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A jar of bubbly sourdough starter on a white marble surface beside a loaf of crusty sourdough bread and a linen napkin.

How to Make Sourdough Starter

How to make a sourdough starter from scratch with bread flour and water. A day-by-day schedule of discards and feeds that builds a bubbly, active starter ready to bake bread in about seven days.
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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

Ingredients

  • 500 g bread flour unbleached
  • 500 g filtered water

Instructions

Day 1

  • Weigh 100 g of bread flour and 100 g of filtered water into a clean, wide-mouth glass jar. Stir until no dry flour remains.
  • Rest the lid loosely on top without sealing it. Leave the jar somewhere warm (about 75°F) for 24 hours.

Days 2 and 3

  • Remove and discard 100 g of starter. Add 50 g of flour and 50 g of water, and stir well.
  • Leave in the warm spot for 24 hours. On day 3, slide a rubber band around the jar at the level of the starter right after feeding.

Days 4 to 7

  • Feed twice a day, 10-12 hours apart: discard 100 g, then add 50 g flour and 50 g water and stir. Move the rubber band to the new level after each feed.

Check readiness

  • The starter is ready when it is bubbly throughout and doubles within 6-8 hours of a feed. If it is not there by day 7, keep feeding twice a day for up to 7 more days.

Notes

  • The flour and water totals cover all seven days. Most of it is discarded along the way.
  • Keep the starter around 75°F. An oven with the light on, the top of the fridge, or a spot near a heating vent all work.
  • Use filtered or bottled water. If neither is available, boil tap water and cool it completely.
  • Ready means doubling within 6-8 hours of a feed, not a date on the calendar. A cool kitchen can add a week.
  • Dark liquid on top (hooch) means the starter is hungry. Fuzzy growth or a pink or orange color means start over.
  • Store discard in a separate jar in the fridge for crackers, pancakes, or granola.

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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