Most sourdough starters fail around day 3, but yours doesn’t have to. This step-by-step system shows you exactly what to expect each day, how to fix problems, and how to get a strong, reliable starter in just one week.
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 a sourdough starter. You can purchase a starter kit to make the starter, or you can make a homemade starter culture.
I tried both methods, and I was hooked.
From the first mixture of flour and water to watching the small bubbles form to baking that first loaf of sourdough bread, I’ll walk you through all of the steps and what to expect when creating a sourdough starter.
WHAT IS SOURDOUGH STARTER?
Sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that ferments and collects wild yeast from the air. Because of this natural yeast, you won’t need commercial yeast from the store to bake bread!
SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Be sure to read the entire tutorial and tips before making sourdough starter.
You have 2 choices for sourdough starters recipes: you can make your own starter from scratch using flour and water, or you can purchase a starter kit. This tutorial is for how to start a sourdough starter from scratch. You’ll need:
- 4 cups fresh flour, divided (whole wheat is best, but any wheat flour will work)
- ½ cup cold (or room temperature) filtered water (not tap water) to start, plus additional for daily feedings
- large bowl (approximately gallon-size) with lid
| Factor | Homemade | Starter Kit |
| Time | 5-7 days | 1-3 days |
| Cost | Very low | Higher |
| Flavor | Unique and local | Standardized |
| Difficulty | Moderate | Easy |
FLOUR FOR SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE
The best flours for sourdough starter recipes are white wheat, spelt, rye, and 100% whole wheat flour.
- A whole grain freshly milled flour is best, rather than all-purpose flour, because the yeast has more to feed on when using whole grain flour.
- If you use all-purpose flour, your starter may take a few additional days to get bubbly.
- You can always switch flours once your sourdough starter is established if you prefer a specific kind.
- You can also make einkorn sourdough using this Einkorn Sourdough Starter Tutorial.
- Or make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter with brown rice flour.
- Stick with unbleached flour, as the bleaching process kills some of the beneficial bacteria needed for fermentation, and it can mess up the rising process when baking.
- Bread flour is not recommended, since it costs more. It also absorbs more water than other flours, meaning you need a different hydration ratio, and you end up with a chewier texture in your baked goods.
| Flour Type | Speed | Flavor | Reliability | Best For |
| Rye | Fastest | Strong sour | Very reliable | Beginners |
| Whole Wheat | Fast | Nutty | Reliable | Everyday baking |
| All-Purpose | Slower | Mild | Less predictable | Convenience and low cost |
| Einkorn | Medium | Buttery | Moderate | Specialty baking |
| Brown Rice | Slow | Earthy and nutty | Reliable | Gluten-free sourdough |
| Bleached Flour | Slow | Mild | Unreliable | Not recommended |
| Bread Flour | Medium | Complex | Reliable | Not recommended for beginners |
If you’re interested in milling your own grains or making your own flour, I highly recommend Mockmill. For my full review, check out this post.
HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH STARTER
Ready to learn how to make sourdough starter? Follow these simple instructions.
Step 1. In a large bowl, combine ½ cup of flour with ½ cup of water. The mixture will be very soupy, similar to pancake batter. 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.)
Some people prefer to use ½ cup of flour and ¼ cup of water, both of which weigh 60 grams. This is a 100% hydration ratio. That means using an equal amount of flour and water by weight, not volume. I like to use ½ cup of each, because it is easiest for me to keep track of and feed consistently to get the sourdough starter going.
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. Yeast thrives better with more rather than less air circulation.
Step 3. Every day, for the next seven days, at approximately the same time, feed the starter ¼ cup of flour and ¼ cup of water. Stir, put the cover back on, and allow it to sit. Only 1 feeding per day is necessary.
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?
As you start making sourdough starter, you’ll see it go through 3 phases:
- Activation Phase (Days 1-2). Bacteria dominate, and early bubbles form.
- Dormant Dip (Days 3-4). Activity drops. Don’t give up here!
- Stabilization Phase (Days 5-7). Yeast strengthens, a liquid layer forms, and the starter becomes usable.
Let’s walk through the first week of the fermentation process.
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 sourdough 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 gathered at the top – another good sign. This is when you’d want to pour it off 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, but it may be 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.
Is My Starter Ready?
Sourdough starter is ready to use if it has these characteristics:
- Doubles in size within 4-8 hours
- Smells pleasantly sour (not rotten)
- Shows consistent bubbles throughout
HOW TO FEED A SOURDOUGH STARTER
Once the sourdough starter is officially created, it enters maintenance mode. The frequency of feedings is determined by how much active sourdough starter you need and how often you plan to use it. Here are some ideas on a feeding schedule:
- At a minimum, the sourdough starter can be kept in the refrigerator and fed once a week merely to sustain life (the yeast). This method isn’t recommended until the starter is 4 weeks old and well-established. Choose this method if you don’t plan on baking with sourdough very frequently.
- You can continue to feed your starter daily as you have been and use sourdough discard in Sourdough Pancakes or Sourdough Biscuits. Choose this method if you plan on baking with sourdough often.
- Feed the starter daily with as little as one Tablespoon of flour and water – enough to continue daily growth but not produce a large quantity of starter. Choose this method if you fall in the middle – you want to bake with sourdough fairly often, but not have so much discard that you don’t know what to do with it!
When you feed a sourdough starter, the goal is to create a FRENZY of hungry bacteria to get that rise and flavor (which may require one or two feedings) and then only have a little bit left over for next time to repeat the process.
However, as you add flour and water to your starter, you end up making more starter than you need. This is what we call discard.
SOURDOUGH DISCARD
So far, we’ve just been adding to the sourdough starter to get it going. Once your sourdough starter is established, you’ll want to scoop out some of the extra and discard it.
Why Discard Some of the Starter?
You typically only need ½ cup of active sourdough starter for most recipes, although you can start with as little as 2 Tablespoons. When you’re continually feeding it, you’ll end up with quite a bit more.
For example, if you start with 1 cup of sourdough starter, you need enough flour and water to feed the entire 1 cup of starter to create a frenzy, which might be A LOT. And once it rises and bubbles, it might be more starter than you actually needed… so now you have too much active starter AND you had to feed it extra.
You can either throw away the excess or use it in other recipes. No need to waste food!
Recipes For Using Leftover Sourdough Discard
These recipes use sourdough discard to replace some of the flour and liquid in the recipe. Unlike recipes that use an active starter, they don’t have a long rise time on the counter – you just mix the sourdough discard with the other ingredients and bake.
- Sourdough Pancakes
- Sourdough Biscuits (the best flavor of biscuits ever!!)
- Sourdough Waffles
- Make Sourdough Crackers with either starter or discard
STORING SOURDOUGH STARTER
Yeast grows incredibly slowly at refrigeration temperatures, which is why you can get away with feeding it only once a week. For the yeast to successfully leaven a batch of bread, it must be “revived”, so to speak. 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 it to come to room temperature. (Monday night)
- Once the starter is at room temperature, feed it 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.
- Follow the steps in this sourdough bread recipe to mix up your dough, let the bread rise, and bake your first loaf (Wednesday morning or later, depending on how fast the previous steps went).
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.
HOW TO FEED SOURDOUGH STARTER A DIFFERENT FLOUR
You can easily switch to a different flour once the home made sourdough starter has gone through the first seven days. To do this:
- Split the starter in half, placing half in the refrigerator. This is your backup in case your attempt to switch flours fails.
- Feed your starter as desired (per the 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.
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR SOURDOUGH STARTERS RECIPES
Sourdough Starter Recipe Tips
- When using your homemade sourdough starter in a recipe, leave behind approximately ½ cup of starter to feed. This ensures you have enough yeast to continue fermenting at the same pace you have been. Discarding does not affect the yeast’s ability to multiply in the long run.
- 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, called “hooch”. It’s the bacteria that give the bread its sour taste, and it’s a sign that your starter is hungry and ready for feeding. Pour the liquid off for a milder flavor or keep some of it in for that extra tang.
- 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.
- In general, thicker starters yield better baked goods, so use less water when feeding the starter. Alternatively, if the starter feels too thick for a recipe, add water.
- Track the growth. Put a rubber band around the jar when you feed the starter so you can see how much it rises. Once the sourdough starter is established, you can expect it to double in size after feeding.
Sourdough Starters Recipes Problems
- Starter doesn’t fit in the jar. If your starter outgrows your clean jar, you may split it between two jars. Continue the feeding process, dividing the flour and water between the bowls (2 Tablespoons of each, for each bowl).
- No bubbles. Your starter might need a warmer environment. Use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature – you want it to be around 70-75F.
- Bad smell. Sourdough starter does have a unique yeasty smell, almost like wine. But if it stinks or smells rancid, it has likely been contaminated. Toss it and try again!
- Discoloration on the surface. You might have mold. If it’s just on top, you can scrape it off and move some of the uncontaminated starter from the bottom to a new, clean jar. If the whole thing is discolored or smells off, throw it out and start again.
- Too watery. If your sourdough starter is super soupy, reduce the water slightly when feeding.
- Weak starter with other cultures. 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.)
SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE BREAD FAQS
Why did my sourdough starter stop bubbling on Day 3?
Sourdough starter goes through a dormant period around day 3 or 4 of getting it established. This is normal! Keep feeding it, and you should see it perk up in another day or two.
Can you overfeed a sourdough starter?
Yes and no. In the sense of adding too much flour and water, no – you’ll just have a large amount of starter to use for baking bread or other baked goods. In the sense of feeding too often, yes. The sourdough starter needs time in between feedings to ferment.
Can I use tap water for sourdough?
Filtered water is your best bet here, because tap water is sometimes chlorinated, which can kill off the good bacteria and prevent the starter from activating.
Can I toss leftover sourdough starter recipe bread dough scraps into my sourdough starter?
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 Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole.
What is the point of a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter captures the wild yeasts and lactobacilli that surround us all the time. This creates a natural way to leaven bread and other baked goods instead of using yeast from the store.
Can I just buy sourdough starter?
You can buy a starter culture to speed up the process of getting your own sourdough starter established. You may also be able to get some starter from a friend. However, it’s cheap and easy to make your own! Just follow the steps in this post.
SOURDOUGH RECIPES AND TUTORIALS
- Sourdough 101: The Benefits of Sourdough
- How to Make Sourdough Bread
- Einkorn Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Toasted Coconut Sourdough Banana Pancakes
- How to Make Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
- Sourdough A to Z eCourse (Plus recipe book!)
Thanks for this well explained step by step instructions. Going to try this…
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?
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.
Tiffany, thank you very much for your quick reply. It was very helpful.
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.
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.
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. 🙂
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!
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.
I never saw where you add yeast. Do you add ueast or just the flour and water?
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!
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!
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!
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?
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! 🙂
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!
Nor do I, but you’re most welcome! 🙂
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?
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. 🙂
I lifted the tea towel on my bowl to feed my starter, and there was mold growing on top! What did I do wrong?! 🙁
too bad you didn’t get a reply. Its always the critical ones that seem to get missed for some reason! (annoying)
I’m only human Lisa!
You may not have done anything wrong Lisa. Sometimes mold can grow in even the cleanest environments. I’d just try again!
my starter smells like hot dogs
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!
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?
How much flour did you start with on day one Mary?
i put in one cup flour one cup water
You should be fine Mary. Keep it going!
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.
Mmmm… you’ve got my wheels turning Katie! Your baked goods all sound delicious!
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
How much yeast does this recipe use? Thanks.
None!
You know the bread recipe is coming soon! Love me some butter! 😉
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?
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
Awesome – no liquid but have bubbles and smells good. So looking forward to having some of this bread soon:) Thanks!
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!
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
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!
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!
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!!
Hi Siobhan! Just keep going and follow the correct ratio for whole wheat. You’ll be fine!
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. 🙂
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
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 ?
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?
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
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?
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
Still confused, I’ll read it anew in the AM!!! LOVE THE BREAD, be great if I made it for me!!!! Thanks!!!!!
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?
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).