller starter as I do here .
Thats a lot of flour wasted making this starter. I would suggest to anyone to start with a smaller amount ie 75 grams of mixed rye and bread flour with 75 grams of water. Then discard down to 25 grams, 50 grams of flour mix, and 50 grams water. You don't have to feed it or discard for 3 days until the 4th day. The first 3 days without discarding will strengthen the starter vs this recipes recommendations of feeding every day. I tried this recipe but ran into many problems. But with what I said above my starter won't break the flour bank and you will get better results. Plus once you have the starter completed and ready to use all you have to do is add more flour to get it up to your recipe.
In the grand scheme of things, this is a very small amount of flour.