With this easy Sourdough Starter Recipe, you can make delicious Sourdough Bread, Sourdough Pancakes, waffles, pizza, pretzels, and more right at home. It’s easier than you think, and with just two ingredients—water and flour—it’s inexpensive to make Sourdough Starter from scratch.
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While you may have heard that making sourdough is a complex process that requires time, money, and an inherited starter—I’m here to tell you not to be intimidated. People have been doing this for thousands of years without fancy techniques or tools, and I’m going to teach you how to do it, too.
What is a Sourdough Starter?
It’s basically a fun at-home science experiment with a delicious result. Sourdough starter is wild yeast that is cultivated using water and flour and then used to make baked goods rise, like sourdough bread. It’s been around since before the Ancient Egyptians, and it was the only way to make leavened bread until active dried yeast became available in the 1800s.
While commercial yeast is faster to use since you don’t have to wait for the yeast to ferment, it won’t give you the great benefits of sourdough, the distinctive sour taste, or the same feeling of achievement!
Sourdough Starter Recipe Video
See Natasha create her own sourdough starter with just flour and water. With patience and consistency, it’s simple and fun. It’s so easy, so let’s start your sourdough journey now!
How to Make a Sourdough Starter
While the process sounds mysterious, it’s so simple. Watch our video tutorial to see our simple process in action. Ready? Let’s start growing some wild bacteria on our kitchen counter–err–let’s make sourdough starter!
The 3 Stages of Creating a Sourdough Starter
There are 3 basic steps to making your own sourdough starter. In this sourdough starter recipe, I don’t overcomplicate it because it’s truly a simple, forgiving process.
- Create – a medium for yeast and bacteria to thrive (water + yeast)
- Grow – Strengthen and build up population of yeast and bacteria with regular feedings
- Maintain a healthy starter with consistent daily feeding of flour
How long does it take to create a sourdough starter?
This sourdough starter recipe takes about one week of consistent feeding to nourish and strengthen the yeast, but these are a few of the factors that can change how fast your starter grows, so patience is also important (but so worth it):
- Room Temperature – 70 to 75˚F is ideal
- Flour type – start with whole wheat or rye flour and use all-purpose for feeding
- Water quality – use spring water, filtered or dechlorinated water
- Feeding schedule – be consistent
Tools for Making a Sourdough Starter
It’s simple to make a sourdough starter with just two tools.
- Clear Glass Jar – use a quart mason jar or 3/4 qt Weck Jar with loose-fitting lid. Thoroughly wash and rinse. A Weck Jar is my favorite because it weighs exactly 400 grams without the lid so the math is easy, and it has a loose-fitting lid which is important to prevent pressure build-up. You can also set a lid loosely over a mason jar.
- Digital kitchen scale – you can make a starter without a scale (I’ve included cup measurements) but your process and later bread-making will be so much faster, easier, and more precise with a scale that measures in grams. It’s worth the small investment now.
Pro Tip:
A rubber band or dry-erase marker makes it easier to track the starter’s starting point and feeding times. And a silicone spatula makes for the easiest cleanup.
Ingredients
There are only two ingredients for creating a sourdough starter: Flour and water. We use two different flours here, one to establish the starter and one to maintain it (see the explanation of flours above).
- Whole Grain Rye Flour or Whole Wheat Flour – organic is best, but regular Rye or Wheat will work as well. These sturdy, less processed grains create a stronger starter more quickly, but you don’t have to continue to bake with these flours.
- All-purpose flour – I prefer organic here as well and avoid bleached flour. After the wild yeast is established, this flour is used to maintain and feed the starter since is cheaper and what most people stock in their pantry
- Water – use room temperature filtered water, spring bottled water or dechlorinated water is needed since chlorine hinders yeast growth. To dechlorinate your water – boil and cool tap water, or leave a jug of water on the counter for a day to dechlorinate. If your house is cooler, use lukewarm water (not more than 85˚F). Avoid cold water which will slow the growth.
What is the best flour to create a sourdough starter?
To begin and establish a starter, use wholegrain rye flour and whole wheat flour – preferably organic. I have created starters with both and they grew equally well. See a photo of the difference below. In rye flour, the germ and bran haven’t been processed away as in all-purpose refined flour, so it gives more food for the wild yeast to eat.
I have tested creating a starter with all-purpose flour and it took 3 times as long to show bubbling activity. All-purpose is best used to grow and maintain your starter but you should initially start with rye or whole wheat flour.
How to Make a Sourdough Starter
It’s simple to make sourdough bread starter in just a few minutes each day. In most cases, you’ll be making bread in just a week!
Day 1: Make your Starter (Stage 1 – Create)
- Stop! Before you do anything, record the weight of your jar on a kitchen scale in grams on the jar with a permanent marker.
- Mix 100g (3/4 cup) Rye or whole wheat with 100g (1/2 cup) room temperature water into the glass jar. Once combined the mixture should be thick (rye flour is especially thick, like a sandy paste), but it will become thinner as the yeast breaks down the gluten. Scrape the sides of the jar.
- Cover the jar with a loose-fitting lid at room temperature for 24 hours. Mark the height of your starter with a rubber band or dry-erase marker and record the date.
Pro Tip:
The ideal room temp for growing sourdough starter is 70-75 degrees. Don’t be tempted to put your starter in a warm oven to speed it up. I tried that, and it grew too fast and exhausted my yeast so it stopped growing and I had to start over. Allowing the yeast to grow and develop slowly in the environment it will be used in is best.
Day 2: Check your Starter
- No Change – You probably won’t see anything changed. You may see some small bubbles, but leave it to rest for another 24 hours.
Day 3: Visible Bubbles (Stage 2 – Grow) and First Feeding
- Discard: Remove and throw away half of the starter (discard in the trash so it won’t clog your plumbing). You should have 100 grams or 1/2 cup remaining in the jar.
- Feed: Add 100g (3/4c) ALL PURPOSE FLOUR and 100g (1/2c) room temperature water.
- Mix the starter with the added flour/water until completely mixed. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides, then loosely cover and rest for another 24 hours.
Pro Tip:
If you don’t see visible bubbles it may be due to your environment, flour, or just plain luck. Discard and feed anyway to continue with the schedule. You may need to add a few extra days at the end to strengthen your starter, but that’s ok! Patience is key, so keep on the plan.
Day 4: Lots of bubbles
- Discard all but 100g of the starter.
- Feed: mix in 100g all-purpose flour and 100g room temperature water
- Stir, scrape the sides, cover, and rest again
Pro Tip:
Some starters seem to slow down growth at this stage (called a false start) for seemingly no reason. This is normal, so just keep with the schedule.
Day 5: More bubbles and some growth
- Discard all but 100g of the starter
- Feed: Mix in 100g all-purpose flour and 100g room temperature water
- Stir, scrape the sides, cover, and rest again
Day 6-7: Nearly doubling in size!
- Discard all but 100g of the starter
- Feed: Mix in 100g all-purpose flour and 100g room temperature water
- Stir, scrape, cover, and rest until the starter has doubled in size. Continue this routine until the starter doubles in size in 4-6 hours, and then begins to recede after 12 hours. This means it’s probably ready to use!
Testing Sourdough Starter for Readiness
- Growth Rate: The Starter grows to more than double in size within 4 to 6 hours and recedes after 12 hours.
- Smell: The starter should smell good—like sourdough bread or like brewing yeast, have bubbles and a dome-shaped top
- Floats: Drop a bit of starter into a bowl of water. If it floats, it’s ready to bake bread. Hooray!
Maintaining a Sourdough Starter (Stage 3: Maintain)
Once it passes the float test and your starter is established, you can feed it daily or weekly depending on how often you want to bake. See our detailed Tutorial on how to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter. You can even dry it out to take a months-long pause. This is great news because you can travel or pause without ruining your starter.
- Frequent baking: Store at room temperature. Begin daily discard and feeding schedule to keep the starter healthy and continue strengthening it (Discard all but 100g of the starter and Feed by mixing in 100g all-purpose flour and 100g room temperature water)
- Less frequent baking: Store in the refrigerator. Once a week, discard and feed then let it rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before refrigerating. If baking, remove the starter from the fridge and bring to room temperature overnight. Discard and feed. When the starter reaches its peak, remove the portion needed for the recipe, then feed and refrigerate.
Pro Tip:
Once your starter is mature, don’t throw away your sourdough discard. You can use it in recipes like Sourdough Pancakes, Sourdough Crackers, Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, and many other sourdough discard recipes.
Naming Your Sourdough Starter
Many people choose to name their sourdough starters. I loved my sister-in-law’s idea and copied it—Doughseph. After three years of making the dreamiest sourdough, he’s a part of the family.
Why Won’t my Sourdough Starter Rise?
It’s common to have a starter that isn’t ready by day 6 or 7. Keep feeding it for another week until you see it double and the texture is spongy and puffy with large and small bubbles. It should also smell sour and pleasant.
Sourdough is very forgiving so long as you don’t add hot water which kills the yeast. Just keep feeding it and discarding and it usually bounces back.
It’s easy to make sourdough bread at home using this simple sourdough starter recipe. Start today and you can enjoy a loaf of homemade bread in about a week!
More Bread Recipes
While your starter is growing, try these easy, beginner-friendly recipes to enjoy delicious bread made right at home.
Sourdough Starter Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 100 g Whole Grain Rye Flour or Whole Wheat Flour, preferably organic (100g = 3/4 cup)
- 500 g All-purpose flour – preferably organic and avoiding bleached flour, used to maintain and feed the starter
- 1 qt filtered water or spring water is even better*, room temperature
Instructions
Day 1 Make your Starter
- Record the weight of your jar in grams before you add anything and label the jar with your starting date for easier tracking.
- Add 100 grams (3/4 cup) whole wheat or rye flour and 100 grams (1/2 cup) water. Stir together thoroughly with a fork (it will be very thick), scrape down the sides with a spatula. Cover with a loose-fitting lid and let it rest at room temperature for 24 hours*. Put a rubber band around your jar to mark the growth of your starter. Label the jar with a date to track.
Day 2: No Changes Noted
- Likely nothing is happening. You might see some tiny bubbles or it will look exactly the same. Let it rest for another 24 hours
Day 3 (stage 2) Visible Growth and Bubbles in Jar
- Remove and discard half of the starter in the trash so it does not affect the plumbing. You should have 100 grams (1/2 cup) of starter left. Add 100 grams (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour and 100 grams (1/2 cup) room temp water. Stir thoroughly, scrape down the sides of the jar, cover loosely, and rest at room temperature for 24 hours
Day 4 (72 Hours into the process): See a lot of bubbles
- Remove and discard all but 100 grams of starter. Add 100 grams (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour and 100 grams (1/2 cup) room-temperature water. Stir thoroughly, scrape down the sides of the jar, cover loosely, and rest 24 hours. Note: In a couple of my many tests, my starter seemed to slow down its growth on day 4 for no apparent reason. If that happens, just keep feeding it – it will turn back around.
Day 5: Visible growth and bubbles.
- Remove and discard all but 100 grams of starter. Add 100 grams (3/4 cup) All-purpose flour and 100 grams (1/2 cup) room-temperature water. Stir thoroughly, scrape down the sides of the jar, cover loosely, and rest 24 hours.
Day 6-7: Your starter may double or more
- Remove and discard all but 100 grams of starter. Add 100 grams (3/4 cup) All-purpose flour and 100 grams (1/2 cup) room-temperature water. Stir thoroughly, scrape down the sides of the jar, cover loosely, and rest until more than doubled in volume.
Testing Your Starter
- When your starter is ready, it should peak between 4-6 hours and start to recede after 12 hours. It should smell sour and pleasant, drop a dollop of your starter into a bowl of water. If it floats, it’s healthy enough to use in recipes. If your starter isn’t ready by day 7, continue feeding it following this schedule. It may take a bit longer depending on many factors—such as the flour use and the environment.
How to Maintain your starter
- For frequent bakers: store at room temperature. Discard and feed every 24 hours. To use the starter, feed and wait for the starter to reach its peak, 4-6 hours then remove the portion needed for the recipe.
- For casual bakers (weekly): store in the fridge. Once a week, discard and feed the starter, then let it rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before returning it to the fridge. If baking, remove the starter from the fridge and bring to room temperature overnight. Discard and feed. When the starter reaches its peak, remove the portion needed for the recipe, then feed and refrigerate.
Notes
- Temperature is key: The room temperature will affect how quickly the starter develops. The ideal growing temperature is 68-75 degrees. a cold kitchen may take longer. For colder kitchens, consider storing in a warmer location or start with lukewarm 85˚F water.
- Use non-chlorinated water: Chlorine can hinder the growth of yeast and bacteria. Use filtered water or spring water for best results. To dechlorinate your water, you can boil and cool or set your water into a vessel and leave it on the counter for 1 day to naturally dechlorinate and come to room temperature.
- Consistency: try to feed your starter consistently at the same time each day.
- Patience is essential: Starters can vary in how quickly they develop, so don’t worry if yours takes a little longer. Don’t try to speed it along in too warm of an environment or you can exhaust your yeast.
Filed Under
Thank you for this recipe. Question…if I grind some wheat berries for fresh whole wheat flour, and proceed to immediately start the recipe, would that change any of the directions or results? I would assume that it would ‘start’ quite easily this way?
Hi Julie, I haven’t tried that but it sounds like a good idea if you have the tools to mill your own flour. Be sure to measure by weight since flours can vary in their weight. Let me know how it goes.
Cant wait for bread recipe. I love your recipes. You are my life saver since we live in Poland and my husband is American. I can cook all American dishes with your help. Thank you so much.
Hi Marta! Thank you so much. I’m glad you’ve found them helpful.
When it reaches day 7 and is ready to use, but I’m not ready to make bread do you feed it again or put it in the fridge like that until you want to use it?
Hi Audrey, yes it should be ready to use by that point as long as it doubles in volume. Stay tuned for our next two recipe posts to complete the process.
Please you don’t tell us which yeast we can do. Also how much yeast to do this sour dough. Thank you
Hi Lina. We do not use yeast in this recipe. The sourdough starter relies on the natural yeasts and bacteria present in the flour and the environment.
Hi Natasha
Do you have a sourdough bread recipe you like to use after you have established your sourdough starter please.
Thankyou
Hi Jill! Yes, stay tuned for our next two recipe posts to complete the sourdough process!
You make this look easy! I think most of us have tried and made a true science experiment! I am wondering 1. Can you use the discard to start another starter? 2. My scale has grams and fluid oz, which would I use for the water? 3. How much of the starter can you use in a recipe and still keep it going? Thank you, LOVE your COOKBOOK!
I’m happy to answer your questions!
1. Yes, using discard is a great way to start another starter and minimize waste. Simply combine discard with equal parts flour and water and you’ll have a new starter, it may take a few days to fully develop.
2. I recommend using grams to keep it consistent.
3. Typically you would want to leave about 25-50 grams of your mature starter to maintain its ongoing health by feeding and maintaining the culture.
I hope this is helpful! I’m also so glad to hear you love my cookbook!
Thank you so much, now to wait for your awesome sourdough recipes!
It’s winter here in Idaho and I keep my house at 65 degrees. Should I wait until spring to start this or can I start it now and it will just take longer for the yeast to grow?
Hi Glenda, I’m right here in Idaho as well! You can start it now, I recommend reading through the tips in post.
Instead of discarding each day when you feed, can you use that to make another starter?
Hi Tracie, yes, using discard is a great way to start another starter and minimize waste. Simply combine discard with equal parts flour and water and you’ll have a new starter, it may take a few days, just keep up with the feeding routine to ensure it develops full strength before using it again. I hope this helps.
Hi Natasha. I’m a long time fan. Love your recipes. Have tried many from your cookbook and Pinterest and all have been wonderful.
But I’m confused about using the starter. When I want to bake, take from refrig overnight. Then feed and allow it to reach peak 4 to 6 hours. Then remove amount needed for recipe and then feed again? Please let me know if I’m understanding. Thanks!
Hi Sally! It makes my day to hear you’re a long time fan and love my recipes. I appreciate your kind comment. You’re on the right track about using the starter.You want to take it from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before you plan to use it. Once at room temperature you want to start feeding your starter. You can feed it while it’s cold also, it will just take a tad longer (closer to the 6 hours) to reach peak if you’re using luke-warm water. Removing the amount needed is the correct next step. Take the required amount of your starter and use it in your recipe. After removing the portion you need for the recipe, it’s a good idea to feed the starter again to keep it healthy and active. This maintains the balance of the bacteria and yeast to keep the rich sourdough flavor alive. Side note, if its colder in your home your starter may take longer than 6 hours to reach its peak. I hope these notes are helpful.
Hi Natasha….we love u, all your recipes and your new book…..congrats on that! I plan to make this starter and then make sourdough bread and sourdough pancakes and/or waffles, but can’t find a recipe for either on your website…….do u have one, or could u direct me where to look? Would really love something comparable to your recipes cuz I never tried one I didn’t like……..Thanks so much!
Hi Jan! I’ll be sharing one very soon so stay tuned!
I am looking forward to your sourdough bread recipe! I am hoping it is more than white flour 🙂 maybe, rye bread? Thank you for all of your recipes I love them! One of my favorites is spatchcock chicken!
Hi Michelle, I love to mix in rye flour or whole wheat but rye is my favorite for flavor. The sourdough bread recipe is coming on Friday. I’m glad you’re excited!
YES! I will definitely be sharing this with many friends. I was discussing with my girlfriends sourdough bread and we were at a loss at how to begin! Keep the bread posts coming 🙂 I love all your baking recipes they always turn out soooo good. Thanks Natasha!
You’re very welcome, Bee! I’m so glad it was helpful.
Hi Natasha
Do you think spelt flour would work instead of whole wheat or rye ?
Hi Anna! Based on my research, yes, you can use spelt, einkorn or gluten-free flour to make sourdough started, however you will need to make adjustments for each type of flour and consider adjustments to the process as well. Some things to consider, while spelt flour can be used 1:1 with wheat flour, it absorbs more water than wheat flour.
Hi, I rarely use flour so I’m wondering can I just use the wheat or rye as the feeder flour? If so, can I rotate the flour? using rye on one day and wheat the next. So on and on….
Hi Karen, you can use either wheat or rye to feed your starter, most people prefer to use whole grain flours since they provide additional nutrients for the yeast and bacteria in the starter. Rotating between the two flours can add variety to your sourdough flavor profile. You can alternate between the rye and wheat to determine which you like better or observe how it impacts flavor and activity. That’s the beauty of baking and cooking, you can find what works best for you and your taste preferences. I hope that helps.
Hi Karen, I haven’t seen that advised anywhere and I haven’t tested using multiple at once so I’m not sure how that would affect the growing starter. I would stick with one while you are growing your starter and you can always feed it with other flours once the starter is developed.
I’ve been looking for a method to make my own starter ever since I let my last one die accidentally. Thank you for providing so much helpful info!
I’m so happy to hear that (not that your starter died of course), but that you found this recipe. It really is so easy.
Making sourdough bread has always seemed daunting to me. I loved this tutorial so much! It made it feel doable! The bread turned out amazing!
You’re very welcome, Mel!
Fantastic! You are the Best! I started a sourdough starter and have gotten so frustrated with it, I was going to throw it out, before I saw your demo. Many thanks Natasha Спасибо !
Hi Gabriella! I’m glad you found this helpful! Can’t wait for you to try this recipe.
Looks simple enough now do you have a sourdough bread recipe to share?
Stay tuned, it’s coming very soon!
Will it still work with a gluten free flour? Love your recipes Natasha!
Hi LG! I haven’t tested it myself to provide exact instructions but it is possible to do a GF sourdough starter using GF flour. I would research online for details.
Hi, my “bonus Daughter” has to be gluten free. Can we make this gluten free somehow?
Hi Roxanne, yes, if it’s made with gluten free flour and a gluten free sourdough starter you can make a gluten free sour dough, I haven’t tried it myself to know if the ratios or process need to be changed to advise.
Hi Natasha
Thank you for this recipe.
My started has risen up so much in 24 hours. Do I wait till day three or do I start feeding it now?
HI Ana, did you possibly put it in a warm place? Setting in a warm place isn’t advised because you will exhaust your yeast before it has time to really develop. This is why room temperature is best. If it has risen after 24 hours, you definitely want to feed it and proceed to store at room temperature.
Can I use spelt or einkorn or almond flour to make a sourdough starter? Would there be any adjustments I would need to make?
Hi Cheryl, based on my research, yes, you can use spelt, einkorn or gluten-free flour to make sourdough started, however you will need to make adjustments for each type of flour and consider adjustments to the process as well. Some things to consider, while spelt flour can be used 1:1 with wheat flour, it absorbs more water than wheat flour. Einkorn has a different gluten structure compare to wheat/rye and can be trickier to work with. Finally almond flour is gluten free and it won’t contribute to the gluten structure the starter needs. I hope these notes are helpful.
I am not a baker but am trying to be more healthy in the choices I make. Thank you so much.
My main concern is not using GMO products or the hybridized wheat. Thank you for answering me.