Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe (From Scratch)
Learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch with just flour, water, and time. This day-by-day guide walks you through exactly what to do, what you should see, and when your starter is strong enough to bake bread. Once it's active, use it for my viral No Knead Sourdough Bread.
Servings: 1 cup of active sourdough starter
Equipment
- 1 pint-size glass jar (or similar container)
- spoon or small spatula
- loose lid, coffee filter, cloth, or plastic wrap
- rubber band, tape, or marker (to mark the height)
- digital kitchen scale (optional but helpful)
- digital thermometer (optional but helpful to hit 90°F water)
Ingredients
This is everything you'll need for the first week:
- 60 grams whole wheat flour (about ½ cup) - for Day 1 only
- 480-600 grams unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour, divided (about 4 cups; I recommend having a 5 lb bag on hand so you don't run out)
- 600-720 grams water at about 90℉, divided (about 2½ cups; warm to the touch but not hot)
Instructions
Before You Begin
- Pick a feeding time. Choose a time you can stick with every day (morning works well).
- Pick a warm spot to keep your starter. It will be happiest at 70-75°F. You can keep it beside (not on) the stove; on top of the fridge; in a turned-off microwave with the door cracked and a cup of hot water beside the jar; or in a proofing box set to 75°F. If your house is chilly, wrap the jar in a towel.
Day 1 - Mix the Starter
- In a clean jar, combine 60 g of whole wheat flour (½ cup) and 60 g water at 90°F (¼ cup).
- Stir until no dry flour remains. The mixture will be thick, like heavy pancake batter. Lumps are fine.
- Scrape down the sides and lightly level the top.
- Cover loosely and let rest in a warm spot (70-75°F) for 24 hours.
- Tip: If you need a warmer spot, place the jar on a baking sheet in the oven (turned off) with the light on for 1-2 hours, then move it back to the counter. Don't forget it in there.
Day 2 - Watch and Wait (No Feeding)
- Peek at the top and sides for small bubbles. It might have puffed slightly, or not at all.
- You can stir once or twice to add oxygen, but do not feed yet.
- Cover loosely and let rest another 24 hours at 70-75°F.
- Totally normal today: Slightly looser texture, mild tangy or fruity smell.
- Tip (about hooch): At any point during this process, you might see a gray, thin liquid on top that smells like rubbing alcohol or gym socks. That's called hooch - a sign your starter is hungry. It's normal. Just pour it off and keep going.
Day 3 - First Feeding
- Give the mixture a quick stir.
- Remove and discard all but 60 g of starter. Scoop it with a spoon or pour into a bowl to weigh. (Discarding controls the acidity and gives the natural yeasts fresh food.)
- To the 60 g starter, add 60 g bread flour or all-purpose flour (½ cup) and 60 g water at 90°F (¼ cup).
- Mix with a fork or spoon until smooth. It should look like thick pancake batter.
- Scrape down the sides, put a rubber band around the jar at the height of the mixture, cover loosely, and let rest 24 hours at 70-75°F.
Day 4 - Second Feeding
- Remove and discard all but 60 g of starter in the jar.
- To the remaining starter in the jar, add 60 g flour (½ cup) and 60 g water at 90°F (¼ cup).
- Mix well, scrape down the sides, place your rubber band, cover, and rest at 70-75°F for 24 hours.
- Note: Around Days 3-4, many starters appear to slow down or even "stall" after that first burst of activity. This is very normal. The yeast is still building its strength. Keep feeding and resist the urge to give up.
Day 5
- Remove and discard all but 60 g of starter.
- To the jar, add 60 g flour (½ cup) and 60 g water at 90°F (¼ cup).
- Mix until smooth, scrape down the sides, place your rubber band, cover, and rest in a warm spot for 24 hours.
- The smell may get sharper or "funky" today - that's normal fermentation, not spoilage.
Day 6
- Remove and discard all but 60 g of starter in the jar.
- To the jar, add 60 g flour (½ cup) and 60 g water at 90°F (¼ cup).
- Mix well, scrape down the sides, place your rubber band, cover, and rest at 70-75°F for 24 hours.
Day 7
- Remove and discard all but 60 g of starter.
- Feed again with 60 g flour (½ cup) and 60 g water at 90°F (¼ cup).
- Mix, scrape down, place a rubber band, cover, and rest at 70-75°F for 24 hours.
Day 8 and Beyond - Is It Ready?
- By now, many starters are fully active. Look for:-Doubling in size in 4-6 hours after a feeding.-Lots of bubbles, large and small, throughout the jar.-A spongy, fluffy texture-like a melted marshmallow.-A pleasant, tangy smell (no harsh, nail-polish, or rotten odors).
- If your starter ticks those boxes, it's active and ready to use in sourdough recipes.
- Optional float test: Scoop 1 teaspoon of starter from the top and drop it in cool water. If it floats, it's airy and ready. If it sinks but still doubles in 4-6 hours, trust the rise, not the float test.
- If it's not quite there yet (very common if your kitchen runs cool), just keep feeding once a day at the same 60 g starter, 60 g flour, 60 g water ratio for another 1-2 weeks. Many "slow" starters end up being the most reliable once they hit their stride.
After Your Starter Is Established
- Once your starter is mature and predictable, you can switch to my maintenance feeding: -Keep 25 g starter (discard the rest).-Feed with 75 g water and 75 g bread flour. Let it double and use it in my recipes, making sure you save 25 g to feed again. This feeding keeps the starter lively and happy.
- If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
Notes
- Timeline: Most starters take 7-14 days to become strong and reliable at 70-75°F. Cooler kitchens can take longer.
- Early bubbles don't mean "ready": A mature starter should double in 4-6 hours after a feeding and do that consistently for several days.
- The "rollercoaster phase": It's very normal for the starter to look active early on and then go quiet around Days 3-5. That's not failure-it's just the yeast and bacteria finding their balance.
- Weights vs cups: "Equal parts" means equal weight, not volume. Example: 60 g flour = ½ cup, 60 g water = ¼ cup. Same weight, different cup measure. For best results, stick with grams once you start.
- Discard safety: For food safety, do not use discard from Days 1-6. From Day 7 on, cooked/baked recipes are fine as long as the starter smells pleasantly tangy, not rotten.
- Room Temperature (bake often): Keep the starter on the counter and feed it once a day (or twice if it's rising and falling very quickly).
- Refrigerator (bake occasionally): Store with a loose lid in the fridge and feed about once a week. To feed: Keep 25 g starter, add 75 g water and 75 g flour, let it get a bit bubbly at room temp, then pop it back in the fridge. Before baking, give it 1-2 room-temperature feedings so it's nice and active.
