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
Hi it’s around 21 degrees C in my kitchen and it’s day 4 and I’ve been following the schedule but my starter isn’t rising each night like it should. Should I just keep following the schedule and it will eventually start to grow, thanks 🙏
Hi Jack! Seems like the temperature of the room is right on the border (70 degrees Fahrenheit). I would continue the regular feeding schedule. You may try to move it to a slightly warmer environment, or use warm water. It’s also best to use spring water, filtered or dechlorinated water.
Hello Natasha,
This is my first attempt at sourdough starter and shoer excited to follow your recipe. I am 60 hours in and my starter has more than doubled and is very bubbly. Should I keep feeding it? I am just on day 3 and seeing a lot of progress. But wondering if this is good or bad news to have it so bubbly early on in the process. Please help this newbie 🫣
PS: Love your channel, thank you for what you do ❤️
Hi Jay, I recommend following the feeding schedule. But it sounds like you have a very healthy starter! That’s so great!
Thanks Natasha. I ended up following the feeding schedule and day 5 and 6 have been very slow. I do see bubbles but no rise. I am not doing anything different in terms of feeding. Do you think warmer water will help?
I am a bit sad that I had a great start but things seem to have slowed down and I am not sure why. Please help 😢
Thanks a lot
Hi Jay, I would recommend ensuring you have the jar in a controlled weather environment – no drafts, cold counter etc. Also, ensure you are using filtered water, the type of water used may impact it. If your home is colder it may take longer for the starter to double.
Hi Natasha!! First!! Absolutely love you and your silliness!! I am not a baker! Ha! I usually mess up all the time!! Even as I was measuring and mixing the starter yesterday, I’m praying over it!! Please Lord!! 😂 You make baking seem easy and fun! You inspire me to try things! And make me giggling the way!! Keep being you! And all God has created you to be! ♥️ Yesterday, like I said, we started our starter. Used a scale, same whole wheat flour in your picture, room temperature spring water, jar with fabric elastic cover (bought on Amazon), followed your instructions to a t!! This morning, there’s a dark crust over the starter. Is this normal? Help!! I’m trying really hard not to mess this up!! Lol
HI Stan, thank you for your thoughtful feedback. It really means alot to me! Regarding the starter, a dark crust after one day is very unusual. I’m wondering if it’s the fabric elastic cover that maybe let too much air through? I would suggest setting a lid loosely over the top (don’t tighten the seal).
Yes! We did that and removed the crust and did a feeding. Since then, the starter has not double in size. It grows a little, but has not doubled. We’ve tried a 1:2:2 ratio. And got a little more rise out of it. Thinking of maybe getting rid of the first try. We started a fresh new starter yesterday morning and as of this afternoon, 32 hours later, it is bubbly and slightly more than doubled in size. With lid loosely on top instead of the fabric one, no crust on top like we had with the first. Yay! Should we feed it? Or wait till tomorrow morning?
I would feed it – if it’s risen that much then it’s ready for a feeding.
Hi Natasha, thanks for the detailed info. I did a starter and overnight from day 2 to day 3, the starter doubled in size. On day 3, I discard and fed per the schedule and it hasn’t risen at all. I’m now on day 5 and I’m not seeing any rise though I see bubbles and it smells tangy.
Does the starter usually double in size after each feeding??
Thanks again!
Hello Mark! It’s not unusual for a starter to not show significant rise immediately after feeding. This can happen due to different factors like the temperature, hydration level, and the specific activity of the microorganisms in your starter. Sometimes, starters can take a few days to settle into a consistent rising pattern. I suggest that you keep up with your feeding schedule and observe how your starter develops over the next few days.
2 attempts, same result. Doubled in size after 24 hours. Removed 1/2 and fed. Same thing happens on the 3rd day except it collapses and turns to liquid. The first try to liquid was separated and sitting on top. The second bath was just a loose batter not a dough. I have added more floor to this 3rd day feeding but I am not optimistic. I use Bob’s Mill whole wheat flour to start and use Pillsbury all purpose for the feeding. My house averages 73-74 degress. Thoughts?
Hi Debra, I’m sorry to hear it keeps falling. I would double check the feeding ratio. Are you using a 1:1 by weight ratio? Based on your note, it sounds like your starter may be too wet and may need more flour. I recommend using a scale for your ratios to ensure your starter is a thick consistency. It seems your hour average temp is ideal. I hope it works out for you this next round!
I am laughing at my typos in my previous post! So sorry. Yes, I use a scale and am using a 1:1 ration. I added little over 100 g of flour at the last feeding so we will see how it goes. Thank you so much for your response!
Hi Natasha, I created my starter yesterday morning and today I do notice it has grown a bit over my rubber band line. Should I leave it alone and follow your schedule? Or should I start feeding it?
Hi Diana. Just follow the recommended feeding schedule.
Hi Natasha,,
I started my starter with whole wheat flour and followed your instructions carefully, but on the second day I saw a lot of bubbles and on the third day I did the first feeding, after couple hours the weck jar was full already! I don’t know what I did wrong and don’t know even if to continue feeding!
What do you think? Should I keep feeding them or discard and start from the beginning?
Thank you in advance
Hi Katy! Continue to feed and discard on a regular schedule. I would double check the room temperature and water temperature. You can use cooler water or keep it at a few degrees colder if it’s rising too fast.
Going to give this a try … Question though, instead of discarding can I turn into more starters?
Hi Kimberly. Yes, it is possible to use discard to start another sourdough starter.
Natasha,PLEASE convert the grams, ml, etc. to cups, tespoons, etc.!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!
Hi Mary Lou. I have the measurements specified in cups in the recipe card instructions. I also added the note that 100g=3/4 cup, but weighing is the most precise and easiest way to make a starter and any sourdough recipe which is why we have it in grams.
I started on 6/12 and forgot to feed it for 36 hours on day three. I continued to discard and feed but it seems to have stopped growing. It smells good and has some bubbles. I started feeding it every 12 hours just to see what would happen but I haven’t noticed any growth. I also don’t notice a sour smell, but this is my first time doing this so I’m not too sure what to be doing or looking for. Do you have any recommendations? Should I start over?
Hi Natalia, I would just continue feeding it daily until you see it more than double and it passes the float test. You’re essentially starting over if you had just started it and stopped feeding it for 3 days.
Hi Natasha.
What if I use only all purpose flour? What will be the measurements?
Hi Irene, the measurements would be the same but I highly recommend starting with whole wheat or rye flour or it will have difficulty getting started. The whole grain flour provides more food for the starter to form. I did not have good results trying this with only all-purpose flour.
I am now on my 2nd starter and have had the same results almost exactly. I’ve used the suggested flour and new bags. Also have used Spring water and house has been between 70-73 degrees. Everything seems to go good and as expected until I get to day 4. From then on I have bubbly starter but it never rises. I also only smell flour smell with no sour smell. I’ve gone up to 7 days with these same results. I did try this time to do whole wheat on day five to see if that would give me more of a reaction. Day 6 I went back to all-purpose. Do I need to keep going or start again? I love your detailed instructions and video and don’t plan on giving up but would love some insight. Thank you!
Hi Sherry, what flour did you start with? It’s important to start with either whole wheat or rye. Also make sure to feed at consistent times and make sure you are feeding with a 1:1:1 ratio of starter to flour to water and it’s best to measure with a kitchen scale to ensure it’s precise. Make sure you are stirring your starter well when you feed it and you might also try luke warm (barely warm) water to give it a jump start. I would keep going since it sounds like you’re doing it correctly -sometimes it just takes longer.
Hello Natasha,
Thank you for your video. I am on day 8 my starter seems to have reached the active stage and is ready for use. Following your sourdough bread recipe do I take 100gr of starter feed it with equal parts and wait 4-6 hours for peak rise and then take for my bread recipe. After I use for my recipe do I feed it again? And if so do I need to discard? So basically I have a ready starter I’m just not sure how to feed it when I am using it in recipes. Many thanks
Hi Hana, you would feed the starter and wait for it to get to it’s peak acitivty then use the active starter to make bread. After making bread, ideally, you should feed it again and put it in the refrigerator or keep it on the counter if you are baking more frequently (I store mine in the refrigerator since I bake 2 loaves at a time and bake once a week). Here is our full tutorial on how to feed and maintain a starter which should help.
Hello Natasha,
I started my sourdough 9 days ago and there still hasn’t been any rising/falling in my starter, but I did have bubbles and it smelled bad the first 7 days, and now it has a nice sour smell and there are still bubbles. The room temp varies from 73-78. Also, I used standard bread flour. Just curious if I should wait to see some activity or if I’ll have to discard and start over?
HI Kayli, did you use water that was non-chlorinated and also use unbleached flour? If you used a regular bread flour, I suggest starting with either a whole wheat flour or a rye flour as I suggested in the recipe. That will give much more food for the starter to work with and rise more effectively. It will take much longer trying to start with bread flour.
Where did you get the Weck jars? I noticed that the lids don’t have hinges.
Hello Elizabeth! Here’s my Amazon Affiliate Link for the 3/4 qt Weck Jar.
Natasha, your method is so well explained! I have 2 active sourdough starters that I keep (a rye one and a white flour one). I have a recipe request: how about a sourdough coffee cake?? One made from discard would be most convenient (such a shame to throw it out, right?). However, one with active starter would be fine too. Sour Dough Coffee Cake – why not?
Thank you! Thanks for your suggestion, Jane. We’ll try to add that to our list!
Hi Natasha! Thank you for making this post. I started my starter with whole wheat and it did great and grew more than double. When I switch to add king Arthur’s all purpose it doesn’t grow at all and gets a liquid on the top. Any ideas on what is happening? Should I try an new all purpose flour?
HI Jess, I suspect the growing conditions rather than the flour. King Arthur is a good flour to use. How long did it take to more than double? When it rose, did you possibly put it in a place that was too warm? That can exhaust the yeast and then it looks like it’s starting over (I’ve had that experience before which is why I tried warning about it in the post above). I would just continue feeding it and it will recover.
Hi Natasha. Am I able to use whole wheat pastry flour instead of whole wheat flour?
Hi Renae, I read that may work in sourdough started, but I haven’t tested it myself to advise. There are a few things to consider like protein content, fermentation, consistency, etc. If you do happen to try it, I’d love to know how it works out for you!
Hi Natasha, I’m not sure if my questions went through yesterday. I ended up starting over and am on day 2 now. The first batch rose by the second day, so I fed it and it started to grow soon afterwards, by the next morning it had risen to the top of the jar, overflowed and sank back down. I moved my new jar to a different counter, away from the stove, it’s been almost 24 hours and it has about doubled. I assume I should move to day 3 instructions and feed it. If it grows a lot again in the next 4-6 hours, should move to day 4 and feed it again even though it isn’t day four? Really looking forward to making the sourdough bread! I love your recipes so much:-) You make things easy to follow, so glad I found you!
HI Alyssa, it sounds like it was in a spot that was too warm but if its continuing to rise then that is a very good sign. I would just keep feeding it at the same time each day to ensure it is well established. If it more than doubles in 4-6 hours, you can use the starter to bake bread or make sourdough recipes at that point. If you use it then just feed it again before storing. I would wait until I’ve been feeding the starter for 6-7 days before using it to make sure it’s established and also before storing in the refrigerator if you are a more casual baker and just want to bake once a week or less often.
My starter is on day 5. It has been rising and there are bubbles. The color is creamy. I don’t see any pink or mold but it smells very tangy. I have never smelled yeast or sourdough starter so have nothing to compare it to. I would not say it smells like dough nor would I describe the smell as pleasant. How do I know if the smell is normal and it’s going to be safe to use? I’m using the Weck jar and have the lid on but not secured or sealed
HI Amy, from the way you are describing it, it sounds like it is looking and smelling as expected.