A sourdough starter is so easy to make–all you need is water and flour–but it will reward you for years to come with breads, waffles, pancakes and more, with no need for added yeast. Even better, the wild yeast in the sourdough is great for your gut health. Stir up a batch today--it's truly the gift that keeps on giving.
This easy sourdough starter recipe has lived on this blog for almost four years now--almost as long as I've had my starter. Back in 2016 I shared the process with you, with every day photos, as I went through it myself, day by day.
In the years since, I've learned so much more from baking with the starter, working with it in its different moods, and answering your questions. So I thought I'd refresh this post for you by addressing some of your most common queries here, and share some tips on troubleshooting.
Making a sourdough starter is an extraordinarily simple process that requires just two ingredients, flour and water, and a bowl and a whisk. It truly is something anyone can do. That said, there is some patience and technique involved, and ensuring your sourdough starter stays at the right temperature. And you will need to dedicate a few minutes every day for a week to get your starter going.
If you have little ones around, you might consider involving them in the process. It's a great lesson in how the process of making food is as much a science as it is an art. When I made my starter, named "George" by a reader, Jay (who was seven at the time) was really excited when little bubbles first appeared, indicating that the yeast -- captured from the air -- was now thriving and flourishing in the pasty flour-and-water mixture. He would ask to look at the sourdough starter every day to see how it was progressing and, as you can imagine, all that bubbling and rising was rather magical to his young mind. 🙂
Many of you have since followed the recipe and the step-by-step instructions and daily photos I posted to make successful starters of your own. Dozens of you have come back to tell me about your starters, named Georgina, Crunchy, the Hulk and even Tina (after quaranTine :)) among many more. You've made me smile and you've made me happier than you can imagine.
If this is your first time making a sourdough starter, tighten your seatbelts because you're in for the adventure of your life. Really. It should take seven days to get a viable starter, but once you have established it, you will forever have a great reason to bake bread…and so much more. I promise you'll be a changed person--or at least a changed baker.
I can vouch that after I'd made George, I definitely began looking at all baked goods differently. My jar of yeast sat in the freezer while I experimented with not just breads but pancakes, waffles, pretzels, English muffins, biscuits, sticky buns and so much more. The sourdough made eating these treats not just more fun and delicious, but also more guilt-free.
That's because all those billions of yeast bacteria teeming through your sourdough starter--the ones that make it bubble and rise--are probiotic and therefore great for your gut.
Some studies even show that sourdough is easy to digest, and could be eaten by people with celiac disease who cannot normally tolerate gluten (although this is something you should check with your doctor). Bread made with sourdough is also said to be better for diabetics because it's lower on the glycemic index than regular bread is.
In this post, I will go through the process of making a sourdough starter step by step, with photos. You can just jump to the recipe below, but I strongly advise taking the time to look at the FAQs so you have a clear picture of what to do and what to expect.
All you need to do, really, is mix flour and water together, whisk it, and then set the mixture aside. The flour contains a variety of yeast and other bacteria, and when combined with water and allowed to sit, it will give you the sourdough starter of your dreams. You will need to help your sourdough starter strengthen by feeding it every day for the first seven days, and, once you have an established starter, at least once a week.
When I made my starter, I made it in a glass bowl. Once it was established, I moved it to a large glass jar with a tight lid.
Glass, ceramic and stainless steel containers are all fine. Make sure you choose a large container because as you feed the sourdough it will rise and expand.
You will need whole wheat flour to begin your starter, but you can use all purpose flour or bread flour for subsequent feedings.
The reason for this is that whole wheat flour gives your sourdough starter a stronger start because it's full of micronutrients and friendly bacteria.
If you can't use whole wheat flour for any reason, use all purpose flour, bread flour or rye flour.
If you want to make a starter without gluten, see my recipe for a gluten-free sourdough starter.
When you work with sourdough, you want to be sure and keep any chemicals out of the equation. Tap water usually has chlorine in it, and chlorine can kill the wild yeast. While tap water may work in places where it's not heavily chlorinated, for best results I prefer to use filtered or non-chlorinated water while establishing a starter and feeding it.
Yes and no.
Let me explain. The hydration of your sourdough starter matters not so much for the health of the starter itself. But it will matter for the recipes you'll make with it.
In other words, if you accidentally add more or less water to your starter, don't worry, it won't go belly up on you. Just continue feeding it in the right proportions in future and it should be fine.
But how much water is in your starter will matter when you add the starter to the recipe. That's because every recipe will have instructions for starter hydrated to a specific level.
For example, I use a 1 cup flour to ¾ cup water ratio in my starter. Some other recipes use more water, some less.
So all the recipes I post are tailored to the hydration specific to my sourdough starter. If your sourdough starter recipe came from somewhere else, and you are planning to bake a bread from my blog, you'll need to adjust the level of liquid in your bread recipe up or down based on how much water is in your starter.
You'll find that sourdough starters in different temperatures perform very differently. For instance, if you're in 90+ temperatures, your sourdough might ferment too fast and taste extremely tangy within a day or two. On the other hand, in a cooler temperature, you might not see any activity at all for a few days after beginning.
To get a strong and healthy starter that'll give you the best results when you bake and for taste, you want to try and keep your sourdough starter in a room where the temperature is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Seven days. You might find that your starter ferments more quickly in warmer temperatures, but to get the best flavor, try and keep your sourdough in a room at a temperature no more than 70-75 degrees F. Feed it every day for seven days.
You will know it's ready when it starts to rise within six to eight hours of feeding and gets really puffy.
Your sourdough starter, once it begins to bubble, will have a smell not unlike buttermilk. It should smell fresh and somewhat fruity, and not moldy or spoilt.
A sourdough starter will keep for years, even decades, and there are sourdough starters out there that are family heirlooms. A mature, well-established sourdough starter is a treasure to cherish, and think of the days you'll pass this gift of good health to your sons and daughters--or grandsons and granddaughters.
For the first seven days, between feedings, leave your starter outside at a room temperature of no more than 75 degrees F. Make sure it's covered with a kitchen towel. If you find that your starter is forming a hard crust on top, but otherwise appears to be developing nicely, stir it, feed it, and cover it with something more airtight or even cling wrap after the first couple of days.
Once your starter is ready, you can store it in the refrigerator. Each time you feed it, leave it out at room temperature for a few hours or until it gets puffy and expands, then put it back in the fridge.
If a recipe calls for, say, two cups of starter, just make sure you feed your sourdough starter the day before with more flour. Stick with the correct proportions of water and flour.
There could be two reasons for this: your sourdough starter is either really new, or your starter was just fed.
Starter that's just been established will not taste tangy enough because it just hasn't been around that long. But don't fret, it will still have loads of flavor and with regular feeding you will get there. And you'll still be able to make great bread and other baked goods with the starter.
If your starter is mature with a lovely tang, but you recently used most of it up and fed it and then used it again the next day to make bread, you might find that the starter simply doesn't have the same tang (although it will develop faster once your sourdough has matured further).
I've been hearing a lot about the float test, and I've got some questions about it. Float tests sound ridiculously simple--you put a bit of your sourdough in a bowl of water and if it rises, your starter is ready, if it sinks, it isn't.
Unfortunately, it's not as simple as that. Float tests are known to give false positives and are quite unreliable. I don't use them, and I suggest you don't either. Instead, follow your eyes and your nose--like I said above, if your sourdough gets very puffy and rises a few hours after feeding, it is ready.
The quick answer is, no.
One of the reasons you discard a portion of the sourdough each time you feed it because you don't want the sourdough starter to keep growing.
The other is that your starter will grow stronger if there's more food for the hungry yeast in your starter. If you don't discard, there will be more hungry yeast cells competing for the same food and they won't grow as strong, see?
You don't have to waste a drop of your discard. See my post on easy recipes for your sourdough discard. You can also add the sourdough to flatbreads from day 1.
You can also share your discard with a friend so they have their own sourdough starter without making it from scratch. Just give them a quarter to a half cup of discard and ask them to begin feeding it, preferably with a cup of flour and ¾ cup of water.
First of all, never--ever--use up all of your sourdough starter in a recipe. You'll have to go back and start all over again and it'll become a drudge rather than fun.
Instead, if you want to bake a recipe that would use up all your starter--or require even more than what you have--make sure you feed your starter with more flour and water in advance. So if you will need two cups of starter, feed your starter with two cups of flour and 1 ½ cups of water the day before and let it stand a day to develop.
The recipe below will give you just about a cup of starter, but that's because you don't want a gigantic crock of starter stashed away in your refrigerator. So long as you have some starter, you can feed it and multiply it for repeated uses. It's like magic beans, only better. 😉
I think I've addressed some of your most frequent questions here, but if more come up, be sure to leave a comment and I'll be sure to get back to you.
Now let's get started--I can't wait! I've retained the process photos and directions from the time I made this starter so you can follow along and compare as you go through this day by day. Cheers, and happy sourdough making!
Jump to:
How to make the starter (step by step and day by day photos)
- DAY 1: Measure out 1 cup of whole wheat flour into a large bowl or a crock. Remember, the container you use should be large enough to hold the sourdough starter as it rises and bubbles.
- Measure out ¾ cup of bottled or non-chlorinated, room-temperature water. Remember, chlorine can inhibit the formation and growth of yeast, so it’s rather important that your water be as non-chlorinated as you can get it.
- Add the water to the flour and whisk together to mix well. You should not have any traces of flour.
- Cover the sourdough starter loosely with a kitchen towel.
- If the weather where you live is cold, place it in a warm spot, like on top of a radiator or in an oven with the oven light on. It was rather warm here and in the 70s when I started George so I could leave him out on the kitchen table.
- DAY 2: Leave your sourdough starter alone for 24 hours. When you look at it, you might see some bubbles, or there may be none, especially if you are in cooler temperatures. Either way, mix the starter well with a whisk or fork, measure out half a cup of the starter, and “discard” it. See tips in FAQs for how to use your sourdough discard.
- After discarding a portion of the sourdough starter, add half a cup of unbleached, all purpose flour and ⅜ cup or 6 tbsp or 90 mils of non-chlorinated water. Use warm water (not hot) if you are working in cool temperatures, as I am. Mix well and again, leave in a warm place. You will start noticing that your starter lightens in color with the addition of all purpose flour. (Below, sourdough starter photo before feeding on day 2)
- (Sourdough starter after feeding on day 2):
- Day 3: By the third day you should see some activity in your starter and also a fruity aroma. Once again, discard half a cup of starter and add half a cup of all-purpose flour and ⅜ of a cup of water (90 mils or 6 tbsp).
- (Below, the sourdough starter on day 3, before feeding. You can see the yeast is bubbling, and there is some dark fluid accumulated on top. Stir down the starter thoroughly before discarding ½ cup and feeding.)
- (Below, sourdough starter after feeding on day 3)
- Day 4: Continue the process for the next three days (try and do this at the same time of day– for instance, I began my starter Sunday morning, so I have to try and feed it around the same time every day, although an hour here or there won’t be amiss). Your starter should have started to thrive by now, rising after you feed it, and eventually settling down. King Arthur Flour, where I got my initial recipe, recommends discarding and feeding your starter twice after day 3, but I found that doing it just once was okay in warmer weather. (Below, starter before feeding on day 4)
- (Below, this is the starter about 10 minutes after feeding on day 4. It’s not easy to see in the photo, but there are more very tiny bubbles in the starter.)
- Day 5 (Below, the sourdough starter on day 5 before feeding– it’s very bubbly today and getting stronger by the day.)
- (Below, sourdough starter after feeding on day 5. Although the starter is well on its way, I will feed it a second time later today, to help it gather strength faster in this cool weather.)
- Day 6: (Below, here’s the sourdough starter before feeding on day 6. I fed it once more last night because the sourdough is getting stronger now and beginning to rise after feeding, and I wanted it to eat a little better. ?)
- (Below, the sourdough starter on day 6, about two hours after feeding. You can see it has risen quite a bit and looks puffy and very healthy. I will repeat a second feeding today, and by tomorrow my sourdough should be ready to use.)
- Day 7: By the seventh day, your starter, if it’s healthy and bubbling, should be ready to use. If your sourdough starter is still slow in developing, increase feedings to twice a day and continue to keep it warm. It will eventually strengthen.
How to use your starter
To use the starter, mix it well, especially if some of the liquid has separated on the top. I then take out about the amount of sourdough starter I need to bake with, and replace it immediately. So if I took out 1 cup of sourdough, I'll feed the remaining starter with 1 cup of flour to ¾ cup of water.
Keep in mind that if you make my sourdough recipe and bake a recipe for sourdough bread from another cookbook or blog, you should first check what the hydration---or water-to-flour ratio---of their starter is. So, for example, if the starter they used has a lower hydration, you might need to cut back on the liquid in the bread recipe when you make it. If it has a greater hydration, you might need to add more liquid.
Here's a picture of my mature sourdough starter, a couple of hours after feeding, and then a day after he was last fed. He rose overnight and was beginning to fall back in the morning.
How often do you feed an established starter
It is good practice to feed your sourdough starter each week so it's ready--or close to ready--for baking at any time. But if you forget to feed it for a couple of weeks, or even for a month, don't panic. You might be able to revive your starter so long as it's not moldy and you refrigerated it in an airtight container. Don't go too long without feeding it, though, and do it as soon as you remember.
Troubleshooting tips
- Sourdough starter not bubbling after a few days of feeding: This could be caused by cool temperatures. Remember the ideal temp to maintain sourdough is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. In coooler temperatures it might take a while and extra days of feeding for your starter to kick off.
- Sourdough starter getting too bubbly, too tangy, too fast: Just as cold temps will delay your starter process, extremely hot climates will make it act like it's on steroids. Again,make sure you move the starter to a cooler part of your house, where the room temperature is no more than 75 degrees.
- Brownish/grayish/blackish, hooch-like liquid forming on top: This does not mean your sourdough starter has gone bad, it just means it's hungry. When you are still creating the starter, just stir it back in and feed your starter. Once your starter is established, and you see the liquid on top, you can either stir it back in or, if it's too strong-smelling, pour it off, then feed the starter.
- Sourdough smells like acetone or nail polish remover: This just means the starter--or rather the bacteria in your starter--are hungry, and it's time for feeding.
- Forgot to feed starter: Not a biggie, just feed it immediately and continue feeding according to schedule.
- Added too much water to starter. Is it spoilt? No. You can't spoil a starter by adding too much water to it. See the hydration tips in my FAQs above for more detail.
- Neglected the sourdough and now it looks dry: Don't beat yourself up if this happens, it's happened to me, more than once. An established sourdough starter is extremely hard to kill. To revive a dry but not moldy sourdough starter, pour some filtered water into the container, let the sourdough starter sit for some time, and then try to stir it until you have a smooth paste. You can discard some of the starter at this point and feed it for 2-3 days, twice a day, to build up its strength. (I once spent two to three days soaking and crushing my dry sourdough starter between my fingers to crumble it up (it was my gluten-free starter which dries more readily), but I brought it back to life and it's bubbling away now. :)) Try not to get to this point, though!
- Sourdough starter has pink or orange streaks and it smells moldy: If you have an established starter that gets moldy, you may be able to save it in some cases. If the mold is only on top, carefully skim the layer of mold off and save a small amount of the clear starter underneath. Place the retrieved starter in a new container and feed it a few times to build up its strength. But if the mold has penetrated through into the entire starter, just discard it and start over.
Breads and more to make with your starter
- No Knead Sourdough Bread
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Waffles
- The Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Pretzels
- Crusty Sourdough Dinner Rolls, no-knead
- Soft Sourdough Rolls
- More recipes for baking with sourdough and recipes for sourdough discard.
Sourdough starter recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup bottled or non-chlorinated water
- 3 cups (approx) Unbleached all purpose flour (for feeding. Or bread flour)
Instructions
- Measure out the whole wheat flour into a large bowl or a crock (if you live in India, you can use whole wheat atta flour). The container you use should be large enough to hold the sourdough starter as it rises and bubbles. Also make sure you use a glass or ceramic or sturdy, food-safe plastic container.
- Measure out the bottled or non-chlorinated, room-temperature water. Chlorine can inhibit the formation and growth of yeast, so it’s rather important that your water be as non-chlorinated as you can get it.
- Now add the water to the flour and whisk together to mix well. You should not have any traces of flour.
- Cover the sourdough starter loosely with a kitchen towel.
- If the weather where you live is cold, place it in a warm spot, like on top of a radiator or in an oven with the light on. It was rather warm here when I started George so I could leave him out on the kitchen table, but this time — with temperatures kissing the 40s — I have my new starter in the oven with the light on. Keep in mind that it may take longer for the yeast to develop in the starter in cooler weather.
- Leave your starter alone for 24 hours. When you look at it, you might see some bubbles, or there may be none, especially if you are in cooler temperatures. Either way, mix the starter well with a whisk or fork, measure out half a cup of the starter, and discard* it. (You can use the discard in flatbreads or unleavened breads, and from day 4 you can use it in sourdough waffles and pancakes)
- After discarding a portion of the starter, add half a cup of unbleached, all purpose flour and ⅜ of a cup of non-chlorinated water. Use warm water (not hot) if you are working in cool temperatures, as I am. Mix well and again, leave in a warm place. You will start noticing that your starter lightens in color with the addition of all purpose flour.
- By the third day you should see some activity in your starter and also a fruity aroma. Once again, discard half a cup of starter and add half a cup of all-purpose flour and 90 milliliters of water (⅜ of a cup).
- Continue the process for the next three days (try and do this at the same time of day– for instance, I began my starter Sunday morning, so I have to try and feed it around the same time every day, although an hour here or there won’t be amiss). Your starter should have started to thrive by now, rising after you feed it, and eventually settling down. King Arthur Flour, where I got my initial recipe, recommends discarding and feeding your starter twice after day 3, but I found that doing it just once was okay, especially since it was quite warm when I made my starter. This time, with cooler weather, I might feed the new starter twice depending on how it goes.
- By the seventh day, your starter, if it’s healthy and bubbling, should be ready to use. When I made George, I used the “discard” portion of the starter to make waffles, and they turned out great. If your sourdough starter is still slow in developing, increase feedings to twice a day and continue to keep it warm. It will eventually strengthen.
- Once your sourdough starter has matured, you will need to feed it once every week. I mix the starter well, take out about 1 or 2 cups of sourdough starter to bake with (or you can just discard it), and replace it immediately in the proportion of 1 cup of flour to ¾ cup of water. For example, if I take out 2 cups of sourdough, I replace it with 2 cups of flour and 1 ½ cups of water. After feeding the starter, I leave it on the counter for a day, and then refrigerate it.
I thought I'd give your recipe for the sourdough starter a try. It's a little cold here so on the end of the first week (yesterday), I didn't discard any, added twice the flour and twice the water. I then put it in my furnace closet as that stays warm. By this morning it had overflowed the large bowl it was in!!!! I pulled out 2 1/2 cups for a cracked wheat bread that only uses starter and no added yeast. It's on it's first rise. Thank you. I have tried kits, etc. and never been successful. This time is different. Also, I just sat my tap water on the counter for at least 24 hours to get rid of the chlorine. If your water is purified with chloramines this won't work. The larger the opening over the water, the faster the chlorine will dissipate. Thank you again, I'm thrilled to have my own starter!
I'm sorry, I'm a little confused, I started the sourdough starter yesterday (24hrs) ago. Now I am on day 2. Doin let it sit 24 hours ( the beginning of step 2's instruction or that is already done?
Hi Jeanne, I am not 100 percent sure I understand your question. You need to feed the starter once each day (and twice if your starter is showing no progress). Then let it stand until the next day when you feed it again. You will do this for a week. Does that help?
Hi I would like to know if I can make a whole spelt starter? And then bake regular white spelt bread?
Hi there, Im only new to making a sourdough starter but I never seem to have the right flours when I want to start, can I use brown rice flour and gluten free white flour? I may have missed in your write up about flours, sorry if I did.
Hi Rachel, see my instructions here for a gluten-free sourdough starter:
https://holycowvegan.net/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/
Hello! I am so excited to try your sourdough sandwich bread as soon as my starter is ready in a few days. I used a different recipe for my starter but I would like to switch it over to the hydration ratio of yours because I believe it will serve me better. My question is: you say to discard 1/2 a cup of the starter each day before adding flour and water. I am on day four and getting about a cup and a half of starter after I have fed it and it doubles and shrinks back down. How much starter should I leave before feeding it according to your ratios? Thanks so much!
Hi !!
This may be a silly question, but do I make the starter in a bowl, and cover it loosely in that bowl, and then transfer to a glass container? Or do I just mix it in the bowl, transfer to the glass container, and then loosely cover the glass container for 24 hours?!
Just leave it in the bowl during the initial process of making the sourdough starter. Once your starter is ready, after seven days, you can store it in a glass container with a lid.
I had trouble with my starter and switched to filtered water rather than tap water and my starter came to life.
I’ve never left a comment on a recipe before, but I have to thank you for this. I bake all my own bread, but early on in the pandemic I couldn’t get yeast. Everyone was saying do sourdough but I had no experience. I found your post and followed your very detailed instructions. Others asked the questions I was having and you answered right away. My husband grew up near San Francisco and he says my sourdough bread is as good as he remembers from his childhood. We have fallen into a routine of weekly feedings producing a week of sourdough bread. Although I have found some yeast I now very seldom use it. Thank you for your guidance.
Can you add the brown flour in the second day as a feeder or does that not work?
You definitely can!
Hello, I am on day 3 of making my sourdough starter. It doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot and when I take the 1/2 cup out to discard there is hardly any starter left. I've gone ahead and fed it with 1/2 all purpose flour and 3/8 cup purified water and will continue to hope for some strengthening and rising. Can you tell me if high altitudes might need some adjustments. I live at 7500 feet in Colorado and want to make sure that is not effecting my results. Thanks Patti
Hi Patti, sourdough starter tends to be drier at high altitudes, so if you find your starter is too thick, you could try adding some water. Also try keeping the sourdough in a warmer spot since it's very likely cooler where you are, and feed it more frequently--at least twice a day--if you're still not getting results.
For a greater volume of starter, just feed the starter with more flour and water in the same proportions.
Could you please teach me how to start Amish/Herman starter? Thanks.
I'm on day 4 of the starter and every day when I uncover it there is a crust formed on top.... Doesn't seem to be rising or bubbling either, though I have followed the instructions! Started with whole wheat flour, have fed with AP flour.... Warm climate here, our house can't get below about 80 degrees at any time, no cooler place to put starter.
Hi, it's not unusual for a crust to form, you should just mix it in when you feed. You can also just cover it with cling wrap instead of a kitchen towel. If you're not seeing any bubbling, move it to a warmer spot and increase feedings to twice a day.
Thank you for taking the time to share. Your ideals are awesome.
I don't know if my AP flour is unbleached. Will that make a difference?
No, bleached is fine.
My starter is 10 days old . I have followed your recipe . I am very new to sourdough , now my starter has doubled in size so what must I do next . How do I go about it . Do I need to see the bubbles . When do I refrigerate it . And how to increase the quantity of my starter ..
You can refrigerate it now--usually after seven days is when you'd do so. You can increase the quantity by just adding more flour and water in the correct proportions. See instructions in the blog for feeding your starter.
Will white wheat flour work, at least to start?
I started my starter yesterday, so this is day 2. I discarded 1/2 cup and fed it 8 hours ago. I have it in a quart size mason jar. When I fed it today, it was about 1/3 of the way up the jar. Now, 8 houmars later, its about 1 inch from the top of the jar! What did I do wrong to make it grow so much? Do I discard more now, put it in a bigger jar or what? Please help. Thank you.
It's prob really warm where you are. Try moving it to a cooler place, like a basement, where the temp is around 70 degrees F.
This looks like just the recipe I have been searching for to use for Banh mi. I am a little confused by your recipe because I use grams. My starter is a 100% hydration as in 50g of water 50g flour 50g starter. I am not sure how to translate your you cups. 3/4 c water is 177g 1cup flour is 120g should I just add more water to my recipe?
Hi Vaishali, my starter is in its 3rd day. I was wondering how to maintain the starter (after it gets active) outside of the refrigerator. Can you please tell me if it's enough to feed it once per day (1/2 cup flour, 3/8cup water) and still keep it alive? (because refrigerating it and waking it up before 4 days to make it active again seems much more painful than doing a quick maintenance every night and enjoy bread every weekend!) Thank you!
You say store mature starter in large jar. How large????
What do you do after starter is mature besides store it in a large enough jar????!
Thank you.
Mary
Hello,
Can you please give recipe measurements in grams?
Thanks.
Hello,
My starter on day one when I mix the foul and water together it seems really watery.I followed the measurement. In your pictures the day one the stater was quite thick. So is it just me on is the starter supposed to be a bit runny. Also what is the hydration percent of this recipe?
Hi Vaishali,
My mom and I are both trying out this starter recipe, very excited. Question: I have a bunch of whole wheat flour I’d like to use up, can I do all whole wheat flour for feedings? Or maybe half whole wheat and half AP flour? Thanks!
Whole wheat is fine for feedings! Or you can alternate. All the best with the starter. 🙂
Thanks so much! ??
I’m ready to bake my first batch of sourdough rolls from your site. But, I can’t do it today. How do I store the discard until tomorrow when I can bake the rolls? Also, it’s rising above the top of my measuring cup! Too cool.
Refrigerate it!
I'm confused by the amount of" half cup" of discard starter, can you advise the metric?
118 mils.
Hi-
Thanks for the thorough recipe! I’ve been feeding my start for about 10 days- I’m in cooler temps. I have a lot of bubbles but it’s not rising. Any tips?
Great recipe and takes some dedication to get started. I've bought some previously from a company called Rye's and Shine Sourdough which also worked great. They have free shipping as well if anyone's interested.
Hello!
I'm based in India and has a couple of questions before I try this recipe.. Which is excellent BTW.. Your level of detail is incredible.
- as it is really hot here, should I keep the starter in the fridge from day one? It's about 33-36 degrees C (90F+) and I don't think I can find a cool enough spot.
- is the a reason you switched to all purp flour after using wholewheat on day one? Can I continue using wholewheat all through if I prefer?
Thank you so much!
Hi Vaishali, thanks for this great recipe. I set my starter just 24 hrs ago and it already seems like what you've mentioned for day 3. There's a fruity smell and quite some activity in the starter like many bubbles. I would have liked to send a pic for better understanding. It would be nice to understand if I should consider my day 2 as day 3 on this recipe. What could be my best indicators of the starter doing fine from now on? My kitchen's average temp would be 77 degrees. Please help. Thanks.
Should this be refrigerated always after day 7 or remain out on the counter?
I am on day 3 and I have some bubbles but my starter doesn't seem to be getting any bigger.
Is it possible to give the discard to someone else as another starter?
Yes, absolutely. If it's an established starter, they can just maintain it by feeding it weekly or each time they bake with it.
I made the starter and used the Discard on day 3. Worked great. I’m a retired chef. I substituted eggs (2) in the waffle and pancake recipes. Both turned out great. I substituted sour milk for the fresh soy/almond milk. Using sour milk (sour milk is not spoiled, it has had a chemical change. The lactose has converted from sweet to not sweet.) Using sour milk Helps to save the protein, calcium and other nutrients in milk.
My question is how do you increase the amount of starter you have? If you’re removing 1/2 cup of starter (discard) and adding 1/2 cup flour and 6 Tbsp. water to replace it. These measurements mean that the amount of starter you have will always be held at 1 cup Of starter.
What I did was to skip the discard step and added 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water. Increasing my “starter” to 2 cups. I also used my discard from 2 days ago and started a second batch (1 for my daughter & 1 for me). Is there anything wrong with what I did?
Hi. Ithink I’m on day 6 but my starter doesn’t look like yours? It didn’t have any bubbles and has a small liquid ring around the edges. Smells sour like buttermilk. Last day I forgot to discard 1/2 cup before feeding. Then just continued on. Should I have done something more? Hope it’s not gone bad!
Thanks, b. Bobbi
Thank you so much for these clear instructions. I've tried making starter with wild yeast before and have had no luck. My former sour dough starter was made with added yeast. I MUCH prefer this! Now, I have a great sourdough starter and have really enjoyed making the crusty sourdough bread. Today, I'm trying out the sandwich bread recipe. We call it the refrigerator monster, rather than giving it a specific name.
Hi, should I make a bread before I feed my starter or a few hours the feeding? Thank you!
Depends on your bread recipe--whether it needs a fed or unfed starter.
Hello. I’m finding it very difficult to buy whole wheat flour. Can organic whole grain spelt flour be used?
I think spelt should be fine.
This was very thorough and insightful. I especially appreciate the step by step pictures and troubleshooting tips. Me being me, I have a couple of things I'd like to confirm!
- If I start with wheat flour, do I switch to all purpose flour after 7 days? And if my starter is wheat based, can I use it with APF for recipes?
- I can use the discard in recipes only after day 7 right? Till then I can only use it in flatbreads?
- Do you always have to use non-tap water for feeding? Even after day 7?
- My last question is about feeding. Even when you're feeding to prepare for a recipe the next day, you do still discard right? And then use that discard to make something?
Hi Krithika, my responses below. Good luck with the starter!
– If I start with wheat flour, do I switch to all purpose flour after 7 days? And if my starter is wheat based, can I use it with APF for recipes? -- You can switch to apf starting with your first feeding, or you can continue to feed the starter with whole wheat flour and switch to apf anytime. And yes, you can use it with APF in recipes
– I can use the discard in recipes only after day 7 right? Till then I can only use it in flatbreads? Yes, in bread recipes only after day 7, preferably-- you might find, if you're in a warmer climate, that your sourdough discard develops faster, but to make sure it develops healthily with the best flavor, keep it at a temp of around 70 degrees F and feed for seven days. You can use it in waffle and pancake recipes after day 5.
– Do you always have to use non-tap water for feeding? Even after day 7? Yes, please, a strong sourdough starter might be able to withstand chlorine, but I'd rather not take chances.
– My last question is about feeding. Even when you’re feeding to prepare for a recipe the next day, you do still discard right? And then use that discard to make something? Yes, you do discard before every feeding, preferably, so the yeast in the remaining starter have more food to eat and grow strong. 🙂 And yes, you can use the discard to make something, like flatbread, waffles, pancakes and even some breads.
I've never made bread before, so, If my recipe for Vegan sourdough bread calls for 2 cups of starter, but i only have around 1 cup, what are my choices? i.e. Make another batch of starter?
Feed another cup of flour to make more starter. 🙂
Is it ok to use whole-wheat flour vs reg flour? I recently made focaccia with whole wheat and it came out completely different and not as good from when I used reg bread flour.
Hi, im on day 5 of my starter. It's below 70 deg F here and I've been feeding my starter twice daily. Today I have done once as there is a water layer on top. What do I do.
Today is day 5. I have fed the starter twice a day. But today it has water level on top. The temp is less than 70 deg F for the last 5 days. What do I do.
I had started, and decided to call my starter 'Stay Puft', like from ghostbusters, and hoping they (the colony) would stay puffed... so by day 3 they were a little sluggish, and I put in a tablespoon of teff flour with the feed, because it has lots of yeast and LABs.
So it started bubbling away within half an hour.
I text my Mum and said 'Go teff!", so then we decided they had to be called Geoff.
So now they're called Geoff Q StayPuft...
It's the little things!
What is the starter feeding in grams for the 75% I have been doing 100 grams for starter, flour & water. I would like to try your no yeast sandwich bread recipe I know weight and cups differ.
This recipe is great and the pictures are so helpful! I'm on day 8 of the starter and will be attempting the no-knead sourdough tomorrow. My starter is bubbly and has that sourdough smell so I'm really excited to see how it tastes!!
Hi Vaishali,
I don't have enough starter to make this amazing recipe. What feeding should I do to get enough starter...
Cheers,
Shawn
( Canada)
My starter day 6 now is "gooey". What I mean by that, is when I try to pull out 1/2 cup, it's all slumped together and I almost have to cut it. It's like a congealed jelly consistency...is this ok?
That shouldn't be the case if you're feeding in the correct proportion: 1 cup flour to 3/4ths cup water, or 1/2 cup flour to 3/8ths cup of water.
It says to refrigerate two hours after feeding. This is only for established starter right? I mean after day 7.
Yes!
Hi. I live in Mumbai India. I started a batch of the starter yesterday and after 17 hours it is already full of bubbles and has risen considerably. The temp here is around 25-38° C. Please guide me as to what I should do to keep it from getting too sour
Hi Shiva, move it to the coolest spot in your home. The ideal temp for sourdough starter is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit or about 21 degrees Celsius.
I live in the Caribbean so it's very hot around this time. I attempted this recipe twice. On day 1 my started looked like day 5.on day 3 it went flat and turned to liquid. I started feeding twice a day, discarding 1cup and replacing with 1cup flour to 3/4cup water. I used chilled all purpose flour as well. This really helped. I made my first batch of bread last week and my family throughly enjoyed it. Hope my tips helped.
Can you use whole wheat flour for feedings?
Yes!
Can I take the discard starter and use for another batch?
First, thank you for the detailed instructions with pictures - makes it very easy to follow!
I've been searching through the comments but don't see my question - apologize if it has already been answered... What if you forget to discard prior to feeding?
My sourdough starter is very slow developing, I'm now feeding it twice a day, it's between 70 and 75 degrees where I have it - is it normal to take this long? I did forget to feed it once, but I just continued on. No bad smells, consistency looks fine, but it is not "growing". (It's pretty much staying similar to your day 4 picture.)
I had a starter many years ago, it's been so long that this is like re-learning the process all over again!
That's fine, no problem. Discarding helps your sourdough grow stronger, faster, but if you forget to discard sometimes it's not going to hurt the starter.
I just needed some patience....it is now growing. Thanks!!
hi vaishali...i followed your starter recipe. i couldnt put it inside the fridge yet because it smells like vinegar..it is already day 9. what should i do? thank you!
Hi Gelot, the smell should be like that of buttermilk. A smell that's more acidic could mean your starter is hungry and needs more flour. Try feeding it and once it bubbles up you can refrigerate.
Hi...I tried your recipe and my starter never grew for several days. Every time I would discard a half cup...it just stayed the same. It would get bubbly but just never grew. I have a friend who says to not discard at all but to just keep feeding.
What are your thoughts on that?
Feeding without discarding would slow down your starter growth--because you'd be feeding more bacteria with the same amount of flour. Does that make sense? You want your starter to grow strong before you bake with it. So yes, you can stop discarding, but you won't get a starter as strong.
Hello Vaishali I made my first sourdough loaf using the starter receipe that I got from your page. Not much can beat a slice of home made bread and knowing its from home made yeast is even better. Just one comment, the bread is quite dense. How do I ensure that it is more airy in future.
Hi Keith, awesome to hear you have a successful starter! Which bread recipe did you use? Was it one of mine?
I started first day with cold filtered water.. do I need to start over? Also can I use bleached apf. It's all I have in quarantine for the time being .. used whole wheat to start the starter .. I'm on day one.
Thanks!
No problem on both counts--the reason to add warm water is to give the yeast a headstart because they like warm temps, so all that will happen if you start with cold water is it may take a little longer. Just proceed with feeding per instructions in future and you'll be fine. Also bleached apf is fine.
I’m sorry to trouble you again, but I was just feeding the starter. I carefully measured out the water and flour, added it to the starter and completely forgot to remove the discard portion : (
Do you think I should toss it and start fresh? I’d hate to continue for nothing, but if you think it can be salvaged, I’d love to hear it. Thank you again-
Hi Linda, your starter can't spoil because you didn't remove the discard. All that would happen in that scenario is that there would be a greater quantity of starter, and therefore more yeast bacteria, feeding on the new flour you added, which means the starter won't be as strong as it would be had you discarded a portion. Just continue to discard and feed and it'll be perfectly fine.
Hello, I am a little confused and I was hoping you could help me out. I made the starter based on the written recipe and there seems to be a discrepancy on the amount of water to add after 1st discard. Step 7 says to to add 3/4 cup of non-chlorinated water , but day 2 in the step by step directions with pictures says “ 3/8ths cup or 6 tbsp or 90 mils”. I now have too much water in the starter and I’m on day 3. Should I scrap the whole thing and start over?
Thank you-
It's 3/4ths of a cup of water for 1 cup of flour, so if you feed 1/2 cup of flour you need 3/8ths of a cup of water. Regardless, if you fed it with more water that's not going to hurt the starter. It might just be a little watery. Just continue feeding and discarding as instructed in future.
1 cup flour to 3/4 cup water would seem to be a 75% hydratipn based on volume. But I prefer to use weight for measuring flour and water. So when I choose the metric conversation option in the recipe it days use 120g flour to 177 ml (which is 177g), that would be about 147% hydration.ñ very wet! Shouldn't it be 120 of flour to 90g water to be 75% hydration? Can you clarify?
Thank you for the sourdough starter recipe and detailed instructions. I have always been intimidated by this process but decided now was the time to do it. I only had atta so used that. It came out well and I love looking at the bubbly magic. I am not very good at baking because I hate precise measurements so I have been using the discards and starter to make pita bread, Naan etc. Do you think it will work for injera? Appreciate your response!
Hi Vaishali, thanks for your enthusiasm in sharing your recipes for the starter and the sourdough bread. It was my first time making the starter and you make it so easy and fun to do it! I have success with both recipes. I wonder how can I make the bread more sour? Thanks again.
HI thank you very much for your generosity in sharing such wonderful recipe for the sourdough starter and bread. You are full of enthusiasm and positive attitude! You make it easy and fun to do. I feel encouraged by your enthusiasm! It went very well for me for both recipes ie the starter and the bread.
I wonder how to make the bread more sour because I really like it to be more sour. Thank you so much for sharing your secret recipes with others.
Hi Ng, thanks for your kind words. As your sourdough gets more mature, it will get a stronger flavor. New sourdough is usually not as tangy.You can also give your bread a longer rise to build more flavor, prob in the refrigerator so it doesn't deflate again which it could do at room temperature.
Hello!
I’ve been at this starter creation for about two weeks now but my starter does not seem to rise...it gets very bubbly when I fed it but never rises. I had it covered with a kitchen towel but thinking it needed more air I put a cheese cloth over it. I can’t think of any thing else that would be wrong. any ideas?
Hi, sometimes it may not rise much but if it's getting puffy and is bubbly you should be fine to bake with it. Have you tried it in any recipes?
Hi Vaishali,
First , thank you so much for such a detailed post.The photos help a lot, and steps are so simple. I always wanted to try out sourdough but whenever I saw any instructions they seemed to involve weighing, marking jars and whatnot. So I never dared to try. But the way you explained...I started it three days ago, as soon as I saw your post. It was hot past two days so there were bubbles today and a fruity smell. I named her Bubli, for my niece who is very active.. this one is also bubbly 🙂
I have to wait till day 8, but I am posting this as I wanted to let you know that adding the discard to roti dough is genius. My rotis came out so soft, that Bubli might have a whole wheat cousin just for the rotis ! It was a pleasant surprise to have such soft rotis ( could never make good roti)
I will post again after I make the bread but couldn't wait to share with you. 🙂
Hi Shilpa, that's so great to hear. And what a cute name. 🙂 Made me smile. I love adding the starter to rotis too, like you said, they turn out really soft and good to know they're even healthier. Look forward to hearing from you about bread.
Hi. I just started the "starter" with whole wheat flour and water but I only have bleached flour for the next step because unbleached wasn't available. Can I use it successfully or should I use whole wheat flour instead? Thanks
Yes, bleached is fine.
Hey can I use whole wheat flour after day 1? All I have is bleached white flour but have plenty of whole wheat.
Yes just feed as you would with all purpose flour.
Hi Vaishali,
Great post ..im new to this and please correct me if i have not understood this procedure correctly
So firstly i work on my starter for 7 days as per instructions on day 8 th either i use sourdough for baking feed the rest and next day keep it in fridge and if im not goin to bake on day 8 th thn i just keep it in fridge
Every week thn i discard some ( use it to make bread ) and fred more leave it out for day and thn back in fridge
Incase i need more more sourdough thn i have thn i discard some starter add in required flour water and leave it out for 24 hours ..
pls correct me im kindda lost here
Thanks sejal
Also im at very warm and place right now
You got it! See instructions in blog for what to do in warmer weather.
I'm on the 8th day. My starter rises at the most half an inch. Bubbles everyday. Am I in the right track? Am I waiting for it to double in size? Seems like that will never happen.
Sounds like it's doing great. It doesn't need to double in size.
Hello!! This post has been so genius and fun so far. Today is day 8. I definitely get bubbles but not much rising so I was going to try to feel it double the amount today - 1 cup of flour versus 1/2. Does that mean I discard 1 cup OR still the 1/2 cup? Thank you!!
Hi Lizzie, Discard half a cup only! Depending on the temperature in your home, it might take a little longer for your starter to strengthen. Continue feeding.
Hi Vaishali!
I am creating my starter and was unable to find whole wheat flour at the grocery store. Is it ok if I just use unbleached AP flour to create my starter? Follow my progress on my IG @thebreadandbutter__
Yes, that's fine. Or use rye if you have it. I'll keep an eye on your IG. 🙂 Good luck!
I made my starter last week following these instructions and just got my first loaf of your sandwich bread out of the oven. Amazing! I can't tell you how helpful these step by step instructions and photos have been in guiding me along. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
So happy to hear that, Janet!
Lovely! How much starter did you use for the sandwich bread? I cannot seem to find it on the recipe.
Sorry Just saw the other recipes 🙂 will check them out
I using your starter. How much starter do I use to make sourdough bread
Depends on the recipe you're making. You can find my bread recipes here and they are tailored to my starter. https://holycowvegan.net/vegan-bread-recipes/sourdough-breads/
Can we feed the starter with whole wheat flour instead of AP flour?
Hi Vaishali, Same question as above. Waiting for an answer to get started on the recipe! 🙂
Yes, whole wheat is fine for feeding!
Vaishali, thanks for this stellar recipe and your step by step photo's for reference. I'm hoping to start this process today but was wondering whether to use AP flour our Whole Wheat Pastry for the first cup? What are your thoughts?
Also, Toronto is still fairly cool, so do you think it will need more than 24 hours to rise each day before discarding/adding more?
Hi Shilpa, use whole wheat the first time and you can continue with AP after for subsequent feedings. The nutrients in whole wheat help give the microorganisms a head start. And try and keep your starter in a place with a temp between 75 and 80 degrees F. Feed it normally according to instructions in the recipe.
Hello dear Vaishali,
The lockdown has left me with only wholewheat flour and no option of AP flour. Could I use just the wholewheat to feed the starter?
PS: I've been following you for so so long now that I myself forgot about it 😀
I'm hoping this recipe is my life saver like so many of your other recipes have been!! <3
I’m on day 7 and my starter rises each time but doesn’t have many bubbles. Was getting bubbles around day 3 & 4 but not getting many bubbles at the moment. Is there possibly too little water
No, it sounds perfect. 🙂
Hello. I've been feeding my starter for about a week and a half. Tonight I discarded half a cup, fed it, and took out what I need for sourdough rolls. Tomorrow when I put it in the fridge, can I transfer it into another bowl and also does it need to be in an airtight container? Thanks.
Hi Vaishali,
I started my starter (her name is "Tina", for "quaranTine") last Monday, 4/18, so this is day 7. I began with one cup of flour, have been discarding 1/2 cup and adding 1/2 cup fresh flour, plus 3/8 c. water.
1. It's very watery; is it supposed to be?
2. I only have 1 cup, total--is there a way to increase it? By discarding 1/2 cup and adding 1/2 cup flour, the volume has remained the same and one cup seems like a small amount to be able to start baking with.
Thank you in advance!
Haha, love that name. 😀 The sourdough shouldn't be too watery, but it will be liquid. You can just increase the volume of your starter by adding more flour and water in the correct proportions.
Thanks for answering so quickly. That was very helpful. I guess I just didn't realise how liquidy the starter would be--you reassured me! And I will add more flour and water to increase the amount.
Thanks, again. Stay safe!
Hello! I have two questions...
1. On day 2 I fed my sourdough baby but forgot to remove half a cup. Is there anything I should do to compensate for that the next day?
2. I used whole wheat flour to start and then all purpose flour like the instructions said. From this point on can I feed with any flour I want or should I keep it consistent with white flour?
I’m sure I’ll have more questions as time goes on but thanks for the detailed blog. It was the best one I found!
Just continue discarding and feeding in future. And you can use either all purpose or whole wheat for subsequent feedings.
Hello from next door in Maryland! What a great, comprehensive post. I've been wanting to make a starter, and after reading your terrific post, I feel like I'm set up for success. Thank you!!
Hello neighbor! Happy the tips are helpful--good luck with the starter! 🙂
Do I keep the discard in the fridge or on the counter? Do I feed the discard at all or ever?
If you plan to use the discard within a day you can store in the fridge and use, otherwise just discard it. The only time you'd feed the discard is if you were planning to begin a second starter to give someone.
Can I double this so that I don't run out of starter when I make bread?
Yes!
Hi! I was given a sour dough starter years ago and loved it! I’ve decided to get back to baking with natural yeast and I’m excited to make my own starter this time. 🙂 I mixed up my flour and water yesterday afternoon and this morning it had a thick layer of brown water on top. Is that normal? Should I pour the brown water out before starting the steps for Day 2? Or should I mix the separated brown water back in?
Are you in a very hot climate? It could be that the starter is developing too fast. Keep your sourdough at a temp between 75 and 80 degrees F. If your starter doesn't smell off or look moldy, stir in the liquid, discard a portion of the sourdough starter and continue feeding.
Question...am I taking out 1/2 cup every time I feed it while making the starter?
Can I feed the starter with whole wheat flour? I only have bleached all purpose flour /:
I'm wondering the same thing. I couldn't find whole wheat flour in the store and ended up asking my neighbor for some. Because of this pandemic it's hard to also find unbleached flour in the store....we do have bleached. So, Amy, what did you do?
Hi Vaishali,
I started with my sourdough "Crunchy" yesterday and I left it in my kitchen. I could see it rise well and bubble up too pretty well for day one itself but the smell is bad. I feeded it today and keep it in an ac room thinking it might help. Should I go ahead or discard it and start over all again??
Hello
I have a starter that's been going for 10 days now.I use non chlorinated tap water and half white flour and half stoneground floor and discard half each day and make new lot each day and add to starter.Yahweh starter has risen nearly twice as high and has bubbles but when I put a small amount in water it sinks.Does this mean it's not ready to make bread?
Thanks for your help.Michael
Your starter sounds like it's ready. You could try making bread with it at this point. I've been baking with sourdough for more than eight years now and I've never done the water test.
Hi! I'm on day 5 (I think! Lost count of the days recently) and so far I think it's doing what it's supposed to be doing. If I run out of all purpose flour what other flours are acceptable? I have spelt and rice flour. There's not any flour in my grocery store right now. Thanks!
Spelt is fine!
Hi there!
This is my first day ever trying sourdough starter! I only had buckwheat do used this for this morning day 1.
My question is on feeding days, once you discarded the half cup, do you mix in the new water and flour or just leave it on top?
I just made this and I have a question. I have placed it in a glass jar with a glass lid that is not air-tight. Here are my questions.
1) can I place the lid on the starter for the next 7 days instead of a towel?
2) after the starter is healthy and ready to go, can I place the same lid on top even though it’s not completely airtight? It’s one of those big glass jars from Walmart that is kind of lose on top.
Thanks
Yes, a loose fitting lid is fine for the starter on the countertop. It's better to have a tight lid for the fridge because the starter can dry out, but you could improvise with cling wrap and then place the lid on top?
Hi there and thanks for the great recipe! It's giving my family something to look forward to each day. If I want to use say 1 cup of the discharge for pancakes, do I just feed it 1 cup flour (and proportional water) to replace the amount I took? Thanks!
1 cup flour and 3/4ths cup water. You can do more or less in this proportion depending on how much starter you use each week.
Hi Vaishali,
Would you recommend putting a cover over the top each time?
I saw quite a few bubbles after day 4 (kept in a bowl with a towel over) and transferred it over to a mason jar and there seems to be far less activity today?
Additionally, I used plain white flour to start off as there was no wheat flour available (I saw on google that 1 cup of plain flour = 3/4 cup of wheat flour) is this still okay?
Thanks,
Alex
Yes, keep it covered at all times, except to feed. It's okay to use white flour to start, use the same quantity as whole wheat.
Hi Vaishali!
Firstly thanks so much for this recipe! I'm on day 5 of my starter and it's looking healthy, puffy with lots of bubbles and has risen quite a bit. Your recipe said to wait until day 8 but I think mine might be ready to use. It's my second time using your recipe as first time round I didn't get a lot of starter as the container I used meant that my starter dried out. I did get a lovely bake from it however. I just wanted to see when you can tell that the starter is ready to use or should I wait a couple more days?
Hi Yvonne, happy to hear your starter's doing great! I do advise waiting until day 7 just because it might not be strong enough --you don't want to add it to a bread recipe only to have the bread not rise. That said, if you're willing to take the risk, you should go ahead. You can always use your sourdough in waffles, pancakes and flatbreads at this time.
Sorry I meant day 7 not 8! And thanks so much! I'll give it a couple more days in that case just to be sure 🙂
I am a "newbie" making a starter. Today is Day 3 and when I went to feed "Harley", there was a pliable leathery dome. I used a fork to mix around before feeding, but this leathery dome didn't break up. So, I took out this done with my 1/2 cup of discard. What is this "leathery dome" and should I discard it daily?
Hi Doris, it's just that the starter must be drying out at the top. Use a more airtight lid to cover the starter between feedings.
Hello! Do you have a naan or flatbread recipe to use the day 2 discard? Or do I just bake it??
Hi i started my sour dough starter with wheat in about 15 hours it is risen substantially. I am in India and it is extremely hot here, 35-37 degrees C. Would this be okay? Should i wait for 24 hrs to feed it again. Pls let me know
Hi Jasleen, try adding very cold water to your starter when you feed it which should slow it down. Also try to find a cool spot in your home or just put it in the fridge after about an hour or two of feeding which should slow down the fermentation a bit and then take it out of the fridge about an hour before feeding again. Sourdough needs a temp of about 26 degrees C to do best and can ferment quite fast in warm weather, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. 🙂
Hi thanks so much. Post day 2 the weather cooled a little and now im barely seeing any activity. I fed my starter twice today and fingers crossed for tomm! There are small bubbles on the top though.
That sounds just right.
I am out of all purpose flour. Sold out in stores and online delivery is taking weeks to arrive. I only have buckwheat flour on hand. I’m day 8 with growing the starter. Can I use the buckwheat?
Thanks
Yes buckwheat is fine!
Hi. I started making your recipe for pancakes with discarded starter yesterday and it called for making the sponge and let it sit overnight. I did that. This morning I can’t find the same recipe!!! I remember I had to add some ingredients this morning, one of which was flax eggs (9 tablespoons of flax I think). My sponge looks great but I don’t know what other ingredients to add before frying. It also said to make one big pancake in a cast iron skillet ( either use two skillets or do one at a time. I have searched exactly as I did yesterday for recipes to use discard but can’t find the same one. Can you help?
Here you go. https://holycowvegan.net/vegan-sourdough-blueberry-pancakes/
Thanks for the recipes! So far the starter and crusty rolls have worked well for me. Is this starter 75% hydration? If so, how would I convert for a recipe that calls for 100% hydration? Also, is "unfed starter" the same thing as "discard"? Thanks again.
Thanks for the recipes! The starter and crusty rolls have worked well for me so far. In case I ever branch out...is this starter 75% hydration? If so, how do I calculate for a recipe that calls for 100% hydration? Also, is under starter the same thing as discard? Thanks again!
Hello! I didn't have any whole wheat flour so I used wholemeal, will my starter still work?
Yes, I believe wholemeal is just another type of wheat so it should be fine!
Hi! I’m on day 7 today and realized I’ve been putting in too much water! I completely misread at one point and continued with my mistake. Been doing 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water ? smells good and sour, and seems like a bit watery pancake mix but not sure how to fix my mistake now. Should I just continue on starting now with the 1/2 cup water and 6tbsp water today? Or something else since it’s due to be put in the fridge soon...
It sounds like your starter is fine-- the amount of water won't make any difference to its health. The only time when the hydration of your starter will really matter is when you actually put it in a bread or other baked good recipe-- if your starter is watery, you will need to adjust the amount of moisture in the recipe down. Does that make sense?
I'd recommend using 1/2 cup flour but less water (less than 6 tbsp, maybe just 3?) for your next couple of feedings, until your starter is back to the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
Hi Vaishali, my name is Leia...I found your Sourdough starter 5 days ago when we began making our starter. Like many, my family are stuck at home and I decided to have a project for my grandson and I to do together. I let him name our starter.. he named him "Hulk." Perfect name, I thought, for a strong, healthy starter!! I hope he lives up to his name! We are on day 5 and all seems to be going well! We are really excited to make our bread. We eat alot of sourdough bread and my question is how can I increase my starter to accommodate 2 to 4 loaves a week?
We are already feeding twice a day, it has been under 70° here so I followed your instructions to twice a day with the exact measurements in your recipe.
Also, there are small bubbles on top but does not appear to be rising. Are we still on track?
Thanks so much for your recipe and your time!! God bless you, your family and fur babies.
Ps..when I say rising, the appearance is not really "puffy."
Hi Leia, if you have bubbles it should be fine! It won't always rise. Just wait for it to get stronger. I love the name. 🙂
OK, starter all good and ready to make bread, 1 cup starter and recommended recipe for bread please?
You can find links to more sourdough breads and other baked goods in the post above or you could browse through this. The sandwich bread is my favorite. ttps://holycowvegan.net/vegan-bread-recipes/sourdough-breads/
Is it ok to use well water? There is no chlorine in it. Thanks for this recipe. I have tried it without discarding before but I am looking forward to another method, probably better. 🙂
Hi Sarah, pure well water without any contaminants should, in fact, be wonderful for this.
Will distilled water work? or is there a method for removing the chlorine?
Yes, distilled water is what I use most of the time!
I am confused. The first three days showed some activity in the starter. I am on day 4, lifted the covering and no bubbles. I did as you suggested and stirred it since there was a little liquid on top. It looked more liquidy than usual so I added 1/2 cup of flour but I forgot to discard as I have done on previous days. Have I ruined it and have to start over? Or the half cup of flour will absorb some of the liquid and continue to grow? Thank you again for your help.
It's okay, no worries. Just continue discarding and feeding in future. So long as it doesn't look moldy or pink it should be fine. 🙂
My starter is in day 5. Very bubbly but quite watery. Is this normal? When it comes to day 7, by looking at it now, I can’t see there being enough to make my bread. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! :))
The starter should comfortably yield enough for a loaf of bread that requires about a cup of starter. But if you need more, you can always proportionately increase the amount of flour and water. The hydration I use for the starter does yield a consistency that's like a thinner pancake batter, but it should not be watery.
Hello! My Georgina is currently at day4, but it seems to get very liquidy before I feed it again.. is that normal? It has a layer of black/pink liquid at the top.. once stirred it’s still pretty liquidy. However once I feed it, it seems ok and it’s a sticky dough texture?
please help! I’m in Melbourne, so the temperature is not that warm, around 15c!
Hi Angela, the liquid that collects at the top can be brownish at the beginning, but it should not be pink. Pink liquid would mean your starter has turned moldy, and you should throw it out.
My starter is on day 6 and is smelling like buttermilk but is a normal color and has a ton of bubbles. I only used all purpose flour for the entire starter since I couldn't find wheat flour in stores. Is that normal to smell like that and if not, what would you recommend?
Hi Morgan, it sounds like your starter is exactly where it should be. 🙂
So I printed this recipe a week or so ago and it says to feed by adding 1/2c flour and 3/4 c water. Turns out that wasn’t right. I tried to correct by adding just flour yesterday (day 6) but today it looks like non bubbly paste. Is there any saving It? Feeling frustrated
Your starter is not going to spoil because you added more water. Just proceed with less water for the next feeding and then return to 6 tbsp water in future.
Hi. My starter is on day 7 and looked great. I did half the recipe of the crusty bread rolls so about 1/3 cup of starter. Unfortunately, I then replaced the starter with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup warm water. Have I ruined it? I guess I should have done 1/3 cup of flour and then 75% of that water. Help. Thanks, Heidy
You can't ruin sourdough starter by adding less or more flour or water so don't worry. You'll just have more starter now. 🙂
Ok now that I have my starter & ready where is the recipe to make the bread?
Here you go. https://holycowvegan.net/vegan-bread-recipes/sourdough-breads/
I've really enjoyed your recipe thank you so much! I am just a little confused about the baking/feeding when its been in the fridge. For my second loaf I fed my starter straight out the fridge and left it for 24 hours to activate. It did make my loaf rise but I seem to have lost the sour flavour and big air holes.
Could you help me!?
Thank you!
Hi Tem, a wetter dough will help create the big bubbles. Also you probably need to give your starter more time to mature for a tangier flavor. A relatively new starter will not have as much tang as one that's been around for a while.
Hey - just found your site and really excited to make my first starter! Unfortunately, I printed out your recipe when it said 3/4 cups of water in step 7 (the amount of water to add on day 2), and I just added 3/4c instead of 3/8c. What do you suggest I do at this point? Will it be ok or should I add more flour or start over? Thank you so much!
Just go ahead and feed with flour the next time and no water, then proceed with 6 tbsp of 3/8ths of a cup of water from the next feeding after that!
Can you help me figure out how to measure out 3/8ths of a cup?
Six tablespoons!
I only have whole wheat flour, can I sub whole wheat for all purpose? Thanks!
Yes, that's fine!
Nevermind, just found my answer in the thread! Thank you
Good catch, and fixed. It should be 3/8ths of a cup.
i'm on day three. working fantastically. Thanks!
Awesome!
Ooh! I THINK that that I just assumed the 90ml H2O to 1/2 cup flour ratio throughout. If I didn’t could this be why I didn’t get a full rise? I am on day 8 now after holding off to do second feeding on both 5 & 7. I took out a cup today and put it in the fridge. I made your no-knead recipe and it is delish, but didn’t get a good first rise. I am 100% rookie. ??✨ I love your site! Your detail is really great!
Hi Kalindi, the 1/2 cup and 90 ml (6 tbsp) water ratio sounds fine. Did the dough rise during the second rise? Sourdough breads can sometimes take longer to rise than breads with added yeast, so if it looks like your dough hasn't risen, give it a little longer, sometimes it may take even hours longer,so be patient. And a recently fed starter will ensure a more robust rise.
It only rose a little! Will try again this weekend and let it rise longer. 1st rise I left it 10 hrs, 2nd rise only 2. Should I leave it overnight in the oven with the light on? It gets quite warm in there. The bread is so delicious and I feel so proud to have made the starter and the bread. Thank you thank you!!! I’ll also make sourdough pancakes tomorrow! Yay!!
Hi Vaishali! Do you happen to know what percent hydration this starter ends up being? I'm sorry if this is a stupid question - I am new to the world of sourdough. I am asking because I have a starter that was gifted to me that is 100% hydration and I want to use it to make the sourdough dinner rolls recipe you have shared.
Hi Emily, a starter made with equal parts by weight of flour and water is a 100 percent hydration starter. A starter made with equal parts by volume of flour and water is more like 166 percent hydration. Since mine is made by volume, I'd say it's around 123 percent hydration. Does that make sense?
Can I use all purpose flour instead of wheat flour? (I don’t have wheat flour and all stores are empty of flour)
Thanks!
Yes, absolutely!
On day 4 and I already to feed at my regular time. 4 hours later there was liquid on top and it smelt kinda funky. I took out a half cup and fed. Is it ok? Or should I start over?
So long as it's not moldy and smells like sourdough you should be fine.
Question: Must white flour be used to feed the starter? Why not use wheat flour?
You can feed with whole wheat.
Hi Vaishali,
So sorry meant to say
Can I use Bajra Atta for sourdough - Starter
Thank you
Yes! Millet works for a sourdough starter, follow the same instructions.
Hi Vaishali
Can I also use Basra Atta
Jas
After 24 hours my starter has a crust on it what happened and do I start over
If not pink or moldy just stir the crust back in and continue. Cover the bowl more tightly in future.
Hey Vaishali, I chanced upon your website 2 days back when i was searching for a whole wheat bread recipe.....though i was aware about benefits of sourdough bread over normal bread i always thought...it will be quite cumbersome to initiate a starter.......
well cut the story short....i came to your website.....and was so mesmerised with description, detailing, picture that immediately started with my George 🙂
So in India (im from Gurgaon) current day temperature is around 38 degree Celsius...and today was my 2day to feed my starter.....which is already looking like your 4/5 day George....
So please guide....can i start now with my Sour-bread now (tmrw).... or continue feeding for another 5 day....
Many Thanks & love,
Aparna Shukla
Hi Aparna, although your starter looks strong, I am not sure if it's really at a stage where you can bake bread. You want a really strong and mature starter for that, so a seven-day feeding is necessary. You can go ahead and try if you don't mind risking your flour, but I am not sure I am comfortable advising that you make bread with a two-day starter. But you can definitely add the starter at this stage to roti or chapati or naan or paratha dough--or make waffles or pancakes.
Thanks Vaishali,
I waited.....and going to prepare the dough tomorrow..7th Day.....
Hoping to get a god result....
One more thing...my starter hasnt risen.....was it suppose to...? not sure....
It may not always rise but if it has bubbles it would be fine.
thanks for this. I'm excited to try! Can I use spelt flour instead of regular?
I think so! Spelt flour is often used in sourdough starters, so you should be okay.
Thank you for explaining this so well. I've always wanted to start, but never knew how. Cannot wait! Thanks again.
How do you cover it when it goes in the fridge? Just plastic wrap? I have mine in a mason jar
Mason jar is great. You need a container with a tight lid preferably or the starter will dry out in the fridge.
This is an amazing recipe and Fred the Bread is going great guns after 9 days & 2 births (loaves). Thanks so much, this is the best bread I've ever baked!
Thanks for the inspiration! Glad the discard doesn't need to be discarded.
The seven days that you are curing the starter in a warm place do you keep it covered with a cloth towel or an airtight lid?
Cloth towel is preferable, or a loose lid.
Hi Vaishali, thank you for the great recipe. We managed to get a successful sourdough on our first attempt.
What we were wondering is if we take out a cup of starter, how much and what should we replace it with?
I would replace with 3/4ths of a cup of flour and the proportionate amount of water. Congrats on your new starter! 🙂
When you store your starter in fridge should the container be airtight? Or do you still use the dish towel? Thanks!
Airtight container.
How big will my starter be after 7 days if I follow these instructions do I then take and put it in a pan to bake it for how long and at what temperature
Hi Floyd, you should have about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of starter. You don't bake the starter itself--you'll need to add it to a recipe for sourdough bread or pancake or waffles and such.
I used 1 cup whole wheat flour 3/4 cup of water after mixing it it look like probably peanut butter color and consistency the next day after 24 hours it had a crust on top do you remove that first thing we have to pay
Can I used boiled water after I cooled them.
I don't think boiling water would remove the chlorine in it which can be harmful to sourdough, but you can try.
Hi...I live in India and am a beginner in baking but have quite successfully made bread using yeast but now I was planning moving onto the next step in baking with sourdough..can u please tell me how much starter should I b using for 1cup of flour to make the bread and how much water can I use to knead the dough ..
Hi Hina, here are some sourdough bread recipes: https://holycowvegan.net/vegan-bread-recipes/sourdough-breads/
Hi Vaishali, thank you for your detailed instructions! I have been feeding my starter and it is growing well, a little slower because it’s still a bit cold here. When it is ready to use, I would like to split it and share it with my daughter. What is the best way to do that? How much do I share and what quantities of flour and water do I feed the smaller starters?
Hi Joanna, you can share as little as a fourth of a cup when you discard your sourdough for feeding and she can feed that discard portion with flour to get her sourdough going. For a smaller amount of starter, just adjust the amount of flour and water proportionately.
Hi Vaishali
Accidentally used filtered tap water on day 3. Do I need to start all over again?
No, it should be fine, just continue.
Is the sourdough long day 4 when discarding the first part and adding the water suppose yo be kind of liquidy or like doughy? Mines I liquidy i added too much water
Neither, it should be like a thick pancake batter.
Can you use bleached flour in the place of unbleached flour?
Yes!
I’m on day 4 and don’t appear to be getting what you’re getting in the pictures. Today when I checked on it, it had a clear liquid on the top and had separated. Whenever I add 1/2 cup water in addition to the 1/2 cup flour, it just makes the whole thing soupy. I just fed it again and tried adding a little less water but it’s not really doing much. Unsure of what I’ve done wrong?
You are adding too much water-- if you use 1/2 cup water, add water in a 3/4ths proportion to that (just over a third of a cup, approx), not a 1:1 proportion. Adding as much water as you are will make it soupy.
Do you put a lid on it when you put it in fridge?
Yes, a tight lid. You don't want it to dry out.
Hi Vaishali, thank you for the detailed post. Can maida be used instead of all purpose flour? With the lockdown here in India, Im not sure if I'll get all purpose flour( something we don't normally get here).
Thank you.
Hi Khushboo, yes, for the subsequent feedings maida should be fine, but start out with whole wheat flour if possible. Atta flour is fine too.
Can you feed the starter more whole wheat flour? I only have bleached and whole wheat.
I think that should be okay.
I wish I would have found you before I started! My directions had me do1 cup unbleached flour, and 1 cup water. I let it go 3 days and then fed it with the same. That is all I have done so far, besides stirring it. I have had hooch (or maybe just the liquid separating out) and it smells fine, but I am getting few bubbles. I am in AK, so I am having trouble keeping it warm unless I put it in the sun during the day. I have an electric stove, so that doesn't help, unless I want to use a lot of electricity. Do you think I should feed it again, or just start all over with the recipe you gave?
Thanks!
If you have bubbles and it doesn't look like it's moldy or spoilt, no need to start over. Did you feed the starter every day, or only for the first time after 3 days? You do need to feed it every day when you are making the starter.
There is supposed to be a hooch-like liquid on top after your sourdough has ripened, so don't worry about that.
Hi! So after 2 days, my starter was doing great! Now on day 3 it's got a really sour, foul smell. Could it have gone bad? Or is this a normal thing. I feed it 1-2x a day and have it on a seedling warmer for a steady temperature.
Does it smell like sourdough?
I don't think so. Before yesterday, it smelled like bread/yeast. Now it smells gross
I have no idea what "gross" smells like to you. Sourdough has a strong aroma and is an acquired taste. If you think your starter is spoilt you should throw it out.
I started my starter a couple of days ago. Day 3 it has started to separate - white layer down the bottom followed by a hooch like liquid then the flower/ batter like mixture.
1st feed consisted of 1/2 cup plain flour and 3/4 water last night after discarding 1/2 cup.
Is my starter doomed?!
to clarify the liquid is at the bottom of the jar not the top 🙁
That does sound a bit unusual--usually the hooch like liquid should form at the top. Not sure why this could be happening, but how does the starter look/smell overall? Does it appear moldy or have a funky smell? Is it bubbling at least a little a few minutes after feeding?
I’ve never done this before. Am I correct in that you do not refrigerate this starter at all until it is about 7 days old?
Super excited to try this!! Thanks
I am in Hawaii where it is very warm and humid. It’s
Going to be an Awsome place to do this and I know it will progress quickly - I am wondering if it could progress TOO quickly. 24 hours might be too long to leave unattended. For example the pinto beans I was soaking overnight soured within hours of starting the soaking process.
Any recommendations? I come from a temperate arid climate. It is unbelievable how quickly things ripen/rot/mold here.
Keep it in the coolest place in your home and keep an eye on it. If it doesn't seem to develop, move it into a slightly warmer place.
Do you have a recipe for sourdough cinnamon rolls?
Starting to make my sourdough starter today. I did not have whole wheat flour and had an abundance of all purpose flour. Will this make a difference in the sourdough flavoring?
Whole wheat gives sourdough a strong start because it has more nutrients and microorganisms. That said, if you don't have it, go ahead with all purpose. If the starter doesn't appear to be getting stronger, continue with twice-daily feedings for longer.
I am making this for the first time today. I have an Anolon pot that can get up to 400 degrees. How do I adjust the timing of the recipe?
hi there! with the whole state of the world right now, i've decided to take up bread making as a little quarantine project. very excited! however i noticed that your recipe calls for 3/4 cup of water to start, while the king arthur website calls for 1/2 cup. is there any reason for this? does the amount of water have an effect on the starter? like i said i'm completely clueless when it comes to baking, so any insight you have would be much appreciated. thanks!
Hi Vaishali,
I live in Chennai, india. Today is day 2 of my started and it already smells sour. Do I need to follow the process as given in your recipe or should I tweak it to suit the temperatures here.
Thanks,
Lakshmi
You definitely need to keep it in a cool spot if you're in Madras--as you know dosa and idli batter ferment there in no time so the starter will prob develop fast too. But that doesn't mean your starter will be strong enough to bake a bread with after a day or two -- you will still need to feed it for at least 7 days.
Thanks so much. I made kulcha with the discard and it came out so well
I haven't tried this yet, but I have a couple of questions:
#1. Can I refrigerate the "waste" until I am ready to use it? Or do I have it use that same day?
#2. How much does this make? And can I make a smaller batch? My NYC refrigerator is not mega-size so I have to consider how much real-estate the starter will occupy if it is to become a permanent resident.
I just stumbled upon your website and am so enjoying reading all the recipes. I started my sourdough starter from a different recipe over a week ago and I'm ready to use it. The problem is I don't have enough sourdough starter to use in a recipe with all the discarding. How do I accumulate enough for a recipe? Also, I avoid oil, is it possible to decrease or substitute something for the oil in the recipes? Thanks!
Hi. I have made my starter a week and half ago but it’s not doing anything. It’s cool in my house and I only feed it once a day 1:1. Any suggestions?
Feed twice a day and keep in a warm place. If it's not spoiled or moldy you should be able to bring it to life.
How precise do the weekly feedings need to be after the starter is established and ready to use? Can I take starter out to bake something in less than one weeks time?
Two questions, please!
1. After day 3, do you switch to 1 cup of flour or continue the 1/2 cup of flour?
2. The sourdough starter recipes for no waste ask for more than the 1/2 cup I've been discarding. Can I save it for 2 days to get the full cup and then make the recipe? If so, do I store it in the refrigerator or on the counter?
Thank you so excited to try our starter! My boys named it Happiness!
Continue with 1/2 cup after day 3. And yes you can store the discard in the refrigerator and use when you have enough.
Happiness sounds like the perfect name for a starter. 🙂 Hope it brings you lots of joy.
thank you! we think so.
Thanks for the recipe. Would you say heating the over to 210 F and then placing the starter there for growth would hurt it?
Also, can this be used to bake whole wheat sour dough bread?
hey Vaishali,
Hope you and your family (furry friends included) are all doing safe in this isolation phase.
Would love to start this starter and wondering if we can use multi grain flour instead of whole wheat flour. Please can you let me know. My son's friends have been baking treats and dropping off at our mailbox; we'd love to get this started and make some treats and share with them (in their mail box) 🙂
We've decided to name our starter 'Popeye' 🙂
Thanks and stay blessed,
Meena.
I've never made a sourdough starter ever, and really want to try this. Your pictures are great, however I want to know if you cover the bowl again each time you scoop our and discard some of the starter dough? AT what point can you share a starter with a friend or family member?
This recipe is spot on (although a bit trial and error with flour:water ratio) - thank you so much!!! I used my 'discard' on Day 4 to make a test loaf of bread and it was DELICIOUS! I used wholemeal flour to begin the starter, then a mixture of organic unbleached and/or wholemeal flour, and even a little rye flour one day. Finished it off with a feed of wholemeal and now "Shmoo" is ready to go into the fridge. Can't wait to try some of the other recipes, and my next project is a gluten-free starter to gift a friend.
I saw a TV program one about a starter that was around 100 years old, a family heirloom. Awesome!! 🙂
Thanks again.
I used white whole wheat flour to start, do you think that’ll work? It’s all I have and in these times all the flour is gone from all the stores around me. I also only have bleached all purpose flour but couldn’t find any unbleached on the barren shelves. Will that work or no?
It should work, since it's still whole wheat. And you can continue feedings with the bleached apf.
you use 1/2 of 3/4th a cup on day 3rd day. then do you go back to 1 cup of flour to 3/4 of water after that
Do you have to start with wheat flour, or can you start it with the unbleached white flour?
With whole wheat flour!
Can you tell me why it has to be started with wheat flour, just curious?
Looked it up and found out why. Guess I will have to go out and try and find whole wheat flour.
Note that whole grain flour (whole wheat or rye) is used at the beginning of the process. This is because whole grains contain more nutrients and sourdough-friendly microorganisms than all-purpose flour.
I only have white flour here too. Will it work or must I have wheat flour to begin this adventure?
Note that whole grain flour (whole wheat or rye) is used at the beginning of the process. This is because whole grains contain more nutrients and sourdough-friendly microorganisms than all-purpose flour.
This is what I found online.
While you are working on getting the sourdough starter, are there options to use the discarded portions that get collected over the week? Can we make rotis using the same? Just trying to avoid any wastage during this time as we are all in lockdown mode!
Yes definitely add it to your rotis or any flatbreads. Also here are five delicious recipes for sourdough discard. https://holycowvegan.net/five-delicious-vegan-recipes-for-sourdough-discard/
Awesome.. thank you!
Should the sour dough be covered when it goes into the fridge? Thank you
Yes, or it will dry out! Use a tight-fitting lid or cling wrap.
Can I use buckwheat flour instead of wheat?
Buckwheat is gluten-free, so it would perform differently. I do have a gluten-free sourdough starter recipe on the blog, but it's not made with buckwheat. You could try, but I can't say honestly if it would work.
https://holycowvegan.net/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/
I’m on day four of my starter, in the mornings it doesn’t look anything like your pictures, it has about a quarter inch of dark liquid on the top. I have it in a crock. I can’t see any bubbling under the liquid. Once I feed it it definitely bubbles. Is there a reason have so much dark liquid? Is it just because of the shape of my crock? It is a cylinder, as opposed to a bowl? It is starting to smell similar to sourdough bread.
Yes, it could be the container, since the liquid has a smaller surface area to pool. If it doesn't smell or look moldy you should be fine. You want a tangy, sourdough-y smell. And yes, it'll bubble a few hours after feeding then subside again, so no worries.
I was a little confused. Elsewhere on your site, you say 1 cup of flour to 3/4 cup of water in your starter recipe, yet in the day-to-day process of your recipe you are saying 1/2 cup flour to 3/4 cup of water.
I have dropped mine back to just under 1/2 cup of water per 1/2 cup of flour and Shmoo seems to like that better 🙂
Can I use whole wheat flour for the feedings?
Yes, should be fine.
Hi, I am on day 3 of my starter. The first day it bubbled a lot and doubled in size. Then I tried to find a new „home“ for it to free up my oven which ended up not working out. At first the spot was just a little too warm (near a heat lamp) and then I switched it to right under a regular light bulb but that wasn’t warm enough. Now my starter doesn’t rise anymore. There are still some bubbles but nothing like the first day. Do I have to start over?
You're doing fine, just continue. Bubbles will look smaller as you progress. Look at the photos.
Am I supposed to stir in the liquid each time I feed the starter? I'm on day 3 and it's smelling funky!
Yes!
Thanks for the quick reply! I'm on the morning of day 4, and today the liquid is more clear and smells like sourdough--so exciting 🙂
After the starter has been stored in the fridge for a few days does it need to be "refreshed" in any way before using for baking? My starter has been very slow to do anything but it has been pretty cold. I have been using the discard every day to make crackers which are delicious!
Yes, if you plan to bake a bread with your refrigerated starter and it's been a few days since you fed it, you should feed it about 8 hours prior to making your dough (unless the recipe specifies that you can use the unfed starter)
Hi Vaishali, thanks for sharing your recipe. My starter (Sally) is 2yo now and doesn’t rise and fall at all but still produces small bubbles and tastes fine. My bread (although a bit hit and miss) tends to rise initially but then shrink a lot during baking and cooling so I end up with a small dense loaf. Can you suggest a way to freshen Sally up please
Hi Owen, you could try feeding Sally regularly for three or four days--twice daily would be great. That way she'd regain her strength.
I have some great sourdough discard recipes here: https://holycowvegan.net/five-delicious-vegan-recipes-for-sourdough-discard/
Can I just use whole wheat flour for the entire process?
I don't know if that would work for sure, but you could try with a portion of your sourdough. That way you won't waste it all if it doesn't work.
Thank you for sharing this recipe and being so helpful for those who need some hand holding like myself. I am on day 4 and it looks watery on the top, no bubbling. Yesterday, I put less water because you said you used 90mm of water which calculates a little over 1/3 for me. So that is what I used rather than the 1/2-3/4 cups. Have I messed something up or continue feeding it?
Hi Sarah, the amount of water shouldn't make a big difference--it will just give your sourdough a different consistency. You should start seeing bubbles a couple of hours after feeding, not rightaway. If your sourdough starter doesn't look like it's gone bad, but is just not bubbling, continue feeding it and you should see results.
Thank you for your responseZ. How do you know when it has gone bad.?
Hello.
How are you? I hope all is well.
After reading your recipe a few times to make sure I understood the process, I was left with one question.
If at each time you feed your Sour Dough Starter, you feed it with All Purpose Flour and Water, aren't you, at the end, or at least after several feeding have nothing left of the Whole Wheat flower in the your starter?
If that is the case, why do you need to start your Starter with Whole Wheat?
The whole wheat has more nutrients and organisms to get your sourdough starter off to a strong start. After that you can just use regular all purpose flour. The probiotic bacteria digest the starches in the flour.
I'm in the process of making my starter. however because it is a little cool in our home I've been putting it in the oven with the light on. I am finding that when I take it out of the oven to feed it the top has a little harder surface. Is that normal? Today I'm on my 10th day and I still don't have that really big bubbling I have small bubbles is that normal also?
It's probably just drying out because the bowl is not covered tight. Cover the top tightly with a lid or cling wrap.
Small bubbles are fine!
Hi, thank you for sharing your starter recipe. I would like to share my starter with a friend. So on step 6 when you divide it, can I use the *discarded* version as another starter? I assume I can and just follow the same steps.
Yes, you definitely can share the discard with another person and they can make their own starter using it.
Could you tell me please I don't see it anywhere and I thought I read everything.
How many cups of sourdough starter do you have at the end?
Wondering so I know what I can bake at that time.
Thanks!
What do you do if you are gone or unable to use you starter weekly? Is there a process to freshen it?
I can be stored in a refrigerator for and only be fed once a week.
Hi! I started on 19th March so I am on Day 6. I think I need to up my feedings as it hasn't grown yet. I tried to make the pancakes but I think I left them rising for too long and the whole thing went off :')
Ahhh! I accidentally turned on my own where my starter was! (Day 4) it preheated to 300 degrees before I realized it. Have I killed my starter? Do I need to start over?
If your starter was heated, it would've killed the yeast, unfortunately, so you will need to restart.
I just found your site and I don't know how to leave a comment yet so I hope it's okay if I ask a question here on your reply...? Can I use your whole wheat sourdough starter recipe with regular white flour? Thanks for a reply, I can't wait to start this starter! It looks beautiful!
Yes, certainly!
Thanks!
Hi sorry I haven't figured out how to make a comment by itself either can you maybe say how for the few of us that can't figure it out LOL.
I do have a question you did say on here it was okay to use regular all-purpose unbleached flour I would assume.
So what is the purpose of using the whole wheat in the starter because by throw on some away everyday you don't end up with much whole wheat in it because you add all purpose to it every day.
Does it just start better or faster with the whole wheat?
It's because whole wheat has more nutrients and sourdough-friendly organisms than all purpose which helps give the starter a strong start.
ndCan I use organic whole wheat flour. a Vincent
Yes!
When you store it, do you cover it? If it's in your fridge uncovered, does it pick up strong scents like onions etc?
Yes, cover it!
I am on day 5, I'm seeing some/few bubbles but definitely not as many as in your pic. The smell has also mellowed out a bit. I am feeding it 2xs a day. I had hooch on day 2 and 3 but that stopped once I moved to 2 feedings per day. Is there anything else I can do to make it more "active"? Do you think it's dying? Thanks!
Continue feeding, it should be fine.
We love bread, especially sourdough, but we’re all gluten free in our house now. Store-bought gluten free bread is so very expensive and doesn’t taste great, so I would love to make my own. Is it likely that a gluten free flour - maybe a 1:1 substitute blend - would be successful in making starter?
Here's my gluten-free sourdough starter recipe: https://holycowvegan.net/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/
I am at day 5 and my starter is bubbly with a slight brownish liquid. I don't think it has doubled but definietly working. It smells like flour and not fruity. It is not a bad smell just kind of floury from the whole wheat. Is this bad or is it just not fermented enough? I did make pancakes last night which were very good.
Some brownish liquid is fine. If the starter worked with pancakes I'd say you are doing fine.
I made my first loaf of bread and it turned out great. A nice tang but it only ever smelled like yeast so I wasn't sure it would be there. Maybe not as high as a yeast bread but still nice size. I was on day 7 but my starter was really bubbly.
Hi, just started this. I'm looking at my starter 24 hours later. Mine looks a bit mouldy . Lots of pinprick dots like mould. is this normal?
Mold shouldn't form in a day but if you think it's moldy you should throw it away and start over.
Hello! This sounds so good to make. Is the container you are using for longer storage about the size of a cookie jar?
Hi, I'm wondering if it does need to be whole wheat flour or can I use AP flour to start?
Yes certainly can start with AP flour!
Hi, I'm wondering if it does need to be whole wheat flour or can I use AP flour to start?
I was wondering if I can use cassava flour instead of wheat?
When you mention using discard for recipes is that during the first 7 days or after?
Mostly after. You can use the discard in flatbreads and after 3-4 days in waffles and pancakes, but it won't be strong enough to make a bread rise unless it's been around for at least a week.
Thank you for this! During this time of people panic buying yeast and flour I'm glad I can make a dough without yeast. Excited to try this soon.
If I only have all-purpose flour (no wheat or bread flour) will that work? Thanks!
Yes, it'll work very well.
I'm on day 3 with all purpose white flour only and not seeing any rising. Should I start again?
Hello. Can I use freshly ground flour, or will that cause it to go rancid?
Hey I've been following this and mine tools great on day 5. I'm excited to start trying recipes, going to do the sourdough waffles with discard portion tomorrow. Could I share my starter at all with someone ? If so how would I go about doing it ?
You can give your friend the discard portion - a quarter to a half cup is enough-- so she can begin her own!
Mine had lots of bubbles and rose a lot on day two but I haven’t seen much activity since then and I’m now on day 5 is this normal or did I do something to kill it
There should be some bubbles, especially around 10-15 minutes after feeding the starter. How does it smell? The starter should have a fresh, sourdough-tangy smell and it shouldn't look moldy or discolored. If it doesn't smell or look bad, I'd continue feeding the starter. Be sure to keep it in a warm place between feedings.
Do I have to take it out of the fridge for a while before I remove some and feed it every week? Does it have to reach room temp is my question.
Thank you!
No, you can use it cold. When you add the water, make sure you use lukewarm.
Hi! I'm brand new to diy sourdough starter. I've been following your directions perfectly and tomorrow is day 7. I am VERY excited to try all of your recipes but have a couple of questions.
1. Your recipes say recently fed or unfed. So if I'm feeding it weekly or more, when is it considered recently fed or unfed? And when you do it weekly, say I take out 2 c. Can I use that throughout the week in recipes? Or do you take it out just as you need it?
2. If I want to share my starter with a friend, I'll give her some of my discard but what do I tell her to do? Keep it covered in the fridge and feed weekly?
Thanks for your sourdough wisdom!
Hi Erica, if you fed it the morning of baking or the night before, that would be recently fed. If you fed the starter a week back, that would be unfed starter. And you just take what you need right when you need to add it to a recipe.
To share with a friend, just give a portion of the starter to her and she should start feeding it on a weekly basis, or each time she takes some starter out to use.
Hope that helps, and all the best on your sourdough journey! 🙂
What hydration is this starter? I see a few people talking about 100% hydration etc.
Ive never had a starter where I had to discard half by the second day. I’ll have to try it! What hydration is this? Seems to me that 1/2 C of flour to 3/4 C of water fo feedings is
Thank you for sharing this!
Hello Vaishali,
Thank you from your recipe! It's very clear and easy to follow. I am on day 5 of my starter and I was wondering if the consistence is the right one. It has lot of bubbles before and after feeding but it's rather liquid and I once saw a friend's started and was more like chewing-gum... I would be greatful if you could indicate what is the right consistency and if too liquid is not right how do I make it less so.
Thank you again from sharing your recipe!
Cecilia
Hi Cecilia, the consistency of your sourdough will depend on the hydration -- the amount of water you use. There's no right way or wrong way with this, some people prefer higher hydration, which means the sourdough will be more fluid, others like it to be very thick, almost like dough. The amount of water we are using here should give you a fluid but still quite thick batter, like pancake batter but gummy.
Dear Vaishali,
Thank you very much for your reply, it's very reassuring! I can't wait to start baking with my starter!
Hi, If I make bread every day or every other day, will I need to keep in fridge or keep it out and just keep feeding it as I bake?
As long as you use and feed it every day, you don't need to refrigerate.
Hi, i'm not sure how the "fruity " smell should smell but everyone says it smells like someone has been sick. Is this the correct smell ?!!!!
mine comes out as a fruity/strong alcohol kind of smell so that doesn't sound right
Please... How does this starter (1 cup) end up being able to provide the amount needed in your bread recipe, and still have enough starter to keep it going?
To make a bread, you'll need to use more flour and a small portion of the sourdough starter, per the instructions on the recipe.
Is it bad if a thickish skin forms on the surface on day 3 and 4? I'm keeping my starter in the oven with the light on. It's about 85°F in there. Thank you.
My starter on day 1 was watery and had that blackish color. I did everything you said to do. Idk what is going wrong. I fed it a little sooner on day 2, reading that the black liquid meant it is hungry. Do you think it is off already? Not many bubbles at all. Thank you.
Can all purpose flour be substituted for the whole wheat flour?
Yes, absolutely!
Can white Lilly Bread flour be used in place of whole wheat flour and throughout the whole process of feeding it on a weekly basis?
Yes, certainly!
I'm on day 4 and mine has started is looking so good! There's a definitely rise and fall and lots of bubbbly activity. It was weak the first 2 days so I did double feeding on Day 3 and it really responded well to that. I was also worried because of the big arctic chill hitting the midwest, but my crock sits by the oven and gets a lot of humidity and heat from when I cook breakfast and dinner. My 2 year-old help me with it and she named it "ice cream" I think because she's hoping that is what we were making! ha!
I don't have all purpose flour. May I substitute bread flour instead?
Yes that should be fine!
You state to add 90 ml of water (1/2 to 3/4c) to feed the starter, but 90 ml is only 3 ounces. What percent of hydration do you find works best?
thank you for sharing this excellent information here, very clearly explained with excellent photos.
Do you have a recipe for a wholemeal 5 seeded sour dough bread?
What if I want to use the starter more than once a week?Do I just take out what I need for a recipe and feed it that same amount, say 3 or 4 times in a week since I do a lot of baking? Does it even need to be refrigerated?
Can this be done in a crock pot or instant pot? I don’t have anything else to keep it warm. Thanks.
Hi,
Not sure if I've got right the where to leave the starter...
So for the 6-7 days it takes to mature it, should it always be out in a warm room/oven and never in the fridge?
then onwards is kept in the fridge and only stays out 24 hr once weekly after feeding, right?
Just concerned about any contamination by unwanted moulds or bacteria???
Thanks
Montserrat
Hi Montserrat, the sourdough shouldn't get moldy within the 6-7 days-- it's never happened to me. And yes, keep it out for a day after each feeding, or even 12 hours is fine. Cheers.
Hey Vaishali ,
Quick question, instead of all-purpose flour, can I use whole wheat flour to feed the starter on Day 2..
Thanks
Ash
Hello, thanks for these directions! I forgot to discard half a cup before feeding tonight (day 3) so far it’s been going well but have I just ruined it?
I think you should be fine! But do remember to discard at your next feeding and thereafter.
Really? I'm so curious about this! I've tried using it for bread already and it just leaves me with a gooey batter mess, not like dough at all. I've been wondering why. What will waiting another week or 2 change? I assumed I failed at making the starter so this is very exciting. I'm still feeding it (and discarding) and it's been almost 2 weeks but I don't have that foamy bubbliness you mention.
Hi Sarah, does the starter bubble a few minutes after you feed it? If not, your starter is off. Are you keeping it in a warm spot after feeding, for a few hours? Look at the photos and see if your batter, after a few minutes, looks like that. Otherwise I would advise starting over.
Also, your bread dough should not be a gooey mess, even if something is wrong with your starter. Could be you are using too much water.
Can you tell me what brand of whole wheat wheat flour you use? Thank you
Anything that's on sale at the supermarket. 🙂
Hi! I'm currently on day 7 and I have some bubbles and dark liquid forming next day. It's cold here 30-40°F. I'm thinking I should start feeding my little buddy twice per day. Any thoughts or tips? I've heard that it could take up to 14 days.
Thanks!
Hi Sarah, your starter should be ready to use after a week. You can try using it in a pancake or waffle batter to begin with. I'd probably wait a couple of weeks before making bread.
The dark liquid means your starter is hungry so feeding twice per day sounds like a good idea. I left my starter in the fridge longer than a week and there was dark liquid which some research said meant it was hungry. I was able to save it but it didnt make very good bread so i had to start over.
Thank you for all the clear descriptions and photos. Those help immensely. Question: you say to use while wheat flour to start but then not again in the process. Can whole wheat flour be brought back in? If so, when and how? If not, why not? Thank you. I appreciate learning about this fermntation process.
Hi Denise, I do occasionally feed the starter with whole wheat, although not all the time. You can try it-- it should be fine.
Hey! How about continuing another starter from the part you discard? Would it work?
Yes, you can certainly do that if you want a second batch -- or to share with family or friends.
Sorry 1 more ?..
Can I put the starter in a jar and put tge lid on it?
If not please help me to understand why not?
Tremendously grateful
Linda
Hi Linda, you can put the lid on it, but I find covering with a cloth napkin helps the flour and water capture the wild yeast from the air better.
When you take the starter out of fridge, do you need to let it get to room temperature before doing anything with it?
Or do you just do the...
Mix, discard (start bread etc.), feed?
Is it okay to start the bread with the cold discard amount?
Sorry 1 more question...
If I need to make bread etc. before the week is up can i? And if so do I just do the usual process?
Thank you so much I am new to sourdough and want to start it badly... My starter is ready but I don't have the 2 cups yet...
Can you tell me any way to get the 2 cups of it faster?
Thanks!thanks! And thanks!!!
You can definitely use it out of the fridge. If you make the bread before the sourdough starter is done, your dough won't rise as well and you'll get a very dense loaf. To increase the amount of starter, just add extra flour and water in the same ratio: 3/4 cup water for every one cup of flour.
Can I use spelt flour as a sourdough starter ?
Can't say for sure because I haven't tried this.
Thanks so much for posting this guide. I made a starter last week and baked my first batch of sourdough bread this past weekend. Along the way I used the discards in all sorts of recipes, but the waffles were by far the best. Seriously, they were amazing! My wife said she'd never tasted waffles so good before and I have to agree. Anyway, thanks again- your blog is a constant source of inspiration and I use several of your recipes regularly. Cheers! ~Sean
Sean, that's wonderful to hear. Glad you got your sourdough going, and liked the waffles. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Do you have a recipe for chapati? Also, I'm weighing the flour when I add it: 1/2 c. = 4 oz. Is that about right?
Hi Mary Jo, I don't have a weighing scale, but according to the King Arthur website, 1 cup of flour equals 4.4 ounces. In that case, 1/2 cup would be about 2.2 ounces. Four ounces would be too much.
You can find a recipe for fat-free chapatis--phulkas -- at this post. https://holycowvegan.net/2011/12/tomato-dal-with-phulkas-fat-free.html
It seems an awful waste of atta - especially knowing how many others can do with it out here in india.
Is there nothing else you can do with it? this one process of discarding it alone has inhibited me from starting a sour dough project.. is this how they did it in the olden times....? something tells me they did not waste a bit
Sorry if i seem to be asking too many questions - am as keen to do this as to mitigate or find other uses for the "discard"
Hi Pratibha, I feel your pain -- but it is only for the first week that you need to discard the sourdough. After that you can use the discard portion to add to breads, waffles etc. because it will be strong enough. If you absolutely don't want to throw it, perhaps you can try mixing it into your chapati atta? I can't see that it would hurt, and chapatis and parathas don't need leavened dough. The sourdough will start smelling a bit fruity, though, as time goes by, so make sure you mix it in with regular flour.
Hello! I am on day 3, and things are going well, I think! I have baked my 'discard' portions and fed the resulting crumbly-biscuity things to my backyard hens! They seem quite happy to eat them as a treat, and are laying as normal.
Thanks for the recipe, btw. Fingers crossed that I get to make bread next week that looks as fabulous as yours!
Crin, that's awesome. And glad your hens are enjoying the sourdough too. 🙂
In olden days they gave away starter to friends so they can start their own
Thank you! I will start mine today, I am so glad you'll be updating with progress here.
I just added photos of day 2! Good luck with the starter, Ambica. 🙂
You mention a portion. how much is a portion?
Half a cup, like it says in step 6 (step 4 of formatted recipe)
What a lovely story! The Story Of George!
🙂 🙂