Learn how to make a sourdough starter! Capture all-natural yeast from the air in seven days, spending only one minute each day adding flour and water. Perfect for making sourdough bread, pancakes, and more!
My adventures in sourdough began a few years ago when my sister gave me a really awesome cookbook for Christmas.
One of the recipes inside was for sourdough starter. You can purchase a starter kit to make the starter, or you can make a homemade starter culture.
The starter kit took as long as it said it would – 3 days. Easy peasy, done. Making it homemade, as in the Nourishing Traditions method, using only rye flour and water, took 7 days.
YES! Both methods worked!
But if you’re looking for more of an adventure, try making your own from scratch. It’s very rewarding since you’ve “captured” the wild yeast from the air. I’m telling you, the “creating something from nothing” idea is pretty neat!
Ingredients
Be sure to read the entire tutorial and tips through before starting your sourdough.
- 4 cups flour, divided (whole wheat is best, but any wheat flour will work)
- 1 cup cold (or room temperature) filtered water (not tap water)
- large bowl (approx gallon-size) with lid
Notes on Ingredients
Flour
The best flours for sourdough are white, spelt, rye, and whole wheat flour. You can also make einkorn sourdough using my einkorn sourdough tutorial. You can easily switch to a different flour once the starter has gone through the first seven days. To do this:
- Split the starter in half, placing half in the refrigerator. This is your back-up in case your attempt in switching flours fails.
- Feed your starter as desired (per options above) using the new flour.
- Within a few days, the starter should be successfully converted.
- If after a few days you no longer see bubbles and liquid forming at the top, the conversion was not successful. Use what you have in a non-bread recipe and try again with the refrigerated starter.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. In a large bowl, combine ½ cup of flour with ½ cup of water. The mixture will be very soupy. Lightly cover the bowl with a lid, leaving it cracked so that air can flow freely. If bugs and insects are an issue, you may cover the bowl with a cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band.
Step 2. Place the bowl in a warm spot where it can sit undisturbed. This could be outside on a patio, on a kitchen counter, in a pantry cabinet, or in the oven with the light on.
Step 3. Every day, for the next seven days, at approximately the same time, feed the starter 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup water. Stir, re-cover and allow to sit. Repeat.
Step 4. The starter will go through a bubbly and frothy stage and eventually subside. The starter will smell like yeast and/or wine, but the smell should always be pleasant. If the starter ever smells sour or rancid, it has been contaminated and should be thrown away.
What will my sourdough starter look like on each day?
Day 1
One big bubble and a few smaller ones – both signs that the starter is headed in the right direction. If yours doesn’t have bubbles after the first day, have no fear. Sometimes it takes a few days before you see any sign of life. Keep feeding the starter as directed.
Day 2
Lots of bubbles! This is officially the “bubbly” stage. Life exists and it’s producing carbon dioxide!
Day 3
The bubbles have subsided and it’s more “frothy.” It smells distinctly sweet – the smell of natural yeast.
Day 4
The frothy stage is nearly over and there’s a small layer of liquid gather at the top – another good sign. This is when you’d want to pour it off if before feeding the starter (see tips below). If the liquid isn’t separated enough to easily pour it off, just mix it up into the starter before you feed it.
Day 5
The frothy stage is over and there’s even more liquid than before. The sweet smell is still there, yet more pungent, similar to the smell of wine.
Day 6
Lots of liquid and a thin consistent layer of foam on top. Almost there!
Day 7
Done! Liquid on top, intermittent foam. At this point, the liquid could be poured off and the starter would be suitable to make bread.
Tips on feeding your sourdough starter
Once the starter is officially created, it enters maintenance mode. The frequency of feedings is determined by how much starter you need and how often you plan to use it.
- At a minimum, the starter can be kept in the refrigerator and fed once a week merely to sustain life (the yeast). Although, this isn’t recommended until the starter is 4 weeks old.
- You can continue to feed it daily as you have been and use sourdough discard in sourdough pancakes or sourdough biscuits.
- You can also feed it daily with as little as one tablespoon of flour and water – enough to continue daily growth but not produce a large quantity of starter.
However frequent or infrequent you decide to feed your starter, the yeast thrives best when it’s fed regularly and consistently. Choose your time frame and quantity and stick with it as best as you can!
Additional tips
- If your starter outgrows your jar, you may split it between two jars. Continue the feeding process, dividing the flour and water between the bowls (2 Tbsp of each, for each bowl).
- If you are culturing other items simultaneously, be sure to leave at least 3-5 feet of space between each item so the yeasts do not cross-contaminate. (Sourdough won’t make your kefir “bad,” but over time both cultures can weaken. Best just to keep them apart.)
- When using your starter in a recipe, leave behind approximately 1/2 cup of starter to feed. This ensures you have enough yeast to continue fermenting at the same pace you have been.
- Use water kefir instead of filtered water to produce a ready starter in less time.
- The good, healthy bacteria live in the water that often collects at the surface. It’s the bacteria that gives the bread its sour taste.
- The yeast lives in the dough portion of the starter. The yeast is what must be fed so it can multiply to the point of causing the dough to rise.
- Feeding the starter more often will cause the yeast to multiply faster.
- Pouring off excess starter does not affect the yeast’s ability to multiply in the long run.
- In general, thicker starters yield better baked goods, so use less water when feeding the starter.
- If the starter feels too thick for a recipe, add water.
- Yeast thrives better with more rather than less air circulation.
- Sourdough is forgiving. It thrives when fed regularly, but won’t throw fits if you miss a feeding (or two).
Storage
Yeast grows incredibly slow at refrigeration temperatures, which is why you can get away with feeding it only once a week. In order for the yeast to successfully leaven a batch of bread, it must be “revived” so to say. The steps are below, along with an example to help you better understand the time frame involved.
- Three and a half days before you plan to bake bread, remove the starter from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. (Monday night)
- Once the starter is at room temperature, feed with equal parts flour and water. (Tuesday morning)
- Later that day, feed the starter again with equal parts flour and water. (Tuesday afternoon)
- That evening, if you have foam and liquid rising to the top of the starter, you are ready to bake bread. If you do not, continue feeding daily until there is foam and liquid rising to the top.
- With the time involved in “reviving” refrigerated sourdough, it’s often easier to keep the starter at room temperature and reduce the feedings to only a tablespoon or two daily. You’ll have to choose what will work better for you and your bread making routine.
FAQs
I’ve read of families using starters originally from generations ago!
That’s the easiest way to not waste food, but it doesn’t come highly recommended. Dough tends to have other ingredients too, like salt, eggs, butter, etc. and that wouldn’t be a good environment for your starter.
Instead, freeze your dough scraps and when you have enough, fry them up and coat them in cinnamon sugar for a homemade version of donuts. Or use them to make my Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole.
Making your own sourdough starter uses the wild yeasts and lactobacilli that surround us all of the time. After feeding your initial culture with flour and water for a period of time, you achieve a symbiotic product that helps your dough rise in baking. This way, you avoid using store-bought cultivated yeast, which many people are sensitive to.
Recipes for Using Leftover Sourdough Discard
You can make pancakes!!! Try these amazing sourdough pancakes, or these toasted coconut and banana sourdough pancakes. If you’re not a fan of pancakes, these sourdough biscuits area really good too!
SunnyRay
Thanks for this well explained step by step instructions. Going to try this…
Shauna
I’m understanding that you drain off the liquid during the starter process, but then discard some of the actual starter every day after it’s activated… is that correct?
Tiffany
Correct – it’s to concentrate the starter that’s being fed. You don’t HAVE to pour off, but it makes it grow faster. Just use in bread or pancakes so you don’t waste it.
Munira
Tiffany, thank you very much for your quick reply. It was very helpful.
Munira
After sourdiugh is ready,what do you recommend to cover the glass bottle with?(I usually cover my kefir bottle with gauze and tighten it with a rubber band.)thanks in advance.
Munira
Excuse me,I wanted to mean sourdough starter. I am going to keep it at room temperature and feed it with 1tbls of whole wheat flour and filtered water.I do not know how I shouLD cover the bottle now At room temperature.
Tiffany
Treating your sourdough starter like kefir is fine. I’ve used a plate that’s cracked a bit, and I’ve also used a coffee filter. 🙂
Kim
I just wanted to share that, when I was at the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market a few days ago, I found a 5-pound bag of rye flour for only $0.10 more than the 2-pound bag I was finding everywhere else. I believe it was $3.58. If you’re wanting to start sourdough with the suggested rye flour but hate spending that much for such a small bag, you might want to check out WM!
tamara
Sourdough is so easy to maintain. Mine sits in the back I’d the fridge for a month at a time. Whenever I want to use it I just pour the alcohol off the top and add the cup of flour and cup of water to revive it. It’s good to go after about six hours. Sourdough is really hard to kill.
Dotti Holden
I never saw where you add yeast. Do you add ueast or just the flour and water?
tamara
No you don’t add yeast. You just stir flour and water together over 3-7 days. I stirred mine outside to really get fresh air in there. The yeast in the air takes hold and feeds in the flour water mixture. I use both white whole wheat and whole wheat flours. Best!
Clare bennett
First, thank you so much for posting such a detailed informative recipe! Second, I just started mine yesterday and this morning the top of it is dry and cracked. I followed your instructions but maybe my house is too dry?? Or it’s the flour ? I used bobs red mill dark rye flour. When I first combined the water and flour it was roughly the consistency of pancake batter, is that proper? Not sure if I should feed this one or try again with more water, please advise. Thank you!
Tiffany
Sorry to take so long Clare! I would just keep going. Be sure to cover it with a towel or lid or plate (cracked) something. Too much air will make it appear dry, but all is ok. Pancake batter is about right! Keep up the good work!
Melissa
Just tried this last night, already messing up. Im not sure what is going on with my rye flour, but 1 Cup flour and 1 Cup water is anything but soupy, its extreemly thick. tried it 3 times, finally just added more water, but im afriad to feed it tonight and have the same problem and waste all my flour..what do you think I should do? try again using another type of flour?
Tiffany
Hi Melissa!
Thicker starter is actually better in my opinion. You use less water in the making, but you can always add more in depending on the recipe you’re using (pancakes, bread, waffles, tortillas, etc.). If you’re concerned about wasting flour, feed with 1/4 cup instead of a half. You can add different flours now, but it’s best to continue w/the same flour while creating a starter. You can switch it once it’s fully active, or even use different flours in the recipe. I’d keep going if I were in your shoes! 🙂
Melissa
Ok, I’ll keep going and see what happens. Thanks so much for getting back. I have no idea how you find the time to respond to all of these comments..but Im glad you do! Thanks!
Tiffany
Nor do I, but you’re most welcome! 🙂
Melissa
So..you were right to keep on going, I have an active starter. But still another question. I am on my 6th day, however in looking at your pictures, my starter appears to be sort of in between the 3rd and 4th days. I’m ok with that (except that I’m anxious to make bread :)). But should I keep going until it looks more like your 7th day regardless of how many days?
Tiffany
Congrats Melissa!
Sometimes starters take longer than just 7 days to be fully active. Different starters will also look different, depending on the flour/water ratio used. Basically, you want bubbles and a dome. Heavy flours won’t necessarily do both, but since you’re using rye (right?), you’ll see both. Do this test: feed in the morning and 2-3 hours later you should have a dome. If so, you’re ready for bread. Do a half batch at first, since making bread itself is often trial/error. This way you’ll have plenty to keep feeding too. 🙂
Julee
I lifted the tea towel on my bowl to feed my starter, and there was mold growing on top! What did I do wrong?! 🙁
lisa
too bad you didn’t get a reply. Its always the critical ones that seem to get missed for some reason! (annoying)
Tiffany
I’m only human Lisa!
Tiffany
You may not have done anything wrong Lisa. Sometimes mold can grow in even the cleanest environments. I’d just try again!
mary
my starter smells like hot dogs
Tiffany
LOL, maybe because hot dog buns are made of flour? Keep going Mary. As long as the smell isn’t really bad, you’re good!
mary
I put in one cup of flour and one cup water on the second day. Will that screw everything up, should I start over again?
Tiffany
How much flour did you start with on day one Mary?
mary
i put in one cup flour one cup water
Tiffany
You should be fine Mary. Keep it going!
Katie777
I used the extra started for sourdough cookies they have a tang everyone loved them. Sweet bread with apples and cinnamon, then hamburger/hotdog buns it gives the buns a different texture. I never threw any out.
Tiffany
Mmmm… you’ve got my wheels turning Katie! Your baked goods all sound delicious!
Tiffany
You’re welcome Anjanette!
Tossing out the starter is mainly for expansion. As the yeast continues to multiply at an exponential rate, it’ll increase more and more in size with each passing day. It does play a small part in ensuring somewhat even distribution between new water/flour and existing yeast, but I’ve had roughly 6 cups of starter in a bowl at one time and haven’t run into any problems adding/stirring well… yet. I personally think throwing away starter in the beginning is mainly to keep the starter in a manageable size when you’re first starting out.
Once your starter is active, not discarding anything and using a large bowl won’t make a difference in the end. I now have a medium-sized pyrex bowl on my counter that I just keep adding to until I have enough… I don’t throw away any starter anymore.
Thanks again for the feature! I’m happy to hear your sourdough adventures are going well – please let me know if I can help in any way!! ~Tiffany
Donna
How much yeast does this recipe use? Thanks.
Tiffany
None!
Natalie
Ok I’m on day 5 of the starter and it smells like it should (I think) but no liquid is forming on top. Is this ok? Or should I start over?
Tiffany
You’re fine Natalie. The amount of liquid you have really depends on how much water you add and your environment. No liquid isn’t a sign of a bad starter. As long as you’re seeing bubbles on top (and perhaps in the middle too if you can see through the jar), then you’re doing good! 🙂 ~Tiffany
Natalie
Awesome – no liquid but have bubbles and smells good. So looking forward to having some of this bread soon:) Thanks!
Andrea
You had me at “sweet, creamy butter”. I love the daily photos, those will come in handy when I try this (which will be soon)! I am so glad you posted this (and shared on Natural Living Monday), because I have been wanting to try this for a while.
I will be looking out for your sourdough bread recipe 🙂
Tiffany
You know the bread recipe is coming soon! Love me some butter! 😉
Elsie
I’ve read so many posts on sourdough, but this was one of the most straightforward and informative yet. I learned several new things, like the fact that you can maintain it with as little as 1 Tablespoon amounts. And that you should take it out of the fridge over 3 days in advance. Thanks for the great info, and for putting it so clearly!
Tiffany
Thank you Elsie! The smaller amounts are excellent when you have a small starter and don’t want it to grow much. You’d want to use a little more though if you have a couple quarts going though – one tablespoon won’t be enough to feed all the yeast if you’ve got 8 cups worth, know what I mean? And yes, the timing is so the yeast not only comes to room temp, but so it’s completely active and out of the dormant state. So glad you learned something new!! ~Tiffany
Carling
Hi! How much would starter (less than 8 cups) would you consider ok to feed it only 1 tbsp? Also, what is the reason for pouring off the liquid and not just stirring it back in? Great article!
Tiffany
I would feed 1 Tbsp for every 1 cup. You CAN stir the water back in, which is what I do now, but pouring off the liquid will result in a thicker starter (and it’s easier to add more water in the recipe than it is to remove). Thanks Carling!
Siobhan
Help please!
I used the wrong recipe/ratio and I’m 4 days in…do I need to start over?
I accidentally followed the Einkorn Sourdough starter recipe but have used WW flour. Day 4, it smells ok and is puffing up a lot between each feeding but is very thick compared to your pictures of a Rye starter. Can I fix it? Or just best to start over?
Thanks so much for your site!!
Tiffany
Hi Siobhan! Just keep going and follow the correct ratio for whole wheat. You’ll be fine!
Jaimie
I’ve been wanting to do this for ages and just keep putting it off. No more! I just need to find me a decent-sized container to store it in. 🙂
Tiffany
Hi Jaimie!
When you’re first starting out, a quart jar is excellent. When the starter is going, I’ve found my “medium” sized pyrex bowl to be EXCELLENT. I use a large dinner plate to cover 90% and my yeast is multiplying like you wouldn’t believe. No special container required! ~Tiffany
Julie
Help, please !!
I am so confused. When I read How to Make Sourdough Starter, I see NOWHERE instructing to discard any. Is this correct ?! So many recipes direct us to discard a portion with each feeding.
And what confuses me even further is that I see here some recommended recipes for the sourdough discard. Ugh ! WHEN exactly are we supposed to discard part of the starter ?
Tiffany
Hi Julie! You can discard your starter after day 5, but I recommend waiting until after day 7. At that point, you’ll want to discard enough so that you start with about 1/2 cup of starter before you feed (so how much you discard, depends on how much starter you have). Does that help?
Hannah@easyrealfood
Thanks for posting such a great tutorial. I love all the step by step pictures. Sourdough is the next thing I want to get into. I’ve done the soaking and sprouted flour now for sourdough! Can you use sprouted flour to make bread “natural yeast?” Thanks again!
Tiffany
Thanks Hannah! You can use sprouted flour, but the results will likely be a bit darker and possibly denser. Since sourdough generally takes a few trial and errors anyway, you may want to experiment with non-sprouted flour, just to eliminated some of the steps involved. Once you have your “perfect” light loaf, then simply sub the sprouted flour. Then again if you don’t mind the work, sprout away! 🙂 ~Tiffany
Natalie
I am going to try the sourdough starter this week. I do have a question. Once the starter is finished (after the 7 days) what do I in order to bake it? Is that where I follow the fridge to bake methods?
Tiffany
Natalie,
Once your starter is fully active and you have a nice “domed” look at the peak of the yeast eating, you can take that and make bread. The fridge to bake method is only if you create the starter but end up storing it in the fridge because you don’t need it immediately. I’ll have a basic sourdough bread recipe for you this week, but in the meantime, if you have more starter than you need, make pancakes, waffles, biscuits or even chocolate cake (which I’m working on for Father’s Day today). Otherwise, keep building it up because you’ll need two cups worth for my bread recipe (plus some leftover to continue feeding).
~ Tiffany
Walter Emiliantsev
Still confused, I’ll read it anew in the AM!!! LOVE THE BREAD, be great if I made it for me!!!! Thanks!!!!!
Tina
Hello, I am trying an einkorn starter for the first time. I tried to make a wheat sourdough starter several years ago but it didn’t work and I gave up. I am on the second day and it looks like my pint jar will overflow any time. Should I divide it into 2 jars?
Kyare - Team Crumbs
If your starter outgrows your jar, you may split it between two jars. Continue the feeding process, dividing the flour and water between the bowls (2 Tbsp of each, for each bowl).