Learn to make a sourdough starter from scratch with this simple step-by-step guide to help you achieve success with sourdough.
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Why Sourdough?
Digestibility + Probiotics
Sourdough is a fermented food. This means that it includes beneficial live cultures and wild yeasts. These yeasts allow bread to rise and the fermentation process breaks down phytates in the wheat grain, making the flour more digestible and less inflammatory than bread products made with commercial yeast.
Here is an excerpt from the book Real Food for Fertility by Lily Nichols RDN, CDE and Lisa Handrickson-Jack FAE, HRHP:
“In wheat, rye, and barley, the process of traditional sourdough fermentation reduces the level of the protein gluten as well as compounds called phytates, both of which can be irritating to the digestive tract and impair mineral absorption. Sourdough fermentation also changes the structure of starches and increases the levels of organic acids, which contributes to a lower glycemic index of the resulting bread (meaning that sourdough bread typically doesn’t spike your blood sugar as much as regular yeast bread).” pg. 82
- probiotics for gut health
- lower glycemic index
- improved digestibility of grains
- less inflammatory
By using the longer fermentation methods of sourdough baking, delicious baked goods and breads can be a little more digestible, good for gut health and have a lower glycemic index than other breads.
Flavor
Next to the delicious flavor, the nutritional benefits of sourdough make it a great grain option to be consuming above typical commercially produced breads.
Flexibility
Health benefits aside, baking with sourdough can be very flexible and forgiving. As a mom of many children, I love this aspect of using sourdough.
The wild yeast in sourdough is what helps bread to rise. The activity of the yeast is affected by the ambient temperature of the room your sourdough is in.
If the temperature of the environment is warmer, the yeast will react faster in the dough or batter.
If the environment is cooler, the yeasts react slower. This means that by refrigerating my dough or other baked goods, I can slow down the fermentation process and rise of the yeasts. A dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to a few days so that I can bake as I am ready.
The longer the fermentation of the yeasts, the more digestible the grains become.
Between the health benefits, flavor, and flexibility, sourdough is my go-to baking method in our home kitchen.
Types of Sourdough Starter
There are different ways to create a sourdough starter.
There are dry sourdough starters, more hydrated starters, starters that use a combination of wild and dry yeast, using an already established starter, and even reviving a dehydrated starter that you can purchase.
Today I am going to share my step-by-step process for making a 100% wild yeast hydration starter. This starter has a typical feeding ratio of equal parts flour and water.
Over time you will get a feel for how much to feed your starter based on the temperature of your kitchen, the type of flour you use, and the consistency of starter you like to work with.
The best way to get started with sourdough is to just start, so let’s do this!
Kitchen Tools for Beginning with Sourdough Starter
2 Clean Jars- I like to use glass canning jars or just a glass bowl
Tea Towel, fabric jar cover, or plastic wrap/beeswax wrap
Rubber Band– can also use twine to tie on in place of a rubber band.
Kitchen Scale- many sourdough recipes are written in grams to water ratios. Using a kitchen scale in baking is the most accurate way to achieve consistent results, especially with sourdough.
When reading recipes with grams of flour (g flour) or grams of water (g water), you will need a kitchen scale to accurately bake these recipes.
Once you start using a kitchen scale in baking, you may never go back. It really is a breeze! Make sure your kitchen scale reads in grams, liters, lbs, and ounces.
Grain mill- if milling whole grain flour. This is the Kitchen Aid attachment grain mill. Mock Mill is another trusted brand of grain mills.
Ingredients for Sourdough Starter
- Organic Unbleached White Flour
- Filtered Water
Types of flour
You can use a variety of milled grain to start your sourdough starter.
Fresh milled whole-grain flour, spelt flour, einkorn, all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour and more can all work.
Some flours have a higher protein content, nutrient density, and amount of flour and water needed to achieve a nice consistency but all can be used to achieve a sourdough starter to be used in your kitchen.
Gluten Free Flour
I do not yet have experience with gluten free flour and since it does not contain the gluten needed for bread to rise, I will not be referring to gluten free flour in this guide.
Organic Flour
No matter which flour you are opting for, I like to look for organic and unbleached.
When beginning a brand new starter, the process may take a few days longer or shorter depending on your flour of choice.
Organic means that the flour has not been treated with harsh chemicals, glysophate, and other pesticides that harm our health. For a further look into certified organic and all that entails, you can find more information at the USDA website.
King Arthur is a good brand for organic bread flour with a higher protein content that creates a nice bread rise.
Filtered Water
Tap water can be full of chemicals, chlorine, and other toxins we do not want going into your sourdough starter. Make sure to always use a high quality filter when filtering drinking water and water used for sourdough.
Our favorite water filter is the large gravity water filter system from Greenfield Water Solutions.
Use code NOURISHED10 for 10% off your water filter system order
Make sure you look at the research reports on most water filter websites and see the thorough list of testing done on the filters. We have been very happy with the reliability and testing of our Greenfield Water System.
If you do not yet have access to quality filtered water, bottled water will work.
What to do with the discard portion as you establish your sourdough starter?
When there is too much starter or more than you need for a recipe, the remainder is considered sourdough discard.
Instead of throwing away remaining flour mixture, I like to use that portion in a recipe.
Here are a few recipe ideas you can use sourdough discard in:
– Sourdough Discard Lemon Berry Muffins
Step-by-step Sourdough Starter Recipe
Day 1: Sourdough starter first feeding
To your clean jar add 1/4 cup of fresh flour and 1/4 cup water. (38g flour to 51 grams water)
Mix until well combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides after stirring.
Cover the jar with a tea towel and rubber band or with a breathable jar cover.
Set aside on the counter at room temperature or a warm spot if you have a cold kitchen (below 68 degrees F), for 24 hours.
Day 2: Sourdough Discard + refeed
On day 2, add to your jar 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water.
Mix well, scrape down the sides of the jar, and set aside on the kitchen counter covered with a tea towel for 24 hours.
Day 3-5: Establishing your sourdough starter
On day 3, remove half of the flour mixture from the jar. I like to put this in a separate clean jar in the refrigerator to use in a sourdough discard recipe so that nothing goes to waste. Though this “discard” is still in the early stage and not fermented or active yet, you may still use it in a recipe like sourdough crepes, sourdough muffins, or a discard sourdough bread recipe.
After removing half of the mixture of flour, add 1/4 cup fresh flour and 1/4 cup fresh water to the jar.
Mix well, scrape down the sides of the jar, and set aside on the kitchen counter covered with a tea towel for 24 hours.
Repeat the process from day 3 for days 4 and 5.
Day 6: Increase feedings of your sourdough starter
On the next day (day 6), remove 1/2 portion of the starter. At this point you might be noticing a small amount of bubbles beginning to form in the jar. This is a great sign. Sometimes, it may take a few more days than this so if you don’t yet see bubbles, continue on for a few more days.
By day 6 you are going to increase daily feeding to every 12 hours instead of 24 hours.
As the starter begins to increase in lactic acid bacteria as the natural fermentation is occurring, the hydration levels will also increase.
When you notice the hydration increasing as the natural yeasts work to create an active sourdough starter, the starter will require a little bit more feeding when kept in a warm place.
Day 7: Continue the process
On day 7 repeat the process from day 6. Remove half of the starter, feed the remaining starter, and continue with feeding every 12 hours.
Day 8: Test for an active sourdough starter
On day 8 if you are noticing lots of bubbles in the jar before going to feed it, this is a good thing!
To test your starter for bread baking readiness, perform a float test.
Float Test
For best results with the typical bread dough sourdough recipe (aside from discard recipes that don’t require an active starter), the active, bubbly, healthy starter will float in water.
In a bowl of lukewarm water, spoon a little bit of the starter onto the top of the water. If the starter floats, you have an active starter! Woohoo!
If the starter sinks to the bottom, continue on a couple days more until the starter floats in a cup of water. This is a good way to test your own starter for readiness to make bread.
Maintaining a Sourdough Starter
After you have a bubbly jar of sourdough starter, it’s time to talk about maintaining your starter.
Sourdough Starter is a living thing that needs to be fed.
I like to keep my sourdough starter in the refrigerator until I am ready to use for a recipe but if you plan on baking daily you can keep your sourdough starter on the counter. Daily values of feeding will depend on the ambient temperature your sourdough starter in located in.
When kept in the fridge, I feed my sourdough starter 1-2 times a week.
I pull the jar out of the fridge and feed equal parts of fresh new flour and cold or lukewarm filtered water.
Avoid using hot water, as heat will kill the natural yeasts and beneficial bacteria in the sourdough starter.
Stir the flour and water together until no dry bits remain and the consistency looks like a thick pancake batter.
Then, I leave on the counter in a warm spot until the starter has doubled in size and is very bubbly on the top of your starter and throughout the jar.
A good test to see if the starter has doubled in size is to wrap a rubber band around the jar at the top of the starter right after feeding. This will help mark the starting point of the flour level so you can see when it doubles.
Sourdough Starter Troubleshooting
What is the watery-gray stuff on top of my starter?
If you start to notice a watery layer or a grayish layer at the top of the starter, this is called hooch. It is not mold so do not worry!
Hooch is a by-product alcohol that is created when the sourdough starter is telling you it is feeding time.
When this happens, I pour off the watery part down the drain, and continue with the next feeding.
Keeping the jar clean
After a few feedings, the sides of the jar may start to look dry and need cleaning.
At this point, I transfer my starter to a new jar and keep on with the whole process.
Note: Whenever you can, DO NOT put sourdough starter down the drain.
It is best to clean off what you can with a paper towel or scrape what you can into the garbage. Using a fine mesh strainer in the sink drain is also a good idea to catch bits of starter. This way you won’t have sourdough starter causing plumbing issues.
Your first loaf
Your first loaf of bread may not turn out as the dream bread you always pictured baking. Do not worry! The more you bake with starter in your kitchen, the more natural wild yeasts are in the air and help you in the process.
Over time, the sourdough baked goods that come out of your kitchen will be a dream come true. You just need to keep on experimenting and learn through the process.
The whole process of making your own bread from kneading, to watching the rise, to smelling the wonderful aromas in your kitchen, and watching your family enjoy the fruit of your labor is all worth it in the end.
How long is a sourdough starter good for?
Once you have an established sourdough starter, they last a long time!
My own sourdough starter has been around for almost 6 years now. Some have been around for over 100 years!
Sourdough is the gift that keeps on giving.
How can I preserve my sourdough starter?
Freezing your sourdough starter
If you find yourself in a season of overwhelm and are concerned that your starter is not going to make it, one of the first things I suggest if you want to keep the starter going in the future is to place at least 1/4 cup of your starter in the freezer to revive later. It’s a good idea to save it while you can versus having to start the process all over again, though this guide is here if you need to do so!
I have needed to freeze my starter 2 or 3 times now when I have gone through a hard season of life and the starter has come right back to life after thawing and refeeding.
Dehydrating
Another option for preserving your sourdough starter is to dehydrate it in a dehydrator. A dehydrator can keep the starter at a temperature warm enough to remove the water but cool enough to not kill the yeast.
When you are ready to revive the starter from the dehydrated state, it will be ready to go and make bread once again.
Favorite Sourdough Baking Tools
Glass Bowls– I always use glass, ceramic, stoneware, or stainless steel when working with sourdough.
Great beginner sourdough recipes
- Sourdough Blueberry Bread
- Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Discard Lemon Berry Muffins
- Sourdough Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
- Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins
- Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins
- Sourdough Garlic Knots
Is this your first time trying out sourdough? What are you most looking forward to making with your sourdough starter? Let us know in the comments below!
For further questions
If you have further sourdough questions feel free to message me on Instagram here: @_anourishedlife_ or send me an email here: anourishedlifeandhome@gmail.com
Happy baking!
Sourdough Starter
Learn to make a sourdough starter from scratch with this simple step-by-step guide to help you achieve success with sourdough.
Ingredients
- Organic Unbleached Flour
- Filtered Water
Instructions
Day 1: Sourdough starter first feeding
To your clean jar add 1/4 cup of fresh flour and 1/4 cup water. (38g flour to 51 grams water)
Mix until well combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides after stirring.
Cover the jar with a tea towel and rubber band or with a breathable jar cover.
Set aside on the counter at room temperature or a warm spot if you have a cold kitchen (below 68 degrees F), for 24 hours.
Day 2: Sourdough Discard + refeed
On day 2, add to your jar 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water.
Mix well, scrape down the sides of the jar, and set aside on the kitchen counter covered with a tea towel for 24 hours.
Day 3-5: Establishing your sourdough starter
On day 3, remove half of the flour mixture from the jar. I like to put this in a separate clean jar in the refrigerator to use in a sourdough discard recipe so that nothing goes to waste. Though this "discard" is still in the early stage and not fermented or active yet, you may still use it in a recipe like sourdough crepes, sourdough muffins, or a discard sourdough bread recipe.
After removing half of the mixture of flour, add 1/4 cup fresh flour and 1/4 cup fresh water to the jar.
Mix well, scrape down the sides of the jar, and set aside on the kitchen counter covered with a tea towel for 24 hours.
Repeat the process from day 3 for days 4 and 5.
Day 6: Increase feedings of your sourdough starter
On the next day (day 6), remove a 1/2 portion of the starter. At this point you might be noticing a small amount of bubbles beginning to form in the jar. This is a great sign. Sometimes, it may take a few more days than this so if you don't yet see bubbles, continue on for a few more days.
By day 6 you are going to increase daily feeding to every 12 hours instead of 24 hours.
As the starter begins to increase in lactic acid bacteria as the natural fermentation is occurring, the hydration levels will also increase.
When you notice the hydration increasing as the natural yeasts work to create an active sourdough starter, the starter will require a little bit more feeding when kept in a warm place.
Day 7: Continue the process
On day 7 repeat the process from day 6. Remove half of the starter, feed the remaining starter, and continue with feeding every 12 hours.
Day 8: Test for an active sourdough starter
On day 8 if you are noticing lots of bubbles in the jar before going to feed it, this is a good thing!
To test your flour for readiness to bake with and make delicious bread, perform a float test.
Float Test
For best results with the typical bread dough sourdough recipe (aside from discard recipes that don't require an active starter), the active, bubbly, healthy starter will float in water.
In a bowl of lukewarm water, spoon a little bit of the starter onto the top of the water. If the starter floats, you have an active starter! Woohoo!
If the starter sinks to the bottom, continue on a couple days more until the starter floats in a cup of water. This is a good way to test your own starter for readiness to make bread.
Notes
Maintaining a Sourdough Starter
I like to keep my sourdough starter in the refrigerator until I am ready to use for a recipe but if you plan on baking daily you can keep your sourdough starter on the counter. Daily values of feeding will depend on the ambient temperature your sourdough starter is located in.
When kept in the fridge, I feed my sourdough starter 1-2 times a week.
I pull the jar out of the fridge and feed equal parts of fresh new flour and cold or lukewarm filtered water.
Avoid using hot water, as heat will kill the natural yeasts and beneficial bacteria in the sourdough starter.
Stir the flour and water together until no dry bits remain and the consistency looks like a thick pancake batter.
Then, I leave on the counter in a warm spot until the starter has doubled in size and is very bubbly on the top of your starter and throughout the jar.
A good test to see if the starter has doubled in size is to wrap a rubber band around the jar at the top of the starter right after feeding. This will help mark the starting point of the flour level so you can see when it doubles.
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