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How to Make a Sourdough Starter From Scratch (Beginner Guide)

Close-up of an active, bubbly sourdough starter overflowing slightly from the top of a clear glass jar.
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Follow these simple steps to create your own active sourdough starter using only flour and water. This guide covers daily feeding and maintenance for beginners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 100g whole grain rye or whole wheat flour
  • 100g unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
  • 100g non-chlorinated room temperature water

Instructions

  1. Combine 50g of whole grain flour and 50g of water in a clean jar. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature (68-75°F or 20-24°C) for 24 hours.
  2. On Day 2, discard half of the mixture. Add 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water to the remaining starter. Mix well, cover loosely, and wait 24 hours.
  3. Repeat the discard and feeding process (50g starter, 50g flour, 50g water) every 24 hours for Days 3, 4, and 5. You may see some bubbles or smell sourness; this is normal.
  4. Starting on Day 6, begin feeding twice a day (every 12 hours) using the same ratio: discard down to 50g starter, then feed with 50g flour and 50g water.
  5. Continue the twice-daily feeding schedule. Your starter is active when it consistently doubles in volume within 4 to 8 hours after feeding and is full of bubbles. This usually happens between Day 7 and Day 14.
  6. Once active, you can switch to a maintenance feeding schedule if you are not baking immediately.

Notes

  • Use filtered or bottled water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated, as chlorine can inhibit yeast growth.
  • Keep the starter in a warm spot (around 75°F) for faster activity, especially in the first week.
  • If you see dark liquid (hooch) forming on top, stir it in or pour it off before feeding. This means your starter is hungry.
  • To store an established starter long-term, feed it, let it rest for an hour, then place it in the refrigerator. Feed it once a week.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://spoonfulsnap.com/sourdough-starter-from-scratch-guide/