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.
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Hi 🙂
I am jaut starting his journey! Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks. I was wondering can I use whole wheat flour only to do this ? I wanted to avoid AP flour.
Thank you in advance!
Meg
Hi Megan! Yes, you can make a starter with only whole wheat flour, but it behaves differently than all-purpose flour. It ferments faster because it contains more nutrients and naturally occurring yeast- it will make your starter more active and bubbly, and can peak and collapse sooner (which is ok). It also absorbs more water, so at this feeding ratio it’s going to feel thicker and may need a little extra water to help keep it the right texture. Flavor-wise, it produces a slightly nuttier, more robust, and often tangier starter.
Hi Natasha!
I have followed this recipe to a T. I’ve been trying to maintai about 80° ambient temp, But admittingly that’s been my hardest part. I keep it in the microwave. Sometimes I take it out of the microwave when it’s about 85°, if I’ve been cooking in the oven. But then I might get a bit too cold on the counter, dipping to 70°. I’m on day 9. Getting slow rise throughout the day but not doubling within 4 to 6 hours so I know it’s not ready. It’s also very acetone smelling still. Wondering if you have any tips. Should I still be doing 1:1:1? Trying not to be impatient LOL. Thank you!
Hi Michelle! It sounds like the yeast and bacteria is off-balance. The inconsistent temperature is likely the culprit, 85 to 70 is quite the drop. The acetone smell indicates that the starter is hungry and running out of food too fast likely due to the high temperature. To get it going again, I would discard all except 25g of stater, and feed with 40-50g water and 40-50g flour. Make a thicker pancake batter consistency. 70 degrees is ok for a starter, it can just take longer to establish and may take closer to 6-8 hrs to rise and double.
Stick with 1:2:2 feedings for a few days. You can build it back up to 100g. Keep it in the warmest, most stable spot you have (microwave with light on, top of fridge, oven OFF with light), kitchen counter top at room temperature. You may even mix in a little whole wheat or rye flour to give it a nutritional boost. Just keep going, it should bounce back.
Thank you that is very helpful. I will follow your advice. I will keep it at 70, I think you’re right I was letting it get too warm. I appreciate your help! I just love your recipes, my go-to. I make your turkey, chicken pot pie, pie crust all the time. They always come out perfect!
Hi Natasha, once the starter is established, how long can you keep the discard to use to make something? How long is the discard good until and how would you store it? Or do you have to use the discard right away?
Hi Linda, at room temperature you would want to use it within 24-hours.
My starter is really running. Why is that? I followed the instructions that you gave
Hi Melody. You can try to feed it with less water to make it thicker like pancake batter. Sometimes this can happen if the room is too warm and if it’s fermenting too fast and it runs out of food. Be sure to use unbleached flour and filtered water for best results. You could also mix in a little bit of whole wheat or rye flour with a couple of feedings to see if that helps.
I’m a beginner at this and am just gathering info, equipment, and ingredients. I have a fed starter from a neighbor and my weck jars arrived yesterday. Is it ok to transfer the starter from its current jar to my new one? I won’t be getting started for a couple of weeks yet. I sure do appreciate all your great instruction but am a bit nervous to get started!
Hi Sue! Yes, you can transfer it. Just make sure to clean the jar well beforehand and continue to feed it regularly.
Hi Natasha, I’m on day 8 of my starter now. On day two it did the “false rise”, slowed down over day 3-4, day 5 it doubled again looking great, and then days 6 and 7 it rose but it didn’t double. I’ve fed it today (day 8) about 9 hours ago, it has risen a little but nowhere near doubled and the bubbles are VERY minimal. it is quite a thick-liquid starter, I’m not 100% sure if it’s is the right texture and I am concerned about the lack of bubbles. It does however smell really good now like sourdough bread as you described, which is a good sign! I’ve followed your steps exactly and I’ve seemed to have the most luck with your recipe over other recipes so far, so could you please let me know if I’m on the right track? and is there anything I should do to help it or do I just keep discarding and feeding daily? Thank you!!!
Hi Marissa, the good news is that it smells good and it has been active. Keep feeding it daily, be sure you are using filtered water and ensure the temperature of your room did not dip too much. Keep it in a warm spot. I wish I could be more helpful from a far, but I would love to know the outcome!
Hi! It’s day 4 now for my sourdough starter. I have a Brød & Taylor fridge to have stable temperature. I live in Norway so I wanted to have the right temperature. What I noticed was it was watery. There is some water on top. I was wondering why because the temperature I set was 23 deg Celsius. Should I restart again?
Hi Maria, you do not need to start over. What type of flour are you using? Be sure to use unbleached flour and filtered or dechlorinated water for best results. If your starter is very thin and watery, you can make a thicker paste using less water, like thick pancake batter. A watery starter just means that it’s hungry and ready to be fed. A temperature of 20-24 Celsius is ok, but on the warmer side it will ferment faster. You can also mix a little bit of whole wheat flour into the feeding to provide it with some more nutrients to help it thrive. I hope that helps.
Hi I continued and it’s looking pretty well since then. I am on my day 8 now. Yesterday it rose within 7hrs after feeding. I am contemplating to feed it now, it’s been 16hrs since I fed it. By the way thank you so much for this recipe and all others. I always get compliments with everything I cook and bake from you and I always share them your website 🤗 I bought toir cookbook as well ❤️
That’s wonderful, Maria! I’m glad it’s working well. And it sounds like it’s almost ready for baking. It should double in size within 3-4 hours, but sometimes it can take even longer if your room is colder. If it’s consistently doubling in size and it passes the float test that I mentioned above, you should be good to go.
I finally made sourdough and it was perfect. It’s my first time as well so I was over the moon! Thank you so much Natasha 🥰🥰🥰
That’s wonderful, Maria! Welcome to the sourdough world!
I just started my started yesterday. Is it okay that my whole wheat is stone ground? Also, what size are your jars? I think I started in too small of jars.
Hi! I think that’s fine. Here’s the Weck Jar that I use. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Hi! This is a great recipe. I think i am around week 2 and my starter smells very very sour. What should i do and when can i use it?
Hi Sarah! Just keep feeding it on a regular schedule. A starter is typically ready for baking it doubles in size within 4–8 hours after a feeding. it has plenty of bubbles throughout and it passes the float test. You can check this portion of the recipe “Testing Your Starter” to test if it’s ready.
So can i use my starter when it doubles even if it smells sour?
Hi Sarah, it’s unlikely that it will be ready to use any earlier than one week. It needs time to build up strength to have enough rising power to bake with. After a week, if your starter is “consistently” doubling in size within 3-4 hrs of feeding, it should be ready, especially if it passes the float test I mentioned above.
Hey Natash, after Day 4 you noticed your starter slowed down on growth. You said that if that happens to just keep feeding it. Do I still discard and then feed like normal or do I just feed?
Hi Theresa, you can discard and feed.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for your lovely recipes and taking the time to respond to everyone’s questions. Today’s day 2 for me and my starter has almost tripled in size. I’m based in Sydney, Australia and it is middle of summer here so I’m guessing that is why. I used whole wheat (chapati flour) and slightly cold tap water. Should I follow the recipe and do nothing today, or should I already start feeding the starter (per day 3)/ do something else? Very excited about this journey!
Hi Sindhu! It’s mostly early bacteria activity, not the stable yeast you want yet. It’s not uncommon for it rise that fast if you’re in a warm/humid climate.
Let it rise and fall naturally and then feed it as instructed, on day 3.
If your starter is rising and falling too quickly and becomes thin or watery, you may need to feed it twice a day, feed with more flour (less water, making a thicker paste), or move it to a slightly cooler spot to keep up with the fermentation since it will continue to ferment quicker in a warmer environment.
Also- use filtered water for feedings for best results.
Also can yu use the discard for recipes, like while wheat english muffins….Thanks
Hi Linda! Yes, once your starter is established, you can use discard in recipes. Do not use it in the beginning stages because it does not taste good, it’s still balancing out and developing flavor.
Hi Natasha! I want a traditional, tangy sourdough comprised of mostly rye flour. Beginning in Day 3 (stage 2) and moving forward for all maintenance feeds, can I do a blend of rye and AP? could I even do 100% rye if I wanted? I just want to be sure I set myself up for success given that I really do want a most/fully rye sourdough starter. Thanks!
Hi Ethan! You could use a blend of rye and AP. You can use all rye flour too. You’ll need it use a slightly higher hydration (rye absorbs more water). Feed more often if it peaks and collapses quickly. Rye starter may not rise quite as much, so you’ll want to judge readiness by bubbles, aroma, and appearance (it should look aerated and spongy, not dense or gluey). Rye has very little gluten, so it doesn’t trap gas the same way AP flour does, so you’ll can for go the float test.
Can you use the discard to make another starter and if so when in the process should you keep the discard? How far in advance or how long after the starter matures can you keep it? Thank you
Hi Donna, yes, you can make a another starter from discard. Just be sure to feed it daily to build it up, The discard will work if it’s from a recent feeding, it smells pleasant, and come from an active starter. I hope this helps.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for this very clear recipe and video. It’s my first time making a starter. I’m on day 4 now. It barely rose on the 2nd day, but I know that was normal, no feeding that day. I moved it to the top of my fridge because I have quite a cold space 16-23 degrees C and I slightly warmed up my filtered water because the room temperature is cold. Then it rose a bit on day 3 and I fed it at the same time again with slightly warm water. However, this morning when I woke up on day 4 it’s more than doubled in size. And it also has bubbles (not quite as many as yours when it’s fully ready). My question is whether I continue to feed it today (I feed it in the evenings) or whether I should use it?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there! That’s great, it sounds like your stater is developing well. It’s not ready to use yet, keep feeding it as instructed and allow a few more days for it to strengthen and mature.
I didn’t have enough starter to discard on day 4, It didn’trise at all. I may have had the lid on too tight. Do you just feed it like normal?
Hi Donna, I know it can be discouraing to not see a big rise, keep feeding it on a consistent schedule so it builds up and gets strong again. It is best to use a loose-fitting lid so the starter can breath.
Hi natasha, i followed your recipe on how to make the sourdough starter. So for the first 2 days its going great like the growing and everything but by the 3rd day it started to grow moldy. May i know why does this happen?
Hi Naomi! It could be contamination (jar or utensil not fully clean) but it could also happen if the starter is in a spot that’s too warm which encourages bad microbes. A room temperature of 68-75 is best. Make sure it’s not covered too tight, it needs airflow. Make sure your flour is not old or expired, and don’t store it in a place where it can get contaminated such as a bathroom.
Hello Natasha! I am on day 5 of my starter. It never rose. Not one day. I started with rye flour and have been feeding with 100g of unbleached flour and 100g of water. My starter is very very loose. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Honestly this is the second time I’ve started as I threw away my first one because it also was very loose and after 4 weeks I couldn’t get it to rise.
Hi Linda! A few things to help troubleshoot. A thin/runny starter usually indicates that it’s ran out of food. This can happen if the ratios are off and the starter becomes diluted, or if the room is too warm. You can feed it with rye/whole wheat flour for a few days to give it a nutritional boost. Use de-chlorinated water, spring/filtered water. Verify that the room temperature is ideal to promote growth which is generally 70 to 75°F. If it’s too warm, it could be running out of food too fast requiring more frequent feedings (twice a day). You can also use less water to feed, making a thicker pancake like consistency. Also- be sure to discard all except 100g prior to feeding. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha! I am on day 6 of my sour dough starter. On day three it rose more than double, now on days 4, 5 and 6 it has not risen at all. Same spot, same temp in the house. There were a couple of bubbles on day five but no growth. Any suggestions?
Hi Ann! It’s not uncommon for it to get sluggish. It just needs more time. Try feeding with whole wheat flour for the next 1-2 feeds to give it a boost. Also- make sure to use unbleached flour and filtered or spring water.
Thank you so much for your quick replies back to our questions😊. I have been using unbleached flour and filtered water after the initial start but will try the whole wheat flour to give it a boost. I am going out of town overnight will it be ok to put it in the refrigerator until I get back?
Yew, you can refrigerate it. It may take a little longer to establish, but just continue as instructed when you get back.
Hi Natasha! Love your recipes! This is day one for me and I have two questions. My weck jar is like yours (used your link) and my jar measures 391g. Do I have to go by that number when measuring my flour and water as I go forward so instead of 100 g of flour and water I use 109gr? And in your recipe it says 100g rye or whole wheat then under it says 500 g of flour? I know I don’t add that but where does that 500 grams come in. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Hi Ann! For simplicity, you can just round up to 400g for the weight of your jar. You’ll be using 100g of flour with each feeding. The 500g of all purpose flour is the total amount you’ll need to make your starter when you start using all purpose flour on day 3 (100g x 5 days).
Hi Natasha!
First of all, I love your videos and recipes. Your website is my number 1 go-to for recipes. I love how delicious yet “simple” your recipes are. And your cookbook is amazing!!
I’m about to jump on the sourdough train for the first time. My question is, let’s assume my starter will work as you described in your video. When I get to day 6-7, where it doubles in volume in 4-6 hours, do I need to leave it alone still in order for it to reduce, and wait for one more day, let it double in volume again in 4-6 hours before using the starter to make a loaf?
Thank you for your advice!
Hi there! Great question- your starter should be bubbly and consistently doubling in size as recommended within 4-6 hrs, but it should also pass the float test. After that, it’s ready to use. If it’s ready to use and it’s at its peak (usually between 4-6hrs after feeding) then you can go ahead and remove the amount you need to make your bread. If it’s passed its peak, remove 50g and feed with equal parts water and flour as instructed in my Sourdough Bread Recipe and once it’s at peak, you can make your bread.