Sourdough Starter From Scratch
Learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch with this easy step by step recipe. Soon you'll be making your own homemade sourdough bread, cookies, and baked goods!
Equipment
- 1 Wide Mouth Jar with lid or other covering
- 1 Offset Spatula or fork for stirring
- 1 Scale optional, for weighing in grams
Ingredients
- Bread Flour Organic if possible. You can also use whole grain or whole wheat flour.
- Filtered Water
Instructions
- Day 1: On day one mix half cup bread flour and half cup starter into a clean wide jar. Stir vigorously, scraping down the sides. Cover with saran wrap and a rubber band or with a the lid of the jar.
- Day 2: 24 hours later, check to see if your starter has any activity. If it is bubbly and active, discard half of the starter in the trash and feed it with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 bread flour. Cover and wait another 24 hours.
- Day 3: Discard half of the starter, making sure to dispose of it in the trash. Feed with 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water. Stir and scrape down the sides, then cover.
- Day 4-10: Each day discard half of the starter and refeed it with new flour and water. The starter would be bubbly, active, and doubling in size. (This can take time, however, so don't be discouraged if it's not active right away).
- Your starter is ready to use when it double in size 4-8 hours after feeding, and has a light and clean sourdough aroma. I recommend waiting until day 14 to bake bread. Move to a larger container if you desire to keep a large amount of starter on hand for sourdough discard recipes.
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