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 Natasha!
When I check on my starter the next dat before it’s time to feed it has almost a nail polish smell. My husband says he smells more of a beer smell. Is it OK for it to smell like that?
Hi Becca! Yes– if there aren’t any colored streaks in the starter, this means it’s hungry. Discard and feed.
So I checked it at 7:20 am this morning which would be about 15 hours. Should I still wait to 24 hours to feed it or feed it now?
Hi Rebecca! You do not need to feed it any earlier unless your starter is in a warmer environment which is causing it to ferment faster and run out of food. The solution would be to move it to a cooler spot or use slightly cooler water when feeding it. Depending on your environment, your starter could ferment quicker, but you want to be careful not to let it for me too fast or it will exhaust the yeast.
Hi Natasha. I am looking for information how to incorporate sough dough WASTE into a recipe. I would like to have a pizza crust made with your sour dough.
Hi Rick, I have an amazing recipe for Sourdough Pizza Dough that you’d probably love. Also check search for sourdough discard in the search bar on my blog to get the recipes for my discard pancakes and crackers. See all of my sourdough recipes here.
Hi, I have a starter that’s ready to use for baking, it’s more than double in size, can I store it in the fridge like this, or should I discard first?
Yes, you can store it in the refrigerator without discarding. When you’re ready to bake, take it out, feed it, and let it fully activate again before using.
Thanks for the tip and the quick
response!
Hi, I started the sourdough journey yesterday. after 24 hours I have activity, It is not double in size but it is almost. Should I feed it?
Hi Maria, you would still want to feed it on your schedule, yes.
I have a question. Can I keep using my organic whole wheat flour or do I need to change to white flour?
Hi Joanne! You can, but it could ferment more quickly (rise and fall faster) because whole wheat has more nutrients than white flour. It can also contribute to a tangier and more acidic starter so if you want a milder flavor you should stick with all purpose flour.
If using only whole wheat, you may need to adjust the hydration since it absorbs more
Water, making it thicker. If you notice sluggish growth or excessive acidity, try incorporating some white flour to balance it.
Thanks, I will stick to the white. Sounds sager
Hi Natasha!
So today is Day 6 for me. Today it finally grew but only about a inch and a half. No doubling yet. I have to keep my house cooler due to my husbands medical condition. Before today there was no growth but last night I wanted to try something. I have my starter in my kitchen but I wrapped it up in some towels and even put a jacket over it and it did grow some! Sorry for rambling but my question is, since I’m not on the same timeline and if it does eventually double how many days should I let it rise to double before it’s ready to use?
Hi Becca! It sounds like your starter is making progress. Continue to keep the temperature controlled to allow it time to ferment.
It is not uncommon for it to take longer than a week to establish since many factors can affect this. Rather than counting days, it’s best to go by signs. If your starter passes the float test, and if your starter consistently doubles in size within 4-6 hours after feeding, it should be ready to use.
Hello Natasha,
can i use only rye flour for the sourdough starter? Or is it better to use 2 types of flour?
I have never tried my own starter, wish me luck 🙂
Thank you
Hi Zuzana! You can, but we like to start it with Rye or whole wheat and then feed it with all purpose. If you’re using only rye, the flavor will be more pronounced and tangy. You may also need to adjust the hydration level, rye flour absorbs more water than all purpose flour.
Hi Natasha,
I’m looking to start my sourdough journey, and would like to know if I can substitute the flour for spelt?
I have wheat allergies in the family…
Thank you!
Hi! 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.
Hi Natasha! Does it matter if the all purpose flour is bleached or unbleached?
Hi Elysia! I recommend unbleached flour. Since bleached flour is treated with chemicals, it can reduce the presence of natural wild yeasts and bacteria needed for fermentation.
So on days 3-7 do u do 1-1-1 for the flour water n starter ratio?
Hi Sierra! Yes, that is the recommended feeding ratio for this recipe.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use bread flour instead of All purpose flour for feeding?
Hello there! Yes, you can use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for feeding your sourdough starter. But you might need to adjust the hydration level (the water-to-flour ratio) slightly. If you notice that the starter is too thick, just add a tiny bit more water until you reach the desired consistency.
Natasha,
I started my Sourdough starter yesterday morning just as you described. I just checked it and it has already doubled in size ! I am so excited 😁 My question is, since it doubled the first night should I discard half today ? Or wait until the third day to discard.
Thank you so much for this Sourdough Starter Recipe ❤
Hi Donna! It’s fine to wait and discard on day 3. It will likely shrink down again.
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly 😊 I think this recipe for starter is going to lead me to successful Sourdough Bread ❤
I am using a jar that has an air tight lid… Will that affect my starter since you recommend a loose fitting lid?
Yes, it needs to have some airflow.
Sorry for all my questions 😬. I think my starter is going to make it, I think it is just delayed due to elevation and cold weather but I keep crossing my fingers 😂😂. I decided I best check out your bread recipe so that I am ready! I don’t have a banneton basket and was wondering if a bowl works just fine?
Hi Mary! If you don’t have a banneton, you can use a bowl lined with cloth, just ensure the bowl shape is the shape you want your loaf to be, be sure to generously flour it. You can try a loaf pan for a more structured shape. I hope that helps.
Hi, Natahsa. I’m new to the sourdough bread starter journey, and I’m not sure if I’m being impatient or if I’ve gone wrong somewhere. I’ve followed your instructions to the letter. The first day, my starter grew almost triple. The following days were normal until about day 5. My starter has stalled day 5, 6, 7 and 8. I used wheat flour to try to get it going on day 8. It rose again within a few hours but then fell overnight. I’ve tried to be consistent with temp and time. I just can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. Should I start over or just keep going?
HI Cathy, I would keep going and just feed once a day. It does rise and fall and that is normal. You don’t need to keep it at peak levels, but you want it to reach peak activity levels when you want to bake with it. If it rose within a few hours, that is pretty normal. If you can repeat those results the next day, it should be ready for baking bread.
Hello Natasha, my starter showed lots of growth on day two but on day 3-5 is showed no growth and the consistency of the started became more runny. Is that normal? Should I try the 1:2:2 method?
Hi Alina, the starter does get thinner with time compared to the very thick mixture that it starts out with. That is normal. Just continue feeding it as directed in the recipe.
My starter is always too liquid and I’m on day 5 should I add less water or more flour
Hi Rose! Yes, you can make it a thicker paste by using less water. Idaho is dry, but if your climate is more humid, you may need to use less.
Can you keep using the discards instead of throwing them out into different containers?
Hello! Yes you can keep using your discard instead of throwing it. You can store it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to a week if you will not be using it right away.
After how many days of your starter not bouncing back do you give up on it?
Hi Kori, I would stay with on schedule and consistent feedings to be sure to keep it healthy and growing. Consistency and proper temp are crucial.
I’ve never heard of a starter needing to peak between 4-6 hours and recede after 12 hours. In the winter isn’t it different? Mine peaks differently depending on the temp in the house. I fed my starter yesterday around 1 pm and it hadn’t almost doubled in size until late in that evening. The following morning it had more than doubled in size and not receded still. I’m confused on that part 4-6 hours and 12 hours. Is that something you’ve personally experienced and doesn’t mean everyone’s should be that way? My starter is bubbly and smells very active. I’ve only ever heard people say, as soon as it’s doubled in size and floats, it’s ready.
HI Katy, it might be that your room temperature is significantly cooler. If you store it in the refrigerator, pull it out the night before and let it come to room temperature then use lukewarm water to feed the starter which might help give it a boost. You might also try storing it in a warmer area such as the oven with the light on or on top of the refrigerator.