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Active sourdough starter in a glass jar beside a bowl of bread flour and a finished loaf.

How to Make Sourdough Starter

Learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch using just flour and water. This beginner-friendly guide walks you through each stage of fermentation, feeding, and growth so you can build a strong, active starter ready for homemade sourdough bread and other baked goods.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Fermentation Time: 7 days
Total Time: 7 days 30 minutes
Course: Other
Cuisine: All
Servings: 2 cups of active starter
Author: Shilpa

Equipment

  • Digital kitchen scale
  • Wide-mouth glass jar 32 oz
  • Silicone spatula or a small spoon

Ingredients

  • 300 g bread flour unbleached
  • 300 g filtered water

Instructions

  • Day 1. Weigh 100 grams of bread flour and 100 grams of filtered water into the jar. Stir until no dry flour remains. Rest the lid loosely; do not seal it, and leave the jar somewhere warm for 24 hours.
  • Day 2. Remove and throw away 100 grams. Feed with 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. Stir thoroughly. Back to the warm spot for 24 hours.
  • Day 3. You should see the first bubbles across the surface. Remove 100 grams, feed with 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water, and put the rubber band on at the new level so you can track the rise from here.
  • Day 4, morning. The starter should be rising a little now. Remove 100 grams, feed 50 grams of each. From today, you feed twice a day, roughly 10 to 12 hours apart. Note the time so the next feed is easy to plan.
  • Day 4, evening. You may find a layer of dark liquid on top. That is hooch, and it means the culture is active and hungry rather than spoiled. Stir it back in or pour it off, then feed as usual.
  • Days 5 and 6. Same rhythm, twice a day. The rise gets taller and faster with each feed, and the smell shifts from sharp and unpleasant to something closer to yogurt or beer.
  • Day 7. A ready starter is bubbly throughout the whole jar and doubles within six to eight hours of feeding. If yours is close but not there, keep going. Ten days is normal in a cool kitchen.

Notes

  • Keep the starter around 75°F. An oven with the light on, the top of the fridge, or near a heating vent all work.
  • Use filtered or bottled water. If unavailable, boil tap water and cool it completely.
  • The rubber band goes on from day 3. It is how you tell a rise from a guess.
  • Ready means doubling in 6 to 8 hours, not a particular date on the calendar. A cool kitchen can add a week.
  • Store discard in a separate jar in the fridge for pancakes and crackers.

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 109g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
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