While it takes a little bit of patience and about a week of your time, making a sourdough starter from scratch is one of the easiest (and most fulfilling) kitchen projects you can tackle. With about a week of diligent feedings, you’ll be able to transform plain water and flour into a bubbly leavening that you can use to make bread, pancakes and other recipes.
Jump to Recipe | What is it? | Process | Ingredients | Tips
What is a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) like kombucha, water kefir, and milk kefir. It’s this combination of bacteria and yeast that helps flavor and make sourdough breads rise. The lactobacillus bacteria found in sourdough gives it a slightly sour flavor, while the wild yeasts in the starter help to make your bread rise.
Traditionally, bakers made all loaves of bread with either a sourdough starter or with barm – yeast from breweries. In the middle of the 19th century, commercial bakers yeast was isolated and began to come into use; however, it wasn’t until much later that it became a household staple for home bakers.
How to make a sourdough starter
Making a sourdough starter is an exercise of patience, and it involves patience and daily diligence for about a week. After that, your starter will be ready to use and you’ll only need to feed it about once a week to keep it lively and active.
- Starting. You’ll need to whisk a little bit of flour and water together in a jar. Seal the jar tightly, and then let it rest for a day.
- Daily feedings. On days 2 and 3, you’ll need to feed your starter once a day. That means discarding half of the starter and then mixing in equal amounts of flour and water to replace what you discarded.
- Twice daily feedings. On days 4 and 5, you’ll notice that your starter becomes active and starting to expand. You’ll also need to feed the starter twice daily with about 12 hours between feedings.
- Knowing when your starter is ready. When your starter doubles in volume between feedings, it’s ready for baking. It usually begins to double by day 6. Feed it once more, and then transfer it to the fridge. If your starter isn’t doubling in volume by day 6, continue feeding it two times a day until it does double within 12 hours of a feeding.
You just need flour, water, and a little luck.
Sourdough starters are marvelously simple. You only need flour, water and a little patience. But, with so few ingredients, you need to also pay attention to quality, too. Because a little deviation can make a big difference.
The easiest approach for beginning sourdough bakers is to use white bread flour, warm filtered water and a bit of an established starter like this one. You can use a starter made from bread flour to leaven loaves of bread made with other flours like whole grains, spelt, emmer, einkorn, and rye.
- Starters made with bread flour rise with greater consistency and predictability than whole-grain flour starters.
- Filtered water without chlorine will help the good bugs establish themselves in your starter more easily.
- An heirloom starter gives a good boost to your new starter. While not strictly necessary, they’re helpful for beginners.
Flour for your starter
Technically, any grain-based flour works for making a sourdough starter. Flours made from rice, rye, spelt, einkorn and wheat all work. However, bread flour works the best and yields the most reliable starter. Even if you raise your starter on bread flour, you can still make bread with other flours.
- Whole-grain flours make tricky starters. They’re high in vitamins minerals and food enzymes. While high nutritional content is generally a good thing, when it comes to sourdough starters, it means that they behave less predictably than white bread flour.
Starters made from whole-grain flours typically need to be fed more often and are more difficult to maintain. They’re also prone to false starts, where they bubble quickly, but lose all activity later. - White bread flour works particularly well because, once it’s established, it rises and falls predictably with little fuss or extra maintenance. That’s why it’s an excellent choice for beginning sourdough bakers.
Water for Sourdough Starter
Choose filtered water when establishing and feeding a sourdough starter. In most areas, water is chemically treated with chlorine to keep it safe and free from pathogens. But it can also damage the bacterial and yeast cultures in your starter, so if you’re new to sourdough choose filtered water.
If you don’t have a water filter, you can purchase one here, or let your tap water sit on the counter overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate.
- Choose filtered or dechlorinated water for the best results. You can still make a starter with tap water, but it may take longer for the beneficial bacteria and wild yeasts to get established.
- Use warm water, about 100 F, when feeding your starter. Warm water can give the starter a little boost, but if the water is too hot it can damage the cultures.
Sourdough starter tips
- Use an heirloom starter, especially if it’s your first time. A few tablespoons of heirloom starter from a friend or a packet of starter like this one can give your sourdough a boost. That means a lot less frustration for you.
- Mind your temperature. Cool room temperatures favor the production of yeast which gives your bread its rise. Warm room temperatures favor the production of lactobacillus which gives your bread its flavor. Find the middle ground (about 68 – 72 F) gives your bread excellent rise and great flavor.
- Your starter might develop a thin liquid called hooch. If you see a thin liquid appear on top of your starter, that’s hooch. Simply pour it off when you go to feed your starter again. Hooch develops when you haven’t fed your sourdough frequently enough.
- Use a digital scale. The sourdough (and most recipes that call for starter) relies on 100% hydration. That means you feed it equal parts water and flour. To make sure you’re doing just that, use a digital scale for precision and consistency.
- Use a tightly-sealed jar. While you can make a sourdough starter in a jar with a loose lid or a cloth cover, a tight seal usually results in better yeast production – which means a better rise for your loaves of bread.
- Yes, you do need to discard the starter when you feed it. It might feel like a terrible waste to toss a little bit of starter out with each feed, but this practice is what keeps your starter healthy. You can use it to make pancakes, sourdough noodles, panettone, and other foods, too.
Sourdough Starter Recipe
Ingredients
- 450 grams bread flour
- 450 grams warm water
- heirloom sourdough starter (optional, see notes)
Equipment
Instructions
Day 1
- Measure 100 grams flour and 100 grams water into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and then whisk them together using a fork. If using an established sourdough starter, whisk it into the flour and water now. Set the jar on the countertop away from direct light and heat.
Day 2
- Set a bowl on your kitchen scale, and then tare the scale. Measure 100 grams sourdough starter into the bowl, and then discard it.
- Set the jar containing your starter onto the scale, tare it again, and then measure in 50 grams water. Whisk the water into the starter in your jar, and then whisk in 50 grams flour. Clamp the jar tightly, and then set it on your countertop away from direct light and heat.
Day 3
- You should begin seeing bubbles appear on the surface of your starter, or the surface may appear slightly foamy. These are signs of microbial activity.
- Measure 100 grams sourdough starter into the bowl, and then discard it.
- After discarding the starter, whisk in 50 grams warm water and 50 grams flour. Seal the jar and store it away from direct light and heat.
Day 4
- The surface of your starter should appear slightly bubbly, and you may see evidence that your starter is beginning to expand in the jar. You should start feeding your starter twice a day today.
- In the morning, measure 100 grams sourdough starter and discard it.
- After discarding the starter, whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour. Seal the jar and store it away from direct light and heat.
- In the evening about 12 hours after your first feeding, discard 100 grams starter, and then whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour. Seal the jar tightly, and store it away from light and heat.
Day 5
- The surface of your starter should be very bubbly, and it may expel gas when you open the jar. You should also see evidence that your starter is expanding in its jar.
- In the morning, measure 100 grams sourdough starter and discard it. Whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour, and store the jar away from direct light and heat.
- In the evening about 12 hours after your first feeding, feed the starter again by discarding 100 grams starter and replacing it with 50 grams water and 50 grams flour.
Day 6
- Your starter should be bubbly, and it should smell of yeast and bread with faint sour notes. It should also double within 12 hours of each feeding.
- Discard 100 grams of starter, and then whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour.
- If you're planning to bake with the starter today, wait until it doubles in volume and then follow your recipe's instructions. If you're planning to bake with the starter later, transfer it to the fridge.
Weekly Maintenance
- To maintain the starter, remove it from the fridge at least once per week. Discard 100 grams starter, and then whisk in 50 grams water and 50 grams flour. Let it rise at room temperature up to 12 hours if you're planning to bake that day. If you're planning to bake later, transfer it to the fridge.
Proofing the Starter on Baking Day
- Remove the starter from the fridge approximately 8 to 12 hours before you plan to begin your recipe.
- Feed the starter by discarding 100 grams spent starter, and replacing it by whisking 50 grams flour and 50 grams into the jar. Seal the jar, and let it sit on the countertop until it doubles in volume.
- Remove the amount of starter that your recipe calls for, and then replace it with equal amounts of flour and water. Transfer the jar of starter to the fridge.
Stella says
Hello, just wanted to check, each day you measure 100 grams of starter and discard it even if what remains is much less than 100 grams?
or you keep 100g and throw away the rest?
Thanks,
Stella
Jenny says
Please just follow the recipe.
Karen Jones says
Worked exactly as shown. Successful starter from scratch.
Dennis N says
Just curious why you cant use acgtive dry yeast to get it started?
Jenny says
It’s unnecessary. Wouldn’t be true sourdough, and you run the risk of LAB/yeast imbalance.
Glenda says
Just began a jar of your sour dough starter. I have a recipe that requires 1 cup of starter. It isn’t the traditional sour dough loaves but it makes 3 standard bread loaves. Will this recipe make enough starter and still have starter to continue with to bake again in a week
Fancy says
Hi! I tried to do the floating test… it floated but a while later it sinks… meaning it’s not strong enough?
Jenny says
So, how long did you keep it in the water? The float test is intended to see immediate results. So if it floats, it’s okay to bake with. But it will eventually dissipate and sink over extended time.
Cory says
Hi there. My starter is on day 6. Been following the recipe exactly minus the heirloom starter. It’s not really rising. I have had bubbles (slight) and starting day 3 I started to get hooch but still no rise. The hooch went away when I started 2x day feedings. My kitchen is 70-72 degrees. When I first open it the sour smell is kind of strong but when i mix it (before discarding) it smells like a light sour yeast smell (good bread smell). Am I on the right track even though its not rising? Also for my most recent discard can I attempt another starter with that? (just in case my original one is done). Thank you so much for the recipe I really hope it works!
Jenny says
Hi Cory,
You’re definitely on the right track – having an heirloom starter definitely helps, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. Just keep up with twice daily feedings, and you can start a second jar if you feel like it, or use the discard in things like pancakes or noodles or biscuits. The other trick is that the starter might be rising (and falling!) while you sleep, so wrap a rubberband around your jar to mark the level of the dough when you feed it, and then you can tell more readily how much it’s rising (if at all). Sometimes starters take longer 14+ days.
Fancy says
I’m on my day 2 of growing my starter using your recipe, is it normal the smells after 24 hours like baby’s throw up ? and it’s size is double! And now day 2 I just discard n fed for few hours, but now growing double again. It’s that normal?
Jenny says
Hi Fancy,
So, your starter should smell pleasantly sour and slightly yeasty. It’s unusual for it to double so early, but not impossible. If you’re using a fresh heirloom starter to give yours a boost, that could be why. If you didn’t use an heirloom starter, it could be a false start – sometimes starters (especially those made with whole grain flours) start bubbling early. but go flat later, because the balance of yeast/bacteria isn’t quite right.
Fancy says
I’m from Malaysia kinda hot weather…. n it grows double from scratch … I used unbleached bread flour. And day 3 now the smell better than yesterday’s
Haley S says
Am I able to make, and feed my starter from traditional bread flour but then use different flours, including non-wheat flours to make my loaf of bread?
Thank you! Your information is very helpful.
Jenny says
Hi Haley,
Yes! You can keep your starter on bread flour, and then use it as the leavening agent for breads made from whole grain, einkorn, spelt, rye, etc. Whatever you happen to like.
Wajela Moer says
Question: If you use whole grains, why do you use white flour for the starter? 1,000 years ago, lots of people used whole grain flours for their “starter”. Did they experience off flavors as well? Thanks.
Jenny says
White flour makes a better starter that needs less maintenance. And, yes, people traditionally use flour that has been ground and then sifted to remove the bran for thousands of years. The flour was used in baking, and the bran and germ fed to animals.
Marla says
Your site is so helpful. I am looking for the Parisian sourdough starter but it is no longer available at Cultures for Health; your link brings up the San Francisco starter. Any advice on using this specific starter
Jenny says
I think it’s a fine starter, and it should work well for you too.
Jon Newberry says
Where does the yeast come in for this recipe?
Jenny says
Wild yeast exists all around you: on the surface of your utensils, on your hands, in your ingredients. In the case of sourdough, it’s mostly coming from your flour. If you’re using an heirloom starter, it’s coming from that, too.
Jason Leighton says
Thank you for this great and simple recipe for sourdough starter. I fermented hot peppers all summer and all they require is water and salt so i said to myself i got this lol. I got myself into bread baking and wanted to desperately make a sourdough bread. This starter is simple and easy to make and is probably how they did it in ancient times. I’ve tried a starter with yeast and it doesn’t come out nearly as tasty as this simple recipe. I use Pillsbury Bread Flour to make my starters with filtered water. I heat the water to about 120 degrees and feed it exactly by your recipe and it comes out great. It has a more natural sour flavor compared to all these crazy recipes like you stated and makes a very rustic bread. Thanks again, because you got me hooked on bread baking 🙂
Brian Barrett says
A lot of recipes call for salt.
Should I use salt?
Jenny says
No, you should not use salt in your sourdough starter. Sourdough starter should be water + flour. You can add salt to your bread dough.
John says
What type of flour do you use or suggest using for the sourdough starter?
Jenny says
I use and recommend bread flour; however, you can use any grain-based flour you please.
Elizabeth Straight says
Can’t wait to try it! When starting my own starter from the beginning, how much of the established starter should I combine with 1/4 c. flour and 3 T. filtered water? Thanks!
Al Wieging says
Hi. Your shortcuts or links in this article don’t work. Could you send me the link to the Parisian starter you mentioned?
Emily says
My starter seems to have a slight grey tinge (not the grey liquid in the hooch) since we started using the Berkey filtration system. Do you notice that too?
Dora-Faye Hendricks says
Thank you so much for your step-by-step instructions, for different steps of this process! I used to “do” sourdough YEARS ago and wanted to get started again now (at age 75) so got help from a friend using Chad Robertson’s book; she’d taken a class too. However, her instructions were in grams, and she used whole wheat flour AND all-purpose flour. So, I had too many questions and (and she forgot the salt). I’m using your instructions and am excited to be doing this again — I’m sure my husband will enjoy the sourdough bread+ too!! Thanks SO much!!
Ann franssen says
What do you suggest you bake your sourdough bread in. There are so many different suggestions
Jenny says
I suggest you follow the instructions for your particular recipe, and use the bakeware the recipe recommends.
Julia says
Question: what if I wanted a really sour sourdough? You have recommendations for a milder tasting starter, but do you know any that produce a stronger flavor? I like sourdough that bites me in the face…
Cristina says
Thank you for the recipe!!
Looking to get started but unfortunately I don’t have access to digital scales and delivery lead time is approx 2 weeks at this point. Any tips for being able to still go ahead without?
Charmaine says
Hi Cristina!
I reckon using measuring cups and spoons will work.
If you do the math, one cup of plain flour typically weighs 120g. You can then add 120g of water [or 1/2 cup water (125g) minus 1 teaspoon (5g)]. Ultimately. the ratio of flour to water in grams should be the same. So have a play around!
Merrill Rush says
Do you have any hints on “re-freshing” an old started that is still active but “tired”?
AMY says
HI JENNY
IS USING ESTABLISHED STARTER A MUST ?
CAN I USE ONLY BROWN RICE FLOWER OR BROWN RYE FLOWER AND FILTERED WATER
THANK YOU
AMY
sharon says
I would like to know if it’s possible to make a sourdough starter using coconut flour.
Jenny says
Nope.
Robin says
For those of you wondering how to put your starter in suspended animation while on an extended leave, please reference this: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/05/01/putting-sourdough-starter-hold/.
Don’t freeze it!
Robin says
I searched the page but can’t find tips for long term storage of the starter. We leave town sometimes for six weeks. Will the starter survive properly if I freeze it or do I just need to start the starter over when I get home? Thanks.
Norma I Guzman-Morales says
5 days ago I started to prepare my own bread creating a sour dough starter. But I made the mistake of not cover loosely. I covered the container completely. I kept the jar airtight with no circulating air in my sour dough. Should I discard the mixture and begin with the process again or should I continue to feed the starter for a few more days? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
lente says
I would love to learn everything
Jenna says
When you say “are rich in established bacteria and yeasts, and they give your sourdough starter a much-needed boost, are you saying “yeast” has been added to the starter or are naturally occurring? I would prefer not to add yeast if it can be avoided.
Cyndi Daves says
If i want to make a loaf of bread or a pan of rolls (12) how much starter do i use for one batch of bread?
thank you
Jenny says
Probably the best bet would be to google, “Sourdough Loaf Bread Recipe” and “Sourdough Roll Recipe.”
Marlene Demerling says
Hi Jenny,
I am so much looking forward to starting my own batch of sourdough starter. I am having too many issues with thyroid and possibility of food sensitivities and miss my bread so much. I read somewhere that true traditional sourdough bread is much easier to digest than others, so I’m going to give it a try. I was thinking of ordering the parisian starter you suggest, ( to ensure mine gets that extra boost ), however what came up was a SanFrancisco starter mix. Their chat line said they no longer carry the Parisian starter 🙁 , and that this was the closest replacement they felt. Have you ever tried this one before, and what did you think it was like compared to your favourite Parisian? ….. If needed, I may just start my own with unbleached all purpose flour and distilled water and see how it goes, following your recipe. However I still look forward to your answer.
I am looking forward to your newsletters and recipes.
Thank you
Marlene
Jennifer says
Should I feed the starter prior to storing it in the fridge?
Thanks for all your great recipes Jenny!
James says
Hi, just curious how much of an established started I should be using in this recipe.
Thank you,
James
Caryn says
I make my own yogurt, and have an abundance of whey after straining. Can the whey be used in place of starter when making the dough?
Also, can you recommend a good sourdough BREAD recipe?
Thanks!
Caryn
Caryn says
Oops! I meant, “can the whey be used in place of the WATER?”
Jenny says
You could try and let us know how it goes.
Lisa says
What if when I’m refreshing my starter it get tiny black spots and is darker on top?
Jenny says
Dark spots could mean a lot of things: dried out starter or mold, being two. Could you elaborate?
Murven Shoemaker says
How about distilled water.
Jenny says
You could try and let us know how it goes.
Erin says
Hi. I am being given a sourdough starter that has been fed with potato flakes and sugar. Can I begin feeding it with just flour and water?
Jenny says
Hi Erin,
Yes, you should be able to.
Lola says
Where do I purchase Parisian sourghdough starter? Amazon does not have it.
Wheat and Fire says
Natural yeast “wild yeast” created bread products is the main reason we have celiacs disease. As a natural baker for 20 years, I have seen thousands (with a t) of customers with gluten digestions issues .. my side hurts, I get headaches, my back hurts, I get bloated, etc …. eat natural yeast fermented dough with zero problems …
Love to chat more about what helped to heal my gluten issues …
– chef Tony
Jennifer says
Hi there. Don’t know if you’ll see this since it’s been a few years since this original post but just read through it and excited to try out making my own bread. I’ve never had much luck with bread and did try a starter a few years ago but reading through your entry I see where I have gone wrong. My biggest issue is that my kitchen is too cold. During the summer even with the air conditioner off it is pretty cool and definitely during the winter we put on an extra sweater rather than put the heat up. Keeping the kitchen warm enough for dough needs has always been challenging. I’m going to try putting the starter on top of the fridge, that seems a bit warmer and when I need dough to rise I put the oven on low and put the bowl or whatever on the top of the oven or have even put stuff in the oven after turning it off. Any suggestions on rising dough or keeping starter warm in a cold kitchen would be really appreciated!! Thanks for your site, I’m really enjoying it.
Jenny says
Hi Jennifer,
Cold, within reason, can be good for sourdough as it promotes the formation of more yeast. And you’ll want to keep your starter, once established, in the fridge unless your baking within 8 hours or so. BUT, for rising bread, cool temperatures can be tough – we use our dehydrator (https://nourishedkitchen.com/recommends/excalibur-dehydrator/).
Laura says
Howdy, I’ve been keeping a sourdough starter for about a year and it’s had a most delicious aroma and been making the most tasty breads. I haven’t been baking for the summer and so have just been maintaining a small amount in the fridge, but I’ve been getting the ‘itch’ to bake some more and so I’ve been multiplying the get the right amount for my recipe. To do this I needed to bring out the large jar I use. Unfortunately my hubby used that same jar to make a batch of sangria and didn’t wash/rinse it out good enough. I did’t know this and used the jar anyway. Now my starter smells like sangria bread! Ugh!! Can it still be used? It did bubble up over night but I don’t want my bread to taste a even a bit like fruit cake. Can I use a small amount to start the multiplying over again? or will it always smell like alcohol?
Jenny says
Hi Laura,
I’m not really sure, as I haven’t had that experience. Maybe see how it goes?
Cindy says
Can this be made gluten free?
Jenny says
Yes. Look up “gluten-free sourdough starter.”
Kim says
Hi Jenny,
I am on day 7 of my starter. Mine started bubbling after day 3 so I decided to make bread, but it never rose. I’m assuming I jumped the gun. I have a few questions:
I plan to store my starter in the refrigerator. Do I only need to take the starter out of the fridge and feed 12 hours before baking? Or does it have to be maintained weekly with feedings?
I noticed on KAF website that they add yeast to their sourdough bread recipies. Does that have any affect on the nutrients the sourdough brings out of the flour? Do you know if this is a “fail safe” or just simply a different recipe.
Most grateful!
ben says
my loaf of sourdough bread is too flat and does not have height. It appears too dense. I tried to make the dough less moist but after it rose more than 2X after 12 hrs, it was still loose. It appeared that it was loose after it rose. How can I increase the height of the loaf and make it less dense?
Jenny says
I would recommend following a good recipe.
Jessie says
What type of sifter do you use for your freshly ground wheat?
ben joyce says
Basic questions 1) how much of my starter to I place into the quantity of flour for 1 standard size loaf of bread?
2) can I use this starter in a bread machine?
3) Just to get my starter going can I wipe some dust off my bookcase and add it to the starter?
thank you for answering
Ben
Claude says
Jenny,
Any suggestion for starting a starter with flour sans gluten, please?
Many thanks,
c
Candice says
HELP! My son and I are making this starter and then hopefully bread as our “Handy-Craft” for school, but we can’t get the starter to rise. I get little bubbles on top, it is sour tasting and I have followed the directions, I think, to the letter, but it just won’t rise. I am using water filtered through an RO system, organic unbleached white whole wheat flour, the container is an older 1 gal. plastic jar, I started using a stainless steel traditional whisk then switched to a wooden spoon and now have gone back to the whisk. During the first few days it smelled slightly sour/sweet, but then it turned to an off-smelling flour. The temp in that area of my kitchen is 70-72 degrees. I thought about placing it in the oven with the light on as I read somewhere else, but that is over 80 degrees and it’s a plastic container. I have read SO much regarding this problem my head hurts. Any suggestions? I hate wasting ingredients.
Shai says
Hi Jenny im 4 days into the sourdough starter and im just wondering if i could start baking a little with it
shai says
Hi Jenny my starter expanded to twice the size on the 2nd day
Kathy says
I clicked on the link for the glass jar — what is the best size for the sourdough starter? There are several options to choose from. What size do you use?
Thank you!
Kristin says
Thanks for using a 12 hour feed plan for the starter. Most other websites recommend a 24 hour feeding cycle. When I read your suggestion I fed the starter after 12 hours and within an hour my horrible looking concoction started to “work”, bubble and double. in another two weeks or so I should be ready to use it! Thank you!
Wilma says
So.. I make my starter and after all the 12 hours are up and in the frig–I want to make a recipe–I take the starter out of frig the night before–then next morning take 1/2 cup of starter out to use for next recipe–I do have to
add flour & water to this 1/2 cup and mix — then back in frig and do again in 12 more hours until I have 1/2 jar of started??? Is this the way you do by keep adding flour & water to the 1/2 cup to keep the starter going? Thank You!!
Heli says
Making this has been on my list forever, however it is really difficult to get the established sourdough starter shipped here, will the recipe still work without it, may be I shall add some sugar, not sure what to do, can you help.
Joeanne says
I’m on my third attempt at making a sourdough starter. Two out of the three times I have been so excited to see my starter rise more then double on the third day and then I get up after feeding it the night before the fourth day and it hasn’t done anything and goes downhill from there. Our city has chlorine in the tap water so I have used reverse osmosis from the health store. I use organic bread flour…Help!!!
Sarah says
Hi there 🙂 I’ve been eyeing this post for months and finally got settled into our new home and started the starter! Very excited! I am using the type of jar you suggested and am adding flour/water every 12 hours. Do I need to be changing jars each time I add? I didn’t see that in the instructions but wanted to ask. I’m wiping down the sides after I stir with a napkin but there is some residue on the side of the jar. What do you think?
Thanks!!!
Alan says
Hi, I have previously had great success with sourdough, but the last two attempts have resulted in a most unpleasant smelling starter. I have searched the comments and seen a couple of others with this issue but with no responses. The only change that I can think of is I now have aluminum measuring cups. Surely this would not be the cause of the problem?
Cheers, Alan
Becky says
Will buckwheat flour work?
Carla says
Thank you for the awesome recipes! I love your site 🙂
Bernard says
I started making my starter early this week using Wholemeal Spelt flour.
The starter was doing great in the first 3 days of feeding, bubbling and expanding and all. But after 3 days the starter simply stop bubbling and expanding. It just still…. silent. I don’t smell anything off in the starter though.
It is now in the 6th day of feeding. What is wrong with my starter?
Jenny says
Hi Bernard, the problem is that you used wholemeal spelt. Sometimes spelt is contaminated with a bacterium that creates an incredible bubble in the early stages, and then it completely does offer by day 5. I recommend using up bleached all-purpose flour.
Bernard says
Well, after reading Wheat Belly I pretty much stop eating wheat altogether even the sourdough variety.
This is why I use Spelt flour instead.
Would it work better using White spelt flour?
Paddy says
Hi there. I misread your instructions about how often the starter needed feeding. Instead of feeding it every twelve hours I have fed it once a day for five days now. The first few days I was getting some very very sour smells. I went to feed my starter this morning and a lovely fragrance of slightly sour and very banana smells met my nose.,I have made starter before in a workplace and I remember quite distinctly the smell of banana when the starter was just about ready to use. Tomorrow I’m trying your recipe for sourdough pancakes. Thanks for all of the info you have made freely available. Once the pancakes work I’m going to be baking bread again. Cheers
Julia Erlikh says
Hi Jenny,
2 questions:
1- which of the culturesforlife starters would you recommend?
2 – exactly which unbleached all purpose flour do you use to feed the starter? Einkorn? Or non-sprouted, like King Arthur. I’ve been using Jovial’s einkorn and toyourhealth sprouted wheat, staying away from non-traditional milled flours. But are you saying it’s OK for the starter? Is t the same theory as using white sugar for kombucha?
Thank you!!
P.S. Love your book!!
Miriam says
how do you make the starter?
Jenny says
By following the instructions above.
Debbie McLaughlin says
I have some starter and I would like to know if any one has a recipe for sourdough bread in a bread machine.
Lois Brown says
I haven’t seen this question pop up, but I am curious. Would rain water be better to use than filtered water if its captured in a sanitized or suitable container?
Daisy Bangerter says
Reading your instructions for the starter and feeding of the sourdough, I figure that at the end of the 7 days I will be putting in the jar a total of: 7 1/4 Cups of flour and 4 2/3 + 3 Tbsp. of water. Considering expansion of the dough, how big does the container has to be? A gallon is only 16 Cups capacity.
Now you say that to “accommodate for expansion of the sourdough when is fed, make sure that the jar is only half full after each feeding. If you have made too much sourdough starter for the capacity of your jar, pour some off and use it in sourdough biscuits, sourdough pancakes or sourdough crackers”.
What is the point of following the recipe to end up discarding part of the sourdough? Is it not better to start small and not waste, unless I want to make biscuits, pancakes or crackers, but if I only want to make bread, may I cut the feedings to half the amounts of flour and water?
Jenny says
Hi Daisy, you should NOT cut the feedings. You should discard the sourdough once it reaches half-way up your jar. You discard part of the fed starter not only to prevent overflows, but to feed the beneficial bacteria, so that you can maintain a ratio of new flour (food) to old flour for the bacteria and yeast in your starter. Some sourdough makers are even more rigorous, discarding have of the starter every time they feed it. I do not.
Marek says
I am at day 6 and reached 3/4 of capacity of the jar. Around day 3 my starter was very “springy” but on day 5 has gotten runny and did not expand much since. It smells little “sour” right now. How can I “test” if my starter will perform when using in sourdough recipe?
Joe says
Jenny I know you are a busy house wife but you never answer all the questions
Pam says
Jenny,
I am using your recipe to make my own starter. I used the fourth of a cup of white flour and 3 tablespoons of water to start the sourdough starter. I fed The starter every 12 hours for 2 1/2 days. Then I got really busy and fed it only once in 24hours, fed it again in about 10 hours. I am now back on the 12 hour feelings. It is bubbling very well but it looks a Little dry and darker in some places. In the darker areas, the bubbles look like they have a little white stuff on them.
My question is have I ruined it and need to throw it out or is it okay? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Pam
Carissa says
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for posting this. I’m looking so forward to learning how to make sour dough. I just started my first batch of sour dough stater. Now following the recipe, I started with 1/4 cup flour (I used white rice flour) and 3 tbsp water. It was pretty much crumbs. I fed it this morning with 1/2 flour and 1/3 cup water and it’s still just crumbs. Isn’t it suppose to be watery?
Thanks so much. Would appreciate any help 🙂
Rachel says
Thanks for the helpful info! I’m going to give it a go as soon as I get the proper jar. FYI Target has what looks like the same jar for a bit less (especially when you factor in shipping) http://www.target.com/p/anchor-heritage-glass-jar-1-gallon/-/A-15295209#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=glass+jar
Marek says
When you feed your starter every 12 hours, do you first mix flour and water in separate vessel and add into the starter?
liliana says
yes, i mix the water and flower separately and then combine with the starter
liliana says
flour*
Marek says
Thank you very much for a quick response!
Liliana says
I attempted to find the answer to my question from all the posts but every time someone had a similar question to mine, it seemed that there was no answer. It is day 7 now and I have been using sprouted spelt flour for my starter with clean water. There have been a couple of times when the brown liquid film has appeared on top and I removed it as said in directions. The starter seems to have gotten a little less bubbly but it is still bubbly. It is not expanding so much in size as many others seem to have experienced. It does have a sour smell and taste but I don’t know if it will actually cause bread to rise so before i bake a loaf I would like to try and fix the starter if possible. How can I get the starter to bubble more and rise more? I feed it as instructed except for once in last 7 days where I skipped a feeding. Is there something else I can add in to help kick start it some more? Thanks you
Linda says
I would like to make my own starter and feel comfortable with the process as I am experienced with fermenting other foods. I have seen starter recipes that call for yeast. What is the difference between the two types?
Gail says
You don’t have to throw any of your starter away like many blogs say. You can give some away to friends, though, if you like. Throwing away some is not necessary.
Gail says
I’ve used sourdough starter for years. Here’s what I did:
SOURDOUGH STARTER (by Judy)
1 c unbleached white flour, 1 c filtered water, and a squeeze of honey (about 1 teaspoon or so). (the honey is a one-time use only). Mix together (w/wooden or plastic spoon) in a glass container (I like the ones w/the attached glass & rubber lid; never use metal w/your starter), cover w/a piece of cheesecloth & a rubber band, and let sit out on counter. It should start bubbling within a day or two (which means that the wild yeast in the air has gotten into it). After that, you can add 1 c flour & 1 c water, stir, and let sit again for 24 hours. You can continue to add 1 c flour & 1 c water every 24 hours until you get the amount of starter you want. Once you get the amount you want, let it sit for 24 hr, then you can refrigerate it or let it sit out at room temp & stir daily. (If you refrigerate it, take it out once a week & stir it (including the hooch on the top) & put it back in fridge if you’re not going to use it)
FEEDING DIRECTIONS:
When you want to use your starter, let it come to room temp first. Feed it each time after using it. (never feed more than 1 c flour & 1 c water within any 24 hour period)
NOTE by Judy: I’ve tried brown rice flour, rye flour, garbanzo-fava flour, quinoa flour, and sorghum flour and didn’t like the smell of any of them. I tried the Injera Pancakes using teff flour & really liked them, though – it’s not a starter that you keep going – you make it, let it set for a couple of days til it ferments, then use the whole thing. Then you can immediately start making another batch that takes another few days to ferment.
Melissa says
I bought the sourdough starter you recommended from Cultures for Health. In their directions on activating the starter, it tells me to throw all but 1/2 a cup away after around 24 hours, or after the initial feeding & a second one. Your recipe doesn’t say anything about this, but everything else is the same. Do you know the reason for throwing all but 1/2 a cup away? And do you recommend I follow their directions? Or do you think that’s even necessary?
Stu says
About 7 months ago I started a started from scratch and was having success. Life caught up to me and I am just now getting back to it. The starter I had successfully been using stayed in the same loosely fttting top contatiner in the door of my refrigerator. I was going to throw it away and restart a new starter but when I dug past the top layer of crust, there was the most pure looking creamy smooth pasty substance that smelled Oooh just right! Yes, just a dab on the finger tip tasted just sour right as well. I am wondering if I should toss it and start again, or just use some of this and grow from there. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Jenny says
I would use a bit of what’s in the bottom of the container as a starter.
Alan Holbrook says
OK, I have a nice batch of bubbly, sour smelling starter on my countertop just begging to be made into a loaf of sourdough bread. All I need now is a recipe. Do you have a recipe for sourdough bread using your starter that uses plain old ordinary flour available in a supermarket? I really don’t want to invest in any of these special order specialty flours.
Thanks…
Jana says
Hi, keen to start making sourdough bread. Am a novice so expect lots of trail and error! Was just wondering if it was possible to use water kefir in my sourdough started. Was just thinking that it might help give it an extra boost. Can you tell me if this is a recommend or just a crazy idea!
Jenny says
Hi Jana! It won’t do much for you, but it won’t hurt either. If this is your first sourdough, I recommend you purchase an established starter, get one from a friend or visit a sourdough bakery. THAT will give it a boost, greater reliability and a higher chance for success.
eunice khoo says
hi, may i know when the stater is ready for baking ?and can i put into the fridge to prent over fermented ? pls help ! tqs.
rr says
Hi
I love your cookbook!!!
Jenny, if it is not too much trouble could you supply the refresh amounts in scale quantities? Either grams or ozs work because my scale reads both.
Thanks!
Jen D says
Hi,
I am very new at this and have two questions, so please forgive me if these are very basic.
My starter smells like vomit. My husband smelt it last night in the kitchen, I didn’t tell him that it was the starter or else he will not eat it. 😉 I noticed it this morning. Is this normal?
Also, I only started my starter on Wednesday evening, following your instructions. I used bottled water as we have quite a bit of chlorine in our water and I didn’t want to wait until it evaporated out. I had alot of bubbles this morning, like the bottle overflowed bubbbles. It is summer and I live in FLorida, but my thermostat is set in the mid 70s. Could it really be ready that quickly?
There is no seperation or discoloration.
TIA
Roberta Devers-Scott says
Jenny,
What if you are not going to bake for weeks? Do you just pull the starter out of the fridge and feed it each week?
Thank you
Andrea says
Hi! Ive been working on my started for a while now and it inflates great but also deflates back down before 12 hours… 🙁 what do I do? Is this ok? Will it work for bread?
kristina says
Yep it will work. Just use it when it peaks for baking. Also stir it to redistribute the yeast
Shona MacLaine says
I wish I had read this before I started! However I didn’t and used a recipe from one of my cook books that has worked for me in the past (has honey and plain yoghurt in it). It had been a long time since I made starter and I didn’t know if the cover was supposed to be airtight or not. Seems obvious now but I did put an airtight lid on my glass container for the first 2 days it had a little bit of water on the top but looked (lots of little bubbles)and smelled fine so I just stirred it and fed it today and left the lid slightly ajar. Do you think it will still work? I am wondering if I should just start over or keep going with this.
I will try a second starter using your method was just hoping to have something I could bake with a little sooner.
makalove says
Yeah, my grandmother gave me a starter for a wedding gift in 1990; she had gotten a starter from her mother. While living on the farm she used well water, but after the farm went bankrupt in the ’70s and she moved to town, she used tap water with no problems. I used tap water in mine for many years. She also taught me to make pickles “the real way” in her words – fermented pickles – and always used tap water and they always came out fine. While I’m all for using filtered water when we can, I’ve now done experiments with many ferments, including sourdough, pickles, sauerkraut, and kombucha using tap water alongside their filtered-water “peers”, just to see if they would work. Every single one of them did. I think we need to remember that making real food more accessible to more people is important. The less we expect folks to spend on equipment and ingredients, the more likely the more likely they are to get more nourishment into their food. I know I’m often guilty of all-or-nothing perfectionism when it comes to healthy eating; that kind of attitude can be a real hindrance for many. (A great example: I have a friend who lives in a HUD housing complex and who lives, with an adolescent child, on a few hundred dollars per month plus a couple hundred dollars in food stamps. Her apartment comes with free tap water – she can’t afford to spend money for filtered water by the gallon and certainly never has enough spare cash to buy a good filtering system. She brews kombucha using tap water and generic tea bags. Is it as good as kombucha made with filtered water and organic tea? Maybe not. But is it better than none at all? I don’t even have to hesitate to say YES.
kristina says
You can boil the water for about 15 min or leave a bowl of water out overnight this will help the some of the chorine evaporate,
Russ Conner says
Modern water facilities use chloramine, not chlorine.
Less taste, and more importantly for keeping tap water safe to drink, nonvolatile. Setting it out does not take it out of the water.
Now, quality and taste of your water aside, having chlorine or chloramine in your water is not good for the yeast, as it is exactly the sort of thing it is designed to kill.
At the very least, it will slow down the growth.
a simple carbon filter will remove all the anti-microbial compounds from your water, making it safe for the beneficial yeast.
Debi says
A gallon of filtered water in a refillable jug (you can use any recycled type of jug) is only .25 cents and a little effort to go fetch it at the store.
Debi
Debi says
filtered water is the FIRST building block to health. While I am thankful I live in a modern clean society, I also believe that tap water from a municipality is medicating the masses.
Debi
Jon Newberry says
The filtered water from the store is the same stuff coming out of your tap
Suzanne says
I’ve made sourdough for years and I’ve used different kinds including making fresh sourdough starter from potato water, starter made using a little yeast to boost the process & and sourdough from the ultimate scratch which is just flour sugar and water in large shallow pan and fanning it while babying the temperature of it till you get a good population of bacteria. ( that is the original way but takes lots of time and patience)
Your suggested whisk concerns me; since one rule of thumb is to NEVER use metal utensils as there is a chemical reaction that happens between the starter and metal . I always used glass jar and bowls and a trusty wood spoon. Lumps when feeding the starter or when making a sponger were never a problem since the bacterial activity works them out and the mixing and kneading is the same nessicary process.
It is best to use filtered water, I don’t know the effects of fluoride or othe additives but chlorine is used to kill bacteria so it stands to reason it will inhibit the growth in your starter. A good alternative To filtering chlorine is to let your water set for 8-12 hours as this will lower the chlorine content before using it in your starter. I’ve used regular chlorinated tap water without a problem but I lived in areas where my water wasn’t heavily chlorinated though.
Nothing compared to good sourdough bread, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, pancakes…, well anything really! :9
Jenny says
The rule of thumb to never use metal is inaccurate, misguided and, quite simply, wrong. Reactions only occur if the metal is, well, reactive. That’s not an issue with stainless steel.
kristen says
I’m more interested in sourdough for the health benefits than the flavor-that being said, is there any nutritional benefit to adding the starter to breads like banana bread, muffins, cakes, cookies etc. or is it only beneficial when allowed a long ferment?
Jerry Krentz says
I live in central Florida. Can I make and keep my starter in my patio kitchen? Or would the high daily temp. and humidity levels hinder or keep the starter from “starting”?
Lauren says
Hi Jenny! Your information is wonderful. I have started my sourdough process and currently have about 1/3 of a jar full (the same jar that you picture). I’m confused if I need to measure the amount of starter I have each day and use that measurement to determine the amount of flour & water to add?? OR do I just add the 1/2 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of water each day as you mention above? Also, at this point, should I feed every 12 hours or is once a day enough? I used the Desem starter from CFH and Jovial Einkorn flour. Thanks so much!
Esther Cremers says
Could I use a sourdough powder as a starter? And then use spelt white flour?
Jenny says
Yes.
Erica says
I have the same jar as you link to… do you use the lid it shows in the picture or would that be too tight of a lid??
Jake Steijn says
I started my sourdough with some of the 1847 Oregon Trail sourdough starter I got from Friends of Carl. After reviving the dry starter until I had a couple of cups of live starter I tried your no knead whole wheat recipe. It sat at 70 – 75 F (by my Taylor digital thermometer) for two days with no growth whatsoever. I’ve done the no-knead route many times following the New York Time method, starting with 1/4 tsp of yeast and letting it take up to 24 hours to rise, so I think I know when a dough is not going to do anything at all. I discarded it.. To test the sourdough, starter, which I had refrigerated, I revived it and made a loaf of white sourdough. It is excellent. It was not the starter. But. Reading more about sourdough I realized that sourdough cultures may become accustomed to a particular flour, and changing from white flour to whole wheat as suddenly as I did may have caused it to fail. I started a whole wheat sourdough culture from a tablespoon of the white flour culture. I now have a quart mason jar of bubbling, live, whole wheat culture and I’m ready to try again.
But I have a question, or observation. The sourdough culture you discuss is about 70% – 1/2 cup flour to 1/3 cup water – and your illustrations show what is apparently a white-flour based culture. 100% whole wheat is going to absorb more water that white flour, and the recipe calling for 1 cup of starter, 1/2 cup of water and 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour appears to me to be headed for failure due to insufficient water, even allowing for the relatively dry dough you tell us to expect. Should I go just a little bit wetter given that my starter is already a rather stiff and heavy mix? I’m thinking this dough will once again be too dry to grow.
Since I’m already starting this and have only a little time and flour to lose, I’m going to use the recipe as delivered, and I’ll post my results. But any advice will be appreciated, as this is sure to be just one of many batches.
Annette says
I started my sourdough starter with flour and water. I fed it twice a day for 8 days and not much is happening yet. It gets bubbles but doesn’t smell like it’s fermenting yet. I’ve been using filtered tap water. My question is can it be salvaged if I change water or do I have to start over again? I’m thinking it’s either the water or the temp in my house. Any suggestions are appreciated!
Annette says
I started with just flour and water. I fed it twice a day for seven days but not much is happening. It does get bubbly but doesn’t smell “sour” yet. I’m not using spring water but it is filtered tap water. My question is can I salvage what I have by changing water? Or is it my house is just not warm enough right now? Thanks for any suggestions!
April says
Hi Jenny! I just received my Parisian starter in the mail, and only have einkorn flour on hand. What white flour brand would you recommend for initial feedings? Thanks so much!
Jenny says
April – I actually would just feed it whatever you have on hand. In my experience, starters aren’t nearly as picky about their source flour as many people believe they are.
Talia says
Hi Jenny,
I’m on my 3rd sourdough starter (the first 2 turned pink and smelled horrible after a few days… maybe because the steam from my oven vents upwards, to where I’d stored them)
Anyway, my current sourdough starter is 8 days old and smells like a cross between sour/fruity. Although it hasn’t doubled in size, it gets bubbly after every feeding and rises a bit. I tried to bake with it last night, but the dough wouldn’t rise – at all! I looked around and came to the conclusion that maybe I wasn’t feeding it properly. Many sites say things like, start with 50 grams starter and add equal amounts of flour and water to double the size of the starter. Then discard 50 grams and repeat every 24 hours.
Other more serious sourdough sites with many active participants say that 50 grams of starter should be fed with 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour. So, I started to do this instead but was wondering how long I’ll have to wait until I can use the sourdough starter. Does this mean that I’m starting from ZERO or will I be able to use it soon?
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!
Jennifer says
I am excitedly trying sourdough bread baking for the first time and had a question. I followed your directions for activating my starter and had it bubbly and active. I wanted to try a recipe for sourdough bread that required the starter to be at 100% hydration. Would that work with my starter I created using your directions? Or would I need to remove some starter and feed it for a while at a different hydration level, making enough starter that the recipe called for?
Bonnie says
Hi jenny,
Just an FYI. The danish wisk you mentioned, is currently not available and they do not know when it will be back.
I can’t wait to try making this. As always, you are my trusted source I all things of traditional cooking.
Thanks,
Bonnie
Jesse says
Can I bake with the starter I am to discard after the first 24 hour period? I took half of it away and then fed the remainder with the proportions of flour and water I was instructed. I read somewhere that the discarded sourdough starter is not stable/safe in the beginning because of certain bacterias. Is this true? Can I bake with the discarded sourdough starter I have from the first 24 hour period?
Jesse says
The first 24 hours after I began my starter, I cut half of it away and then added the proportions of flour and water in the starter instructions. Is the left over starter safe to use for baking this early on(24 hours)? I read somewhere it could have unsafe bacteria because it is not yet stable, is that true?
Marjorie Lane says
I,ve been making Sour dough for years ,my first one was a round loaf that was great ,I found that recipe in a magazine but lost it . I was heart broken .I found one in my bread coookboook,about the same except it was a french bread + a few other
recipes. I’ve never tried it without yeast to start my sourdough , I’m really
looking forward to tryiing it .
I was watching Leon on NRB(Directv) His guest was a Herbiest (Terry Bell)And He said to
let your water set overnight and the chlorine or what ever else would clear out ..
PS I am 79 years old ,raised 5 children. and I still bake my own bread… All my praises goes to the LORD!!
Maisoun says
Just tried rice, queneoa and wholemeal wheat. Works beautifully, secret is freshly home grounded grains. No Yeast. Just the flour and water
Nicole says
Bless your heart!
Mona says
It is nice to hear that you give credit to The Lord. I wish more people would think as we do. Do you think it is our age, I am eighty seven years old ?
Angelina says
All praise to the Lord here too 🙂 And I’m 45 🙂
bob says
god doesn’t exist, you’re fooling yourself.
Edie Alvelo says
Bob why do you say God does not exist? Did you always think that way? Just curious.
chef trip says
anyone believing the bible(s) as the word of god are accepting a creator that supports slavery, the selling of your children, religious intolerance, women are inferior and property of men, and many more awful things. anyone with a shred of intelligence and critical thinking who reads the bible will become and atheist.
Colleen says
Chef Trip, anyone who claims such intelligence as yourself might want to ensure his grammar and spelling are correct. It would be nice to be able to read the helpful instructions and comments without being exposed to people like you. I do appreciate the recipe and instruction from the writer, Jenny. Thanks for all you do!
Linda says
I am 61 and appreciate your comments to give God the credit! I am just learning about bread making, getting my first starter going today!
Julia says
Recently I learned from my friend that Sourdough is even more gluten-free than gluten-free. Something about the effect of the bacteria on the gluten. But it must be “real” not processed sourdough. Any thoughts on this?
Jesse says
Can I bake with the starter I am to discard after the first 24 hour period? I took half of it away and then fed the remainder with the proportions of flour and water I was instructed. I read somewhere that the discarded sourdough starter is not stable/safe in the beginning because of certain bacterias. Is this true? Can I bake with the discarded sourdough starter I have from the first 24 hour period??
Dawn says
Hi I’ve followed the starter recipe and now what do I do to make bread?do I make the sour dough bread the same as regular yeast bread?
Lisa C says
I live in CO at 6500 ft and have heard from several friends that making sourdough at this altitude doesn’t work well. I would like to try your recipe; do you have any recommendations for high altitude?
Jenny says
I live at 8500 ft. It works fine.
Jeanne says
I’ve had my starter for at least 20 years
I cook bake use it for everything love mine
elise says
Wow Jeanne, you must never go on any extended vacations to have kept your starter for 20 years!
Renee says
What exactly is the purpose for a starter?
Jenny says
To make sourdough bread rise.
Dhyan Marga says
Hello, have got a really good routine going. Mill spelt grain in my Thermomix in two batches (gone down from 500gr to 300gr adding more soaked seeds these days) mix with water, leave sitting around in a bowl overnight or day then back in the Thermomix with the starter and sea salt, no water. I knead for ca. 5 min. Scrape in bowl to rest and double.
Soak about 300 gr. sunflower, linseed, chia, quinoa mix for a few hours. Drain well after. The sunflower seeds I soak separately, easier. The other seeds swell up to a sort of porridge. When the dough has risen for a few hours I add the seeds and put the mix in an oiled floured heavy tin with a spatula. Sprinkle more flour on top. Another few hours and off in a hot oven with a little bowl of ice cubes.
The starter I feed whenever I think of it, always with rye flour. Only about 2 teaspoons of flour sometimes more. I keep it in the fridge unless I bake soon.
Sounds long winded and complicated but is easier and becomes routine. Honestly the best bread ever, especially toasted.
Of course the same can be done with bought flour and no machine, except it is a bit wet and would take a bit of a work out.
It does take time but so worth it, good luck!
I_Fortuna says
Good grief! Making sourdough starter is easy if you just follow the recipe above. I was making this way before the internet with no problem. Just use common sense and don’t overthink it. Start simple and go from there. K-I-S-S : )
Meagan says
What do you mean by potato water? I’m curious
DeeDee M says
‘Potato water’ is the water you boiled your diced potatoes in … Instead of pouring it off down the drain, cool & save it in a zip bag or freezer container and freeze for later use. There are a lot of nutrients in and uses for the potato water, from re-adding to mashed potatoes .. bread making .. thickening soups & gravies .. watering houseplants .. treat your pets by adding to their dry food … etc..
Jacqueline Joyce says
Of all the sourdough starters I’ve made, my favorite is made with potato water. One of my favorite sourdough recipes is one for sourdough English muffins from a Sunset Bread cookbook. I see them offered still, on EBay.
Kira says
I recently heard of feeding the starter with milk. Raw milk supplies decrease in the winter around here, is it safe to use pasteurized milk to feed the starter? Are there any benefits to this vs. water?
Jenny says
There’s no sound reason to feed your starter milk, just follow the recipe above.
Kara says
for a gluten free starter, after the week of feeding, how long can I leave it on the counter and when should it go to the refrigerator. Thanks!
Moira B says
How do you think the sourdough would do in a bread maker?
maiastras says
Hello Jenny,
I took a leap and decided to make a sourdough starter according to your instructions. I purchased the sourdough starter your recommended, and have been feeding it for the past three days.
From this morning I noticed and while there is no hooch, there is a distinct layer of bubbly starter at the top (about an inch). Is this normal or okay? I just added in more flour and water anyways, but noticed that the “layer” has formed again.
The starter smells okay, and looks happy and bubbly but the photo of your starter seems to be even throughout so I’m just curious as to how I’m supposed to interpret this.
Thank you!
Lindsey H says
Hi! Is the link you posted in the article above correct for the starter you use? You mention using a Parisian starter but it links to one on Amazon that says nothing about Parisian… Thanks!
Tracy says
I am doing everything according to directions….same container, Danish whisk, flour..etc. I have a pancake sour smelling mixture after a week with some bubbles and usually some liquid on top. I keep feeding it, and the whole amount is over a 1/4 of the canister full – is it ready? The jar is so large I can’t tell if it is growing! I can just keep feeding it, but don’t know when to start. Also, my grandma said to add some salt for flavor – is this ok? Thank you!
Kathy D. says
This is a very nice website, and I congratulate you. However, this is not a recipe for “sourdough starter” if one of the ingredients is “sourdough starter” !!! That said, of course it will result in a starter, but I expected to see a recipe from scratch.
Jenny says
Had you thoroughly read the piece, you would know that using an established starter as a boost is optional, and a method is given for wild-started sourdough as well.
Carolina Vizuet says
Hi, I made it, but two days I forgot to feed the sourdough each 12 hours, I did it 24 hrs. How does this affect the proccess? could be dangerous a wrong in preparation? Thank you very much.
joe says
to peeju, I never had trouble making a starter with whole wheat flour.but what ever works for you..I’ve heard though,you should’nt put grapes in it. grapes have a different type of bacteria (other than sourdough bug’s) that could harm or kill the sourdough bug’s your looking to entice into your flour and water mix…so if something happens with your present try with grapes in it,don’t be dicouraged, try again,but with no grapes. I found somtimes a pinch of brown sugar helps in the flour and water mix,helps to jump start the sourdough bugs..I heard your not supose to put sugar in either..but sourdough seems to like the extra carbohidrates ..grapes can start to ferment or even start rotting before you can catch it. good luck
Julian Opificius says
There’s absolutely nothing at all wrong with using grapes in a starter – quite the opposite, in fact: they are an excellent source of natural yeast and mild acidity necessary for a healthy starter. The technique is referred to positively in Samuel Fromartz’ “In Search of the Perfect Loaf” (an excellent read for newbie bakers – lots of philosophy, guidelines and tips) and is explicitly used in the sourdough starter in “The Panera Bread Cookbook; Breadmaking Essentials and Recipes from America’s Favorite Bakery-Cafe”.
I started my very first starter with three Tbs of buckwheat flour (I’d have used rye, but I didn’t have any at the time), three Tbs of water, four unwashed red grapes, and 1 Tbs of natural buckwheat honey. I stirred the concoction up, placed in a handy saved 21oz square plastic rice container that a commercial rice blend came in , put a #4 coffee filter over the top retained with a rubber band, and sat it on top of some electronic equipment to warm it gently. Within twelve hours it was showing tiny bubbles, and within twenty four it was definitely puffy. At that 24 point I added three Tbs of rye flour (an excellent flour for starters, per Samuel Fromartz), three Tbs water, and a tsp of raw honey (hideously expensive, but famously effective), and within another twelve hours my starter had quadrupled in size.
Time for another feed – backing down to a lighter flour so as not to be too strong (per Jenny), and a slightly cooler environment so as not to over-ferment, and within another day it’s ready.
When to use? Well, any starter is better than no starter, so just remember the guidance (I won’t say rule) of not using the starter within eight hours of feeding, and all will be well.
Thanks for this excellent article, Jenny. You show how easy things can be, as long as we are prepared to learn from our experiences.
There are many questions here, and some answers; I would advocate that people simply try things out, be patient, observe what happens, takes notes, and think things through. We can learn a lot very quickly by doing that!
I hope I’ve put the “no-grapes” nonsense to bed 🙂
Christal says
Hi Jenny,
You mentioned using a starter and the fact that the starter is producing laco bacillus. Do you think I could use some whey from my laco fermented sauerkraut or would it give the sourdough an off taste?
Rachel says
Once the starter is established how do you feed it/ prepare it for baking? Do you do a 1:1:1 ratio with starter, flour, and water or…? Different resources call for different ratios and I’d love to know what you suggest please! Thanks!
Jill C says
Ine thing you should NOT do, is keep your starter in the oven and not leave yourself a note. You might preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and murder your starter. You also might melt the plastic lid onto your mason jar, ruining both.
jamie says
i have a batch of starter that i had going good and strong for a couple of months, i used it at least once a week and fed it every day. i started neglecting it and now a month or more has passed and it has been sitting on my counter in a jar ever since…unfed 🙁 it does not appear to be affected at all..it still has that good sourdough smell..there is no mold on the sides of the jar…..question is…should i start feeding it again and use it still or start over? people are starting to demand the sourdough bread again!
Amanda says
is there a reason to NOT use a wire whisk? i remember reading something a while back stating that you should only use wood, but I prefer the whisk to get more bubbles…
Jonathan says
What should the consistency of the starter be? I’m on day 6 and it is roughly the consistency of pancake batter. Does that sound about right?
Ash says
Alrighty, so I followed a slightly different set of instructions, one which said to use an airtight container, and to feed it once a day. It said that, after 5/6 days, it’d start bubbling. I used plain old tap water (I live in a really hard water area), and extra strong brown bread flour, as it was all I could procure…. An hour after I fed it for the first time, I had several large bubbles appear. I’m assuming this was just magic, because I’m crap at getting things like this right first time lol.
I’m now on my 5th day of feeding, and ready to put my jar in the fridge. Apparently I need to give it a month to mature before it’ll give a strong taste in my loaves.
Kinda forgot where I was going with this, but I’ll go ahead and ask a question anyway: Is it really THAT important to avoid an airtight jar? My kilner jar seems to be working a treat.
linda says
Can I use my gluten free flour mix to make the sourdough starter and bread?
Lisa says
Thanks for confirming that this recipe will work with gluten-free flours. Now, how can I make a gluten-free starter from scratch (ie I have no established GF starter to add), and then, can anyone suggest a gluten-free recipe to make with the resulting starter?! Having eaten gluten-free for my adult life, it has been a long time since I’ve made a sourdough bread and I don’t remember even rough proportions, which might not work for GF anyway. Thanks!
Susan says
I saw a question on Gluten free:
I was a”wheat” baker and did use sourdough starter pre-gluten-free. I hope this helps someone.
I used white rice flour to start my “mother” and have added all sorts of other gluten free ones in feeding, including teff and buckwheat, but find white rice flour is probably the best for neutral flavor.
I started the starter with a little sugar and yeast and kept feeding for a week on my counter, but this is months ago and I have just kept feeding once a week and it has been successful. Supposedly you can do it with a piece of apple rind instead of yeast and leaving it open to the air…it did not work for me so I cheated.
I use it once a week, so I keep it in a wide mouth ceramic jar with snap/seal lid and in the refrigerator from Sunday night to to Friday night and feed it on Friday ( lid open and covered with a cloth when out of the fridge).
I add a 1/4 cup to every loaf or equivalent i make. It adds, a bit more of the “bread” taste”as I remember it.
when it is bad, I remember reading somewhere that when it has an orange or pink color and funky smell, toss it! It is not worth taking a chance on making yourself ill, so always keep a bit in the freezer to start a new batch if necessary.
Change jars and wash thoroughly once a month.
Karen says
This is a silly question, but i have the same jar as you, and I was wondering if I can put the top on it. I know that air flow is important so I’ve just had a towel over it for now. But the top isn’t air tight at all. What do you think? Thanks!!
Swetha says
I am new to baking and found this information useful. Can we use the sourdough to be used in baking regular breads, pizza and pita bread? Will the sourness of sourdough affect the dishes? In short I am looking for yeast substitute for my breads, pizza and pita bread. Your experience will be helpful in guiding me.
Kendahl @ Our Nourishing Roots says
Love this 🙂 I don’t know if people know but I LOVE SOURDOUGH! 😀
Dina B says
How do I make an Extra Sour sourdough starter? We like our bread extra sour/tangy. Thanks. 😉
Rachael says
Stir in the hooch! It helps. I also recommend letting your starter sit on your counter for 30 days and feeding regularly (1 to 2 times a day depending on the point in the process). I did this and have a lovely, tangy sourdough starter!
Gina says
What do you use to sift your flour?
Jod says
I have my starter going (I actually just kept a bit of raised bread dough before I completed the loaf) and it seems to be growing well. Does anyone have a good recipe for the bread that works well for them?
Marian Motherhood says
after following your instructions precisely almost 3 weeks now of feeding every day and it is bubbly but doesnt rise, and my bread doesnt rise either, even if i make it with white flour. we are using organic artisan white flour, and water filtered through berkey with pf2 filters. do i need to buy a starter???
Rachael says
What kind of flour are you using? I have great success with whole wheat as there are more natural bacteria present.
JoBeth says
Thank you for this sourdough recipe. Have you ever tried making a starter with a red cabbage leaf? I found a recipe with this method and it worked well. I guess red cabbage (I recommend organic) has a natural yeast-like coating. We are a gluten free family, so I use all gluten free flours.
Nicki says
I also have the dried out top layer and am wondering what to do with it…discard/mix it in? Is the batch still okay if this layer develops or should we not have that present if the process is working correctly?
Joanna | WholeGreenLove says
Hi Jenny,
This may be a silly question, but how soon after starting your starter can you start using it? Do you wait for the whole week- 7 days, or can you start using it sooner? I see that you can pour it off for biscuits, pancakes etc., but should you wait to try it with bread until the 7 day marker?
Thanks!
Joanna
Rachael says
You can use it right away, but the flavor won’t develop for a few weeks. If you just need a yeast substitute and the sourdough is rising eagerly, I’d go for it!
Not the blogger, but a sourdough enthusiast. Best of luck!
Erin H. says
I was recently given a 20-yr-old starter. However, it is a “potato flake starter.” The instructions my neighbor gave me with the starter say to feed it potato flakes, sugar, and warm water. Do you know if I can start feeding the starter wheat flour and warm water as is done with traditional sourdough starters? Or do I need to start over from scratch and create my own starter using wheat flour?
Savanah says
Recently, it seems I have developed a sensitivity to gluten. I wondered if using sourdough would be safe or if I should just stick to gluten-free flours instead.
Rachael says
http://www.cheeseslave.com/top-10-reasons-to-eat-real-sourdough-bread-even-if-youre-gluten-intolerant/
Check out the above article to Cheeseslave for some GREAT reasons to make your own sourdough!
Cathi says
Could one make sour dough starter from Coconut flour or Seed fours like Sunflower and Seseme Seed Flour? I cannot us any grains I have Celiac Disease and that means NO Rice too. I am on the SCD diet for healing my gut. The plain Gluen free diet did not work for me. But I would like to find a way to make sour dough from Coconut or Seed flour. Would you have any ideas how do that?. Oh, I have allergies to nuts, so those are out. Thank you for your help.
Kelly says
Rice doesn’t have any gluten. It’s completely safe and recommended for those with celiac.
Also, recent studies have shown that those even with celiac have been able to tolerate properly made sourdough WHEAT bread, if it’s made with the ‘mother starter’.
Lisa says
What are the best Gluten-Free flours (if any) to use in the sourdough starter?
Has anyone had good results with GF starters?
Kelley says
Im on day 2 and already have a bubbly and doubling starter!!! Im stoked. I used rye flour and filtered water from my fridge. Last night it didnt look like uch but this morning it was light, bubbly and had doubled! It’s almost filled up a quart mason jar. Going to have to take some out soon. (Yeast activity could also be due to me putting the jar along with other fermentations…)
Thank you for the great instructions, I’ve tried a few other times to cultivate a starter and just wound up with wasted flour. 🙂
Esther says
I was so very excited to start this but now….i don’t know! I started my starter 15 days ago and it’s still not doubling in size. I have been using organic unbleached flour and filtered water. There are small bubbles on the upper half of the starter and it smells yeasty but it’s not doubling in size. What is my next step? I’m new at this and really don’t know what to do.
Randi says
So looking forward to starting is using a sprouted flour unnecessary because the souring is basically doing the same thing? Also FYI your links to the whisk and glass containers are broken
Best
Randi
Natalia says
Why can’t WW Flour used to feed the starter? 🙁
That’s all I have… And I would like to keep it that way, I would hate to just buy some for the starter. Why would WW flour develop a funky smell after a while? Could I just start a fresh batch every once in a while? Can I add anything to the starter to remedy that?
Thanks!
Amy says
Last year, I tried to make sourdough starter without success. Your post inspires me to try again. The first instructions that I used were very particular on the temperature of the starter–which is a challenge for me as I live in a cold climate and my house does not get above 68 degrees this time of year. Should this be of a concern for starting my sourdough? Thanks!
joanna says
What should the consistency of the starter be? Mine has lots of bubbles and it’s risen but there seems to be lots of water in the bottom of the bowl…
Jean says
How much of the starter do I use (once finished) to make one loaf of bread?
Sara says
Just look at whatever recipe you’re using – it will tell you.
dolores eilerts says
I would love to bake sourdough bread, I have heard on many cook shows, you have to leave the recipe amount of starter sit out on counter night before dsy of use, pancakes, bread etc. How do I know , how much of flour water to put back in starter jar, and. What other ingredients do I add to overnightset out of starter. I AM SO CONFUSED, basically does the entire recipe of pancakes, bread etc, have to sit on counter all night, or just the starter. I need to bake more due to economy, and health.
kim says
This is from my mom-in-law who would be about 92 right now if she were still here.
the night before i make sourdough pancakes I mix:
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups warm water
starter from the fridge
mix together and let it sit in a warm spot covered with dishtowel(flour sack)
NEXT DAY
TAKE OUT 1/2 CUP STARTER AND SAVE!!!! then mix in:
1 tsp.salt
3 T. sugar
1tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
3 T. oil
Debbie says
How much starter from fridge for your pancake recipe?
Rustaholic says
If you read the recipe do a little investigating and see that it said to take out a 1/2 cup and put it back in the fridge.
Now if that is how she does it then just how much would be in the fridge to use the next time? Yes she could even have three cups of starter in there but to keep it at whatever level she wants it to be she just put back in what she had used.
Mary says
thanks for sharing your MILs recipe – but just how much starter goes in? The recipe just says ‘starter from the fridge’.
Wouldn’t it be important to know the measurement? i love the idea of extending the starter!
Beth freestone says
Hello Kim do you mind telling me how you started your starter in the beginning
Jeff says
I use half the starter for a loaf and add the same amount taken back into the starter to rebuild.
Ellen says
Hi!
I have had my starter for about a month now and have attempted to make bread 3 times. When I first started my starter by day 7 it was bubbling and rising so much so that I moved it to a larger jar, but since that time it has never risen quite the same. It has a wonderful sour smell and is always bubbly after I feed it, but my bread never rises. I use filtered water and unbleached All Purpose Flour so I am just at a loss as to what could be going wrong. Any ideas or suggestions would be great!
Lakisha says
Thanks KJ, I am so glad that you posted this, I have my first attempt at sourdough in the making and I was really worried when I saw the directions about filtered water. I am not sure how it’s going to turn out, but at least I am not so worried anymore…wish me luck=))).
Marlene Stratton says
There are several Desem bread recipes online where you use whole wheat flour and use a different kind of starter, for those of you who don’t want to use white flour.
Yocelyng says
Interesting! I just started using sourdough started to make bread. And since we moved to Midwest from CA I wanted to do some sourdough bread. It didn’t turn out as sour as I wanted 🙁 I wonder if I started feeding it with milk if it would get more sour? What are your thought? Also I’ve been using all purposes in bleached flour.
Cathy says
Hi Jenny,
My sourdough starter looked great after 7 days but I wasn’t ready to bake and I had the starter in a 1/2 gallon mason jar so I put it in the fridge. You say “feed it well” 12 hours before, but can you be more specific? I only added an additional 1/2 cup flour and 1/3 cup filtered water and checked it after 12 hours but it didn’t look as proofed and bubbly as when I had finished the week long feeding. but I went ahead and used it and sure enough my sourdough loaf didn’t rise. Thanks in advance for your input!
Sorilea says
When you’re first mixing your starter and let it sit, does it need to breathe or can a lid be tightened on?
Sorilea says
Ok, duh… I re-read the commentary before the recipe, and you covered just this subject. :O)
athena says
I started my starter 4 days ago, and won’t have time until tomorrow, do I then discard 1/2, let i stand 4 hrs, and then include 1 cup water-2 cups flour. Let stand again 2-4 hrs and the ‘overlay’ dough 2-3 times, and then in oven. Sorry, you’ve probably said all this before, but having a hard time focusing.
christine says
When one begins the sourdough-making process, does one cover the jar with a cloth, a lid, or nothing? The first day I did this, the starter looked quite dry so when I added the second batch of flour and water, I covered the jar with a lid. What is the correct way?
Michelle says
Hi Jenny, I’ve been baking sourdough on and off (I’m mom to a busy toddler and 8 month old) for about a year now. I want to try your recipe. These links on this page for your canister for storage (I use wide-mouthed mason jar but see the limitations) and Danish whisk are broken. Can you share links to where to get such items? Also, I’m still confused about the sifting. Do you measure out the flour into a small bowl, then pass through a sifter into a larger bowl and re-measure, or do you use all the dough, just re-sift? I’ve honestly never sifted since middle school home economics classes, so I don’t know how to incorporate this and see if it gives me a loftier bread.
Thanks!
April says
Hi Jenny,
I attempted this a while back, following your instructions, using filtered water… and it went what I took as bad… it had yellowed on the edge one day and smelled less like sour dough more like just… I don’t know wrong. I took the yellow as a sign of mold? I had washed the jar and rinsed with boiling water to santize.
I’m hoping to start again this week but hate wasting ingredients.
Hannah Hudson says
Hello and thank you for this site, I am looking forward to delving deeper into it….
I haven´t made sourdough starters before so I´m trying to get myself informed before I give it a go.
I have a (perhaps) very silly question : I live in a very hot, humid part of Mexico where currently we have 35 degrees C during the day and humidity is very high. My instinct says that this will provide a good environment for a starter but I am worried about how likely it is that the starter will spoil.
How does climate affect a starter ?
Thanks in advance for any comments or advice !
Eileen says
I made a sourdough starter for the first time and it turned out beautifully, I stored in the refrigerator with a lid but wasn’t able to get to it until 4 days later. When I went to use it, it had gone bad. Is four days too long to wait? Or perhaps I am not storing it correctly. I stored it in glass bake ware, the lip didn’t snap on or have a rubber seal, just glass resting on the baking dish. Typically how long will a starter last in the refrigerator without use?
jenny says
Can you elaborate on what you mean when you say it went bad?
Eileen says
I tasted and smelled it before I put it in the fridge, (it smelled just like sourdough bread) and when I just took it out I tasted it just to be sure and it wasn’t the same as when it first came out, it did not taste good at all. I recently attempted to make honey wheat bread the other day and it didn’t turn out, I know there is a learning curve, but I hate wasting ingredients. I didn’t want to try and bake with this starter unless I know it’s good. When you store the starter should it have a rubber sealed lid or is just a glass lid resting on top ok?
Also, I have never commented or posted on your site before, but I wanted to say thank you. Your site and information is like nothing else out there.
Eileen says
OK Jenny I did it, I jumped to conclusions. I read back through your posts, it needed to be fed again. I made the bread and for the first time I think it turned pretty good. I look forward to the next time because I know I will get better at it. Thank you so much, your step by step instructions are very helpful!
Ros says
Some times bread can fail if it’s not kneaded enough, it may not be the sour dough starter causing the problem. When you new to kneading it can take around 20 mins. But as you get used to it… it takes more like 10
Feed your start equal amounts everyday , I use a kilner Jar and that works fine for me.
Cp says
4 days is too long for it to go without being fed.
Allison says
Uh-oh, I just started it with local hard winter wheat flour. Is that not going to work? Should I start with all purpose flour? Also, I couldn’t find any sourdough starter (but am sending away for the free one – Oregon Trail), so I’m trying it without. I’m afraid nothing will happen…should I restart with white or just play it out for a week and see what happens?
Sara says
I would just wait and see. If it doesn’t work, then switch to all purpose. I am doing a sourdough starter right now. I didn’t read all of the bad reviews on wheat and I am using freshly-ground sprouted wheat flour to start. It’s going beautifully, actually. I think I’m going to switch to unbleached to keep it going but the wheat flour is working for me.
Connie says
Hmm, one never knows where one will learn something helpful! I had about given up on sourdough thinking the bacteria in my area are “bad” but it looks like I’m just using the wrong kind of flour for the starter. I thought it would be more healthy to use only 100% whole wheat. I’ll try a new starter with unbleached all-purpose flour and see if that improves things!
I am keeping a jug of water on the kitchen counter (to keep it at room temperature) just for sourdough starter and am wondering how long it can sit without adversely affecting the sourdough. It takes a while to use it all up and since the flavour of my bread was “off” I thought maybe it was the water. Could it be?
Thanks!
Jody says
I’ve heard dis trilled water is more acidic…so maybe?
Donna says
I buy hard white wheat grain, and mill it. When you say unbleached flour, or bread flour…, I don’t know what kind of flour bread flour is. What kinds of grains should I buy to routinely make sourdough bread?
Cp says
Bread flour is a flour with high gluten. Hard wheat should be high in Gluten.
Kristin says
Heather, I’m on Day 3 with local organic “unbleached whole white” flour and tap water (only because I forgot to use the straight-from-the-spring water, but will use that from here on out) – northing else, with no purchased starter – and I have lots of bubbles, but no rise whatsoever. I’m interested to see how your experiment turns out, giving it more to eat.
Kristin says
Beginning on Day 3 I switched to all spring water, and it finally doubled after about 10 days or so! Baked with it and it’s going great. Blech on that chlorine!