Learn how to make a Sourdough Starter for using in sourdough bread, pizzas, pancakes, and more! This in-depth guide breaks down the growing process into easy steps and includes plenty of tips for success.
Easy Sourdough Starter
Today I’m sharing my favorite tips and tricks on how to make a sourdough starter. Homemade sourdough took the internet by storm in 2020 and has since become a weekly routine for many bakers (including me!). I’m sharing everything I’ve learned over the last few years so you can enjoy sourdough bread, pancakes, sourdough english muffins, and more, too!
Just like baking with yeast, I know that homemade sourdough can be intimidating. But again, just like with yeast, there’s really nothing to be afraid of. If you can measure flour and water, you can do this!
Today’s post will outline how often to feed your starter, signs that it’s gone bad, what to do with the discard, and more. Also, I’ll be sharing several recipes that incorporate this sourdough starter (and the discard, too!) over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for those! 😊
What You Need
All sourdough starters are essentially the same, but the amount of flour and water used may vary. Here’s what I recommend:
- Flour. I begin with whole wheat flour for the first few days (it feeds the starter with more diverse microorganisms, and some people claim it quickens the growing process). After that, I switch to bread or all-purpose flour. I recommend you switch to the flour you’ll be baking with most often and stick with that; for me, that’s bread flour because that’s what I use to make my sourdough bread.
- Water. If your water isn’t filtered, use bottled water, at least in the beginning. I don’t recommend using unfiltered water because the chemicals in it, such as chlorine, can slow or kill the starter.
- Glass jar. Place your sourdough starter in a glass that allows room for it to double; I like to use a quart-sized mason jar. I recommend using a rubber band or dry erase marker to note the levels when feeding the starter so you know once it’s doubled.
SAM’S TIP: Sourdough starters aren’t an exact science, but weights are easiest for this recipe to ensure you’re using equal parts water and flour, so I really recommend using a kitchen scale (it’ll save you dishes, too). I use 80g of flour and water, but you can really use any amount, so long as it’s the same weight of both. You can easily increase or decrease this amount for larger or smaller recipes (just discard more or less starter and add more or less water/flour), as long as you maintain 100% hydration, meaning equal weights of flour and water.
How to Make A Sourdough Starter
Days 1 & 2
Start by combining your whole wheat flour and warm water in a large glass jar that is large enough for the starter to double. Make sure to stir until there are no dry spots of flour remaining, then cover and place in a warm location for 24 hours.
On day 2, you may notice some liquid on top of your starter, no worries! Just stir your starter and remove slightly more than half (if you want to be precise, which you do not need to be, reserve 80 grams of starter before adding 80g each of flour and water). Cover and let rest in a warm spot for another day.
When discarding, you can use a kitchen scale or just eyeball it, fortunately it is not an exact science. However you must discard, otherwise you will have even more waste because you’ll have to keep feeding the starter more and more.
SAM’S TIP: You can feed your discard to make a new sourdough starter to give as a gift or refrigerate it and keep as a spare (something I wished I’d done when I lost my first starter to a fly!). You can also use your discard in other recipes; I have a sourdough pancake recipe that uses discard. Note that you cannot begin using the discard for at least a week.
Days 3 & 4
On day 3, your starter may begin to grow some bubbles. Again, you’ll want to remove all but 80 grams (a bit over half), then stir in equal parts (80g each) of warm water and flour. You may see some bubbles at this point.
On day 4, repeat the same steps as days 2 and 3. You should definitely see some bubbles in the starter at this point.
Days 5 & 6
Things start to change on day 5! First, you may notice that your starter has begun to increase in size after feeding. Second, you’ll now start discarding and feeding twice a day. Finally, you’ll switch over to your new flour (either bread or all-purpose depending on your preference).
On day 6, repeat the same steps as day 5. You’ll notice the starter getting lighter in color as the ratio of whole wheat flour remaining drops.
SAM’S TIP: Try to feed your sourdough starter at the same time every day! I’ll admit that I’ve definitely forgotten and fed mine much later, or even accidentally skipped a day (not recommended until after you’ve established your starter).
Days 7 & 8
Day 7 is the same as days 5 and 6. Make sure to discard and feed with your new flour twice a day at this point.
Day 8 should find you with a bubbly and vigorously (or, at least, more vigorously than previously) growing sourdough starter. At this point, it should be doubling in size within 6-8 hours, so you can reduce feedings back down to once per day. You may note the black line on my jar for “Day 8”; I mark the starter’s height right after feeding and then I can easily see once it’s doubled (as it has in the photo).
If yours hasn’t quite reached this stage yet, keep feeding twice a day until it does, it’ll get there! The last time I made a new starter it actually took closer to two weeks before mine was doubling within 8 hours (I attribute this to the cool weather and my chilly kitchen).
Now you know how to make a sourdough starter! Keep discarding and feeding the starter every day for at least two weeks or longer before using in recipes. Check the recipe notes below for more details on maintenance and storing options.
SAM’S TIP: To speed up growth, keep the starter in a warm (but never hot) location, like on top of the refrigerator. If I’m trying to speed up the growth of my starter (say I fed it a bit later than usual, and I want to use it sooner rather than later), I’ll place mine in the oven with the oven light on (do not turn on the oven!!).
Oh, and don’t forget to name your starter! My current starter is named “Scotty”. I made a brand new starter for today’s post (so I could photograph its day-by-day growth) and named her Ophelia. I couldn’t bring myself to just toss her when I was finished growing her (you do get attached 😆) so my sister adopted her when I was finished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some people say you can use your sourdough starter right away after 7 days, but I like to give mine at least 2-3 weeks of growing before I feel it’s strong enough. I suspect the starter would not be quite strong enough to make a satisfactory loaf of bread after only 7 days.
You want to use your starter when it is at its height; it should be active and bubbly and doubled in size. I like to look for a few clues: is the starter doubling in size within 12 hours? Is it bubbly? Smell it, it should smell pleasantly sour but also a bit sweet. You can also do the “float test“, which means taking a bit of the starter and dropping it into a bowl of water. If it floats, it means it’s ready to use.
This is called “hooch” and it happens when your sourdough is hungry. It doesn’t mean it’s bad though! You can stir it back into the starter before discarding (for a more sour taste) or just pour it off when discarding.
Look for colorful (commonly pink) streaks, which are mold. Also, if the starter doesn’t show any growth after 3 or so feedings, it’s likely bad.
I use my sourdough starter often, so I just store it at room temperature and feed once a day (this is after the initial growing period). If you won’t be baking as often, you can feed it, let it eat for 2-3 hours, then put it in the fridge where you can feed it weekly. When you are ready to use it, feed the starter and watch for it to double before proceeding.
Enjoy, and stay tuned! I have lots more sourdough recipes coming up, including sourdough bread and sourdough pizza crust, and save your discard for making sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough crackers, sourdough brownies, and more!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
How to Make a Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
For Feeding (Days 1-5)
- 80 grams whole wheat flour (⅔ cup)
- 80 grams warm filtered water (⅓ cup) (water should be between 90-100F/32-37C)
For Feeding (Day 5+)
- 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour (⅔ cup)
- 80 grams filtered water (⅓ cup) (water should be between 90-100F/32-37C)
Recommended Equipment
- Spoon
Instructions
DAY ONE
- Combine 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams filtered water in a glass container and stir well until no dry bits of flour remain (try to eliminate all lumps, bit it’s alright if some small ones remain). The mixture will be very, very thick, but if it's too dry to stir add another splash of water.80 grams whole wheat flour, 80 grams warm filtered water
- Cover container and place in a warm (not hot!) spot to rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours.
DAY 2
- The starter won’t look too different, but may have darkened in color and may have a bit of liquid on its surface (this is fine). Stir and discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 3
- Starter will increase in size and you should hopefully start to see bubbles. Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 4
- Starter should have bubbles and possibly a small bit of liquid on top. Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 5
- Your starter should be increasing in size by this point and possibly even doubling. You’ll begin feeding the sourdough twice a day (12 hours apart) and you will switch over to either bread flour or all-purpose flour (your choice, see note).
- In the morning: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place80 grams all-purpose or bread flour, 80 grams filtered water
- In the evening: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 6
- In the morning: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
- In the evening: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 7
- In the morning: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
- In the evening: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 8
- If your sourdough is now growing vigorously and bubbly and doubling within 6-8 hours, you can reduce to just feeding once a day. If yours is not, continue feeding twice a day until it rises well and is bubbly within 6-8 hours of a feeding.
- Well done, you’ve established your sourdough starter!
Maintenance
- Every day (preferably at the same time every day) discard about half of the starter then feed it 80 grams of your preferred flour and 80 grams of warm water. Make a mark on the jar with a dry erase marker or wrap a rubber band around the jar to mark how full your jar is and watch for it to double to know it is ready to use!Alternatively follow my instructions in the notes section below for storing your sourdough starter in the refrigerator to use and feed weekly. Note that I recommend regularly feeding the sourdough starter for at least two weeks before attempting to use it in recipes. If you use quite a bit of your starter for a recipe, you may wish to feed it one or two consecutive days without discarding to get it back to a reasonable volume before discarding again.
Notes
Water
Filtered water is best, you can use bottled water. Tap water often contains chlorine, which can kill your starter or keep it from growing properly.Flour
On day 5, I recommend switching to the flour you’ll be baking with most often and sticking with that. For me it’s bread flour, I feed my sourdough starter with this because this is the flour I’ll use to make my sourdough bread. However I still use this starter/discard in recipes that don’t use bread flour, so you can use whichever you prefer.Discard
You can eyeball this, it doesn’t have to be exact. Aim to keep a bit less than half of your starter and discard the rest. A scale makes measuring everything easy, and in the first week I’ll usually just pour 80g of the starter into a new jar, adding 80g each of flour and water, then discard what’s in the original jar. Once established (and I’m feeling a little lazy and comfortable with my starter) I keep it in the same jar, pour the discard straight into the trash (if I’m not using it) and just add flour and water to the jar, switching to a new/clean jar once a week. The discard will not be usable for recipes until day 8.Feeding
When I first begin a new starter, I like to feed it a 1:1:1 ratio (starter:flour:water) until it’s established. Then I may vary how much I feed it, depending on how quickly it rises and falls. I typically feed my starter once a day once its fallen.Storing
If you bake several times a week, store your starter at room temperature and discard/feed daily. If you bake less often you may store it in the refrigerator. To do this, feed your starter, cover, then let it feed for several hours. Once you begin to notice bubbles, transfer to the refrigerator. Discard/feed it once a week. When ready to use, feed it and watch for it to double before using.Baking in Bread
Once your starter is established, use it to bake my personal favorite sourdough bread!Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Nree
I have a couple questions…How long does the starter last? Do you ever have to start over?
Also, I’m not going to be an every day baker, so I’ll most likely have to store in the fridge, as long as I’m feeding it weekly, how long will it keep in the fridge?
Sam
Hi Nree! As long as you continue to maintain it, it will last forever. I have heard stories of sourdough starter being over 100 years old. 🙂
Patty
My starter actually rose a bit on day 1 and 2 and then didn’t do much until day 8. I fed it this morning and it’s almost doubled in 6 hours. Wow. My house is cool. Around 68-70 degrees so I’m guessing that’s why it took a while to see progress.
Sam
Hi Patty! Some can be slow to grow, but I’m glad it’s growing now. 🙂
Pam
Hi Sam! I was wondering at what point does the starter thicken? Mine was really thick on day 2. It’s now day 6, feeding twice a day, and it’s like water thin. So I’m curious if it’s supposed to be like this.
Sam
HI Pam! I find it seems to thin a bit once I switch over from the whole wheat flour. It shouldn’t be water thin, though. I would just double-check your measurements next time you discard/feed it and continue to feed as written. The first week always drives me a little crazy as I think it’s not going to turn out, then poof after a few days it starts doubling and everything is good. Also note yours might take a touch longer than a week if it’s not particularly warm in your kitchen.
Kimberly
I have been using your recipe with my own starter. i Live in Florida but it’s been 50’s outside and about 70 Inside. My starter was bubble on day 3 or 4 (if I remember right) but I’m to day 6 and it isn’t bubbling or growing. Have I killed it already?! I use filtered water.
Do you leaver your starter in the jar and pour the water and flour on top of the starter to mix it? I was mixing my new flour and water together then mixing it in to my maturing starter. Does that sound wrong?
Sam
Hi Kimberly! If you look at my photos, mine is bubbly days 3 & 4 then days 6 & 7 it’s much flatter and didn’t bubble nearly as much. I would just keep going, I really doubt you killed it. I do leave my starter in the jar, add flour and water, then stir, however I don’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with doing it the way you’re doing it and I don’t think it will hurt anything. I hope that helps! 🙂
Cara
I’m on day 2 of my sourdough starter. I’m wanting to keep my discard because I feel like it’s a waste to just throw it away. Do I need to put my discard in its own glass jar each day or can keep I adding them together in the same jar? Also, do I need to put the discard in the refrigerator or should I keep it in a warm spot and start feeding it like my first starter?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Sam
Hi Cara! The discard isn’t usable at this point, you will need to throw it out until day 8. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week (and you can add to it, but I wouldn’t do this for longer than a week, personally). If you keep feeding it you will then have to use double the amount of flour and water every day, which ultimately ends up just generating more waste, which is why discarding (or using in a recipe immediately) usually makes the most sense, even from a waste perspective. I hope that helps and stay tuned as I have quite a few discard recipes coming up!
kathryn vasil
Can you use white wheat flour?
Sam
Hi Kathryn! Yes that will work fine. 🙂
Rachel
Do I need to feed my started as often if it’s in the fridge? Some sites say you can wait up to a week before you would feed it. Thanks!
Sam
About a week is good! See the blog post and the recipe note, I cover this in detail there 🙂
Leslie R Thoma
Sam,
Another question, researching some recipes for the discarded part, can I use the discarded amount after the first 24 hours of starting it?
Sam
I don’t recommend using the discard until after your sourdough is established, day 8 for me.
Leslie R Thoma
Sam,
Do you actually throw away the discarded part? Can you pour it into another glass jar and feed that as well? It seems like a waste to keep throwing away half the starter. Can I give the discarded part away to a friend?
Sam
Hi Leslie! If you pour it into another glass jar and feed it you end up using twice as much flour every day, and then the following day you have to double again… and so on. So you actually end up wasting even *more* that way. You can absolutely feed it then give to a friend for them to have their own sourdough starter, though!
Personally I do throw some away occasionally, but not very much, but that is because I bake a LOT with it. I make and test so many recipes with discard (can’t wait to share them, stay tuned!), so not much gets wasted here. If you don’t bake with your starter often, see my notes about keeping the starter refrigerated once it’s established, then you only have to discard and feed once a week. I hope that helps! 🙂
Nata
Best explanation I have ever seen/read. Photos are an excellent help!
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed the post! 🙂
Ramona
I agree with Nata! Thanks, Sam!
Cara
I was so excited to come across this recipe!! I’ve been wanting to try my hand at sourdough bread, but I haven’t found a recipe that spelled it out as well as you did! Planning on going to the store to get some whole wheat flour sometime today so I can get started on my starter. I will have to think for a little while to figure out a name for her. Can’t wait to see what recipes you come out with for the starter!
Sam
I hope you love it, Cara! There are so many things you can make with it. 🙂
gelyse
How do you increase your starter if you are always throwing away most of it. Seems like some recipes use more starter than I have so is why I quit trying.
Sam
You can certainly keep more starter, you will just have to feed it more each day. I keep the amount shown in my post, but I often will bake 2 or 3 loaves of sourdough in a single day. To make sure I have enough, I don’t discard the morning that I want to make my bread and I just feed it double. Then, after making my bread, I usually will have a small amount of starter left, so the next day I just feed it a bit less and don’t discard it. Fortunately it’s pretty easy to feed it more whenever needed so you can have more starter. I hope that makes sense but let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Janessa
Can’t wait to finally try sourdough!! Quick (maybe dumb) question – what do you cover it with? Can I use the screw-on jar lid, or does it need to be a looser cover like the plastic wrap in some of your pics? I’m just a bit worried about my cats trying to mess with it lol.
Sam
Hi Janessa! It’s good for the starter to be able to breathe a little bit so I don’t recommend sealing it with a lid.
Caitlin
Apologies if this has already been asked or mentioned but do you have to use whole wheat flour? Are other types okay?
Sam
Hi Caitlin! Whole wheat is I have used and have had best results with so that is what I recommend. You could experiment with other flours, but I can’t say for sure how it will turn out.
Rosie
Thank you so much for sending sourdough recipes. My ‘Junior’ (starter’s name) is so happy to have new recipes 🤗
Sam
Junior is going to be so happy after I share my next few recipes. 🙂
Elize
Morning can you please help me with a sour dow bread recipe
Sam
Hi Elize! Here is my sourdough bread recipe 🙂
Kathy
Thank you for the detail on making a sourdough starter. Something I’ve been wanting to try.
Sam
I hope you do try it! You won’t regret it! It’s so versatile and makes so many delicious foods! 🙂