A sourdough starter is so easy to make-all you need is water and flour and a week for them to work together and create a thriving colony of healthy, probiotic wild yeast. The starter will reward you for years to come with tasty sourdough breads, waffles, pancakes and more, with no need for added yeast. Stir up a batch today--it's truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Table of Contents
What is a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a natural culture made with flour or water that can be used to leaven baked goods like breads instead of commercial yeast. To make a sourdough starter you mix the water and flour and let stand for a week, feeding it a little more flour and water every day. The flour already contains good bacteria and over time, as the starter ferments, it also captures wild yeast bacteria from the environment, creating a lively colony of beneficial microorganisms.
When you add sourdough starter to baked goods instead of bread, you don't just get a natural leavening agent; you also get its powerful health benefits. There are billions of yeast bacteria in a sourdough starter and they are great for your gut. When a sourdough starter is added to a batter or dough, these bacteria break down the starches in the flour, making the baked good easier to digest and also giving it a distinctive, delicious tang. Some studies show that sourdough can be eaten by people with celiac disease who cannot normally tolerate gluten while others show that breads made with sourdough are better for diabetics because they don't cause blood sugar to rise as high as regular bread would. (If you do have these health problems, though, check with a doctor before making changes to your diet.)
I've been nurturing a sourdough starter for almost a decade now. After I first made it, my jar of commercial yeast sat in the freezer while I experimented with not just breads but sourdough pancakes, sourdough waffles, pretzels, English muffins, sourdough biscuits, sticky buns and so much more. The sourdough made eating these treats not just more fun and delicious, but also more guilt-free.
In this post I'm sharing my best tips - learned over years of experience - on how to make and maintain a foolproof sourdough starter. This is an extraordinarily easy recipe that anyone can make. But it is not a process that can be rushed. When you start a sourdough starter from scratch, you will need seven days before you can use it.
Be sure to name your starter. 🙂 Mine was named George by a reader, and over the years I've smiled many times as you've come back to tell me the names you've given your starters: Georgina, Crunchy, the Hulk and Tina (after quaranTine :)) among others.
Recipe card
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 or whole wheat flour)
Instructions
- Measure out the whole wheat flour into a large bowl or a crock. 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 the amount of sourdough starter I need to bake with, and replace it immediately in the proportion of 1 cup of flour to ¾ cup of water. For example, if I take out ½ cup of sourdough, I replace it with ½ a cup of flour and ⅜ths of a cup of water. After feeding the starter, I leave it on the counter for a day, and then refrigerate it.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
Ingredients
- Flour. Use whole wheat flour to begin the starter. Whole wheat flour gives your sourdough starter a stronger start because it's full of micronutrients and friendly bacteria. You can also 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).
- Water. Use distilled or filtered water to both make and maintain the starter. Tap water usually has chlorine in it, and chlorine can kill the wild yeast.
How to make sourdough starter (day by day, with pictures)
Day 1
Measure out 1 cup of whole wheat flour into a large bowl or a crock. 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. Chlorine can inhibit the formation and growth of yeast.
Add the water to the flour and whisk together to mix well. You should not have any traces of flour.
The sourdough starter should look like this after mixing.
Cover the starter loosely with a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm spot. A temperature of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 27 degrees Celsius) is optimal.
Day 2
On the second day, you might see some bubbles in the sourdough starter, 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. Add ½ cup unbleached, all purpose flour and ⅜ cup or 6 tablespoon or 90 mils of warm, non-chlorinated water. 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.
Day 3
By the third day you should see some bubbling activity in your starter and also a fruity aroma. There may also be some darker liquid on top.
Mix the starter, discard half a cup and feed by adding half a cup of all-purpose flour and ⅜ of a cup of water (90 mils or 6 tbsp).
Day 4
On day 4 the sourdough starter should look quite bubbly and active.
Once again, mix the starter, then discard half a cup and feed by adding half a cup of all-purpose flour and ⅜ of a cup of water (90 mils or 6 tbsp).
Day 5
On the fifth day the sourdough should get quite bubbly, especially about 10 minutes after you feed it. If your sourdough starter isn't showing much activity you can bump up the feedings to twice a day to help it gather strength.
Day 6
The sourdough should be quite strong now and should rise easily after feeding.
Feed the starter once or twice on the sixth day, depending on how strong it is.
Day 7
By the seventh day, your starter should be ready to use. It should look healthy and bubbly, like in the picture above. If your sourdough starter is still slow in developing, continue feeding twice a day and keep it warm. It will eventually strengthen.
How to use sourdough starter
To use the starter, mix it well, especially if some of the liquid has separated on the top. Then take out about the amount of sourdough starter you need to bake with, and replace it immediately. So if you take out 1 cup of sourdough, you should "feed" the remaining starter by adding to it cup of flour and 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 to feed sourdough 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.
Sourdough starter FAQs
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 climate, 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 taste your baked good, you want to try and keep your sourdough starter in a room where the temperature is between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 26 degrees Celsius).
After seven days. You might find that the 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 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Feed it every day for seven days.
Yes and no. You can make a sourdough starter with any proportion of water and flour but the hydration will matter for the baked goods recipes you'll make with it because it will change how much liquid you will need to add to that particular recipe.
If you do 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.
You will know it's ready when it starts to rise within six to eight hours of feeding and gets really puffy.
The sourdough starter, once it begins to bubble, will have a smell similar to 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 - one day you might pass on this gift of good health to your sons and daughters.
For the first seven days, between feedings, leave your starter outside at a room temperature of no more than 80 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.
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 sourdough discard. You can also add the sourdough to flatbreads like this sourdough roti 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.
Troubleshooting tips
- Not enough starter for a recipe. 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.
- 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 cooler 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.
- Sourdough bread made with starter doesn't taste tangy enough. 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).
- 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.
Nikkij says
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?
Vaishali says
As long as you use and feed it every day, you don't need to refrigerate.
Rachael Bhella says
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 ?!!!!
M says
mine comes out as a fruity/strong alcohol kind of smell so that doesn't sound right
Jennifer Griffin says
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?
Vaishali says
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.
J says
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.
Mamabean says
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.
Melissa Drenning says
Can all purpose flour be substituted for the whole wheat flour?
Vaishali says
Yes, absolutely!
Pam says
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?
Vaishali says
Yes, certainly!
Tracy says
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!
David Lachman says
I don't have all purpose flour. May I substitute bread flour instead?
Vaishali says
Yes that should be fine!
Linda Baldwin says
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?
martin says
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?
Katey Elise says
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?
Yellie says
Can this be done in a crock pot or instant pot? I don’t have anything else to keep it warm. Thanks.
Montserrat says
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
Vaishali says
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.
Ash says
Hey Vaishali ,
Quick question, instead of all-purpose flour, can I use whole wheat flour to feed the starter on Day 2..
Thanks
Ash
Narin says
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?
Vaishali says
I think you should be fine! But do remember to discard at your next feeding and thereafter.
Sarah says
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.
Vaishali says
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.
Cat says
Can you tell me what brand of whole wheat wheat flour you use? Thank you
Vaishali says
Anything that's on sale at the supermarket. 🙂
Sarah says
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!
Vaishali says
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.
Wendy says
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.
Denise says
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.
Vaishali says
Hi Denise, I do occasionally feed the starter with whole wheat, although not all the time. You can try it-- it should be fine.
Rosita Aflatuni says
Hey! How about continuing another starter from the part you discard? Would it work?
Vaishali says
Yes, you can certainly do that if you want a second batch -- or to share with family or friends.
Linda says
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
Vaishali says
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.
Linda says
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!!!
Vaishali says
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.
Sharon says
Can I use spelt flour as a sourdough starter ?
Vaishali says
Can't say for sure because I haven't tried this.
birds fly says
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
Vaishali says
Sean, that's wonderful to hear. Glad you got your sourdough going, and liked the waffles. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Mary Jo Morris says
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?
Vaishali says
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.
pratibha says
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"
Vaishali says
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.
Crin says
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!
Vaishali says
Crin, that's awesome. And glad your hens are enjoying the sourdough too. 🙂
Vasu says
In olden days they gave away starter to friends so they can start their own
Ambica says
Thank you! I will start mine today, I am so glad you'll be updating with progress here.
Vaishali says
I just added photos of day 2! Good luck with the starter, Ambica. 🙂
Anonymous says
You mention a portion. how much is a portion?
Vaishali says
Half a cup, like it says in step 6 (step 4 of formatted recipe)
Ritchie says
What a lovely story! The Story Of George!
Vaishali says
🙂 🙂