Print

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide: How to Make an Active Sourdough Starter From Scratch (Day-by-Day Feeding Schedule)

A highly active sourdough starter, visibly bubbly and risen, stored in a clear glass mason jar on a sunny windowsill.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Learn how to make your own active sourdough starter from scratch using only flour and water. This easy, step-by-step guide provides a 7-day schedule to create your own natural yeast culture for baking artisanal bread.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 100g Whole Wheat Flour or Rye Flour (for initial activation)
  • 100g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (for maintenance feedings)
  • 100g Unchlorinated Water (room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Day 1: Mix 50g of whole wheat or rye flour with 50g of room temperature water in a clean glass jar. Stir until fully combined. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2: You may see small bubbles or nothing at all. Discard half of the mixture (about 50g). Feed the remaining starter with 50g of unbleached all-purpose flour and 50g of water. Mix well, cover loosely, and wait 24 hours.
  3. Day 3: You should see some activity, perhaps a few bubbles. Discard half. Feed with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water.
  4. Day 4: Activity should increase. Discard half. Feed with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. If you see significant rise and fall, you can switch to feeding twice a day.
  5. Day 5: Discard half. Feed with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. Continue feeding every 24 hours unless activity is very high; then feed every 12 hours.
  6. Day 6: Your sourdough starter should be showing consistent doubling in size within 6-8 hours after feeding. Discard half and feed with 50g flour and 50g water.
  7. Day 7 (or when consistently active): Your homemade wild yeast culture is ready to use for baking sourdough bread. It should reliably double in volume after feeding and smell pleasantly sour, not like acetone.
  8. Maintenance: To maintain an active sourdough starter, discard all but 50g of the starter. Feed this remainder with 50g flour and 50g water. Refrigerate if you bake infrequently (once a week or less). Feed once a week if refrigerated.

Notes

  • Use a clear jar so you can easily track the rise and fall of your starter.
  • If your starter smells like nail polish remover (acetone), it is hungry. Feed it immediately.
  • Room temperature water is important; avoid cold or hot water when feeding your natural yeast culture.
  • If you have too much discard sourdough starter, save it for discard sourdough starter recipes like crackers or pancakes.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cutcooktaste.com/sourdough-starter-from-scratch-guide/