Learn how to make a Sourdough Starter for using in sourdough bread, pizzas, pancakes, and more! This in-depth guide breaks down the growing process into easy steps and includes plenty of tips for success.
Easy Sourdough Starter
Today I’m sharing my favorite tips and tricks on how to make a sourdough starter. Homemade sourdough took the internet by storm in 2020 and has since become a weekly routine for many bakers (including me!). I’m sharing everything I’ve learned over the last few years so you can enjoy sourdough bread, pancakes, sourdough english muffins, and more, too!
Just like baking with yeast, I know that homemade sourdough can be intimidating. But again, just like with yeast, there’s really nothing to be afraid of. If you can measure flour and water, you can do this!
Today’s post will outline how often to feed your starter, signs that it’s gone bad, what to do with the discard, and more. Also, I’ll be sharing several recipes that incorporate this sourdough starter (and the discard, too!) over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for those! 😊
What You Need
All sourdough starters are essentially the same, but the amount of flour and water used may vary. Here’s what I recommend:
- Flour. I begin with whole wheat flour for the first few days (it feeds the starter with more diverse microorganisms, and some people claim it quickens the growing process). After that, I switch to bread or all-purpose flour. I recommend you switch to the flour you’ll be baking with most often and stick with that; for me, that’s bread flour because that’s what I use to make my sourdough bread.
- Water. If your water isn’t filtered, use bottled water, at least in the beginning. I don’t recommend using unfiltered water because the chemicals in it, such as chlorine, can slow or kill the starter.
- Glass jar. Place your sourdough starter in a glass that allows room for it to double; I like to use a quart-sized mason jar. I recommend using a rubber band or dry erase marker to note the levels when feeding the starter so you know once it’s doubled.
SAM’S TIP: Sourdough starters aren’t an exact science, but weights are easiest for this recipe to ensure you’re using equal parts water and flour, so I really recommend using a kitchen scale (it’ll save you dishes, too). I use 80g of flour and water, but you can really use any amount, so long as it’s the same weight of both. You can easily increase or decrease this amount for larger or smaller recipes (just discard more or less starter and add more or less water/flour), as long as you maintain 100% hydration, meaning equal weights of flour and water.
How to Make A Sourdough Starter
Days 1 & 2
Start by combining your whole wheat flour and warm water in a large glass jar that is large enough for the starter to double. Make sure to stir until there are no dry spots of flour remaining, then cover and place in a warm location for 24 hours.
On day 2, you may notice some liquid on top of your starter, no worries! Just stir your starter and remove slightly more than half (if you want to be precise, which you do not need to be, reserve 80 grams of starter before adding 80g each of flour and water). Cover and let rest in a warm spot for another day.
When discarding, you can use a kitchen scale or just eyeball it, fortunately it is not an exact science. However you must discard, otherwise you will have even more waste because you’ll have to keep feeding the starter more and more.
SAM’S TIP: You can feed your discard to make a new sourdough starter to give as a gift or refrigerate it and keep as a spare (something I wished I’d done when I lost my first starter to a fly!). You can also use your discard in other recipes; I have a sourdough pancake recipe that uses discard. Note that you cannot begin using the discard for at least a week.
Days 3 & 4
On day 3, your starter may begin to grow some bubbles. Again, you’ll want to remove all but 80 grams (a bit over half), then stir in equal parts (80g each) of warm water and flour. You may see some bubbles at this point.
On day 4, repeat the same steps as days 2 and 3. You should definitely see some bubbles in the starter at this point.
Days 5 & 6
Things start to change on day 5! First, you may notice that your starter has begun to increase in size after feeding. Second, you’ll now start discarding and feeding twice a day. Finally, you’ll switch over to your new flour (either bread or all-purpose depending on your preference).
On day 6, repeat the same steps as day 5. You’ll notice the starter getting lighter in color as the ratio of whole wheat flour remaining drops.
SAM’S TIP: Try to feed your sourdough starter at the same time every day! I’ll admit that I’ve definitely forgotten and fed mine much later, or even accidentally skipped a day (not recommended until after you’ve established your starter).
Days 7 & 8
Day 7 is the same as days 5 and 6. Make sure to discard and feed with your new flour twice a day at this point.
Day 8 should find you with a bubbly and vigorously (or, at least, more vigorously than previously) growing sourdough starter. At this point, it should be doubling in size within 6-8 hours, so you can reduce feedings back down to once per day. You may note the black line on my jar for “Day 8”; I mark the starter’s height right after feeding and then I can easily see once it’s doubled (as it has in the photo).
If yours hasn’t quite reached this stage yet, keep feeding twice a day until it does, it’ll get there! The last time I made a new starter it actually took closer to two weeks before mine was doubling within 8 hours (I attribute this to the cool weather and my chilly kitchen).
Now you know how to make a sourdough starter! Keep discarding and feeding the starter every day for at least two weeks or longer before using in recipes. Check the recipe notes below for more details on maintenance and storing options.
SAM’S TIP: To speed up growth, keep the starter in a warm (but never hot) location, like on top of the refrigerator. If I’m trying to speed up the growth of my starter (say I fed it a bit later than usual, and I want to use it sooner rather than later), I’ll place mine in the oven with the oven light on (do not turn on the oven!!).
Oh, and don’t forget to name your starter! My current starter is named “Scotty”. I made a brand new starter for today’s post (so I could photograph its day-by-day growth) and named her Ophelia. I couldn’t bring myself to just toss her when I was finished growing her (you do get attached 😆) so my sister adopted her when I was finished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some people say you can use your sourdough starter right away after 7 days, but I like to give mine at least 2-3 weeks of growing before I feel it’s strong enough. I suspect the starter would not be quite strong enough to make a satisfactory loaf of bread after only 7 days.
You want to use your starter when it is at its height; it should be active and bubbly and doubled in size. I like to look for a few clues: is the starter doubling in size within 12 hours? Is it bubbly? Smell it, it should smell pleasantly sour but also a bit sweet. You can also do the “float test“, which means taking a bit of the starter and dropping it into a bowl of water. If it floats, it means it’s ready to use.
This is called “hooch” and it happens when your sourdough is hungry. It doesn’t mean it’s bad though! You can stir it back into the starter before discarding (for a more sour taste) or just pour it off when discarding.
Look for colorful (commonly pink) streaks, which are mold. Also, if the starter doesn’t show any growth after 3 or so feedings, it’s likely bad.
I use my sourdough starter often, so I just store it at room temperature and feed once a day (this is after the initial growing period). If you won’t be baking as often, you can feed it, let it eat for 2-3 hours, then put it in the fridge where you can feed it weekly. When you are ready to use it, feed the starter and watch for it to double before proceeding.
Enjoy, and stay tuned! I have lots more sourdough recipes coming up, including sourdough bread and sourdough pizza crust, and save your discard for making sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough crackers, sourdough brownies, and more!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
How to Make a Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
For Feeding (Days 1-5)
- 80 grams whole wheat flour (⅔ cup)
- 80 grams warm filtered water (⅓ cup) (water should be between 90-100F/32-37C)
For Feeding (Day 5+)
- 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour (⅔ cup)
- 80 grams filtered water (⅓ cup) (water should be between 90-100F/32-37C)
Recommended Equipment
- Glass jar
- Spoon
Instructions
DAY ONE
- Combine 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams filtered water in a glass container and stir well until no dry bits of flour remain (try to eliminate all lumps, bit it’s alright if some small ones remain). The mixture will be very, very thick, but if it's too dry to stir add another splash of water.80 grams whole wheat flour, 80 grams warm filtered water
- Cover container and place in a warm (not hot!) spot to rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours.
DAY 2
- The starter won’t look too different, but may have darkened in color and may have a bit of liquid on its surface (this is fine). Stir and discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 3
- Starter will increase in size and you should hopefully start to see bubbles. Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 4
- Starter should have bubbles and possibly a small bit of liquid on top. Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams whole wheat flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 5
- Your starter should be increasing in size by this point and possibly even doubling. You’ll begin feeding the sourdough twice a day (12 hours apart) and you will switch over to either bread flour or all-purpose flour (your choice, see note).
- In the morning: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind).To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place80 grams all-purpose or bread flour, 80 grams filtered water
- In the evening: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 6
- In the morning: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
- In the evening: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 7
- In the morning: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
- In the evening: Discard slightly more than half the starter (you'll discard about 140g, leaving about 80g/¼ cup behind). To your starter, add 80 grams all-purpose or bread flour and 80 grams warm (95F/35C) filtered water. Stir well, cover, place in a warm place
DAY 8
- If your sourdough is now growing vigorously and bubbly and doubling within 6-8 hours, you can reduce to just feeding once a day. If yours is not, continue feeding twice a day until it rises well and is bubbly within 6-8 hours of a feeding.
- Well done, you’ve established your sourdough starter!
Maintenance
- Every day (preferably at the same time every day) discard about half of the starter then feed it 80 grams of your preferred flour and 80 grams of warm water. Make a mark on the jar with a dry erase marker or wrap a rubber band around the jar to mark how full your jar is and watch for it to double to know it is ready to use!Alternatively follow my instructions in the notes section below for storing your sourdough starter in the refrigerator to use and feed weekly. Note that I recommend regularly feeding the sourdough starter for at least two weeks before attempting to use it in recipes. If you use quite a bit of your starter for a recipe, you may wish to feed it one or two consecutive days without discarding to get it back to a reasonable volume before discarding again.
Notes
Water
Filtered water is best, you can use bottled water. Tap water often contains chlorine, which can kill your starter or keep it from growing properly.Flour
On day 5, I recommend switching to the flour you’ll be baking with most often and sticking with that. For me it’s bread flour, I feed my sourdough starter with this because this is the flour I’ll use to make my sourdough bread. However I still use this starter/discard in recipes that don’t use bread flour, so you can use whichever you prefer.Discard
You can eyeball this, it doesn’t have to be exact. Aim to keep a bit less than half of your starter and discard the rest. A scale makes measuring everything easy, and in the first week I’ll usually just pour 80g of the starter into a new jar, adding 80g each of flour and water, then discard what’s in the original jar. Once established (and I’m feeling a little lazy and comfortable with my starter) I keep it in the same jar, pour the discard straight into the trash (if I’m not using it) and just add flour and water to the jar, switching to a new/clean jar once a week. The discard will not be usable for recipes until day 8.Feeding
When I first begin a new starter, I like to feed it a 1:1:1 ratio (starter:flour:water) until it’s established. Then I may vary how much I feed it, depending on how quickly it rises and falls. I typically feed my starter once a day once its fallen.Storing
If you bake several times a week, store your starter at room temperature and discard/feed daily. If you bake less often you may store it in the refrigerator. To do this, feed your starter, cover, then let it feed for several hours. Once you begin to notice bubbles, transfer to the refrigerator. Discard/feed it once a week. When ready to use, feed it and watch for it to double before using.Baking in Bread
Once your starter is established, use it to bake my personal favorite sourdough bread!Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Lisa
I am currently on day 5 of my starter. I noticed that it didn’t seem to do anything between days 3 and 4. This morning it hadn’t really done anything. I went ahead and followed steps for day 5. Should I be concerned that it didn’t rise any last night?
Sam
Sometimes I notice it stalls out a bit, I would just continue to follow the steps for day 5.
Lisa
I am on day 3 of my sourdough starter. I named it Sammy. I am wanting to gift a friend a started. I saw where you had said to wait until at least day 8 before doing that. Once my started is established and I discard for her starter, will she need to start from step 1 on hers?
Sam
Hi Lisa! You don’t need to start at step one when starting a new starter with the discard. That discard will just need to be fed like you feed an active starter. 🙂
Lisa
Awesome thank you so much. I am looking forward to getting my started established so I can start baking with it.
Lisa
Will it make a difference if once I change from the wheat flour to bread flour, if a recipe calls for all purpose flour along with the starter or discard?
Sam
Hi Lisa! It won’t be an issue. I make recipes, with this starter, that call for all purpose flour. 🙂
Shi
Does it have to double before it is established? I’ve been feeding my starters for an entire month, and they’re only rising about 50%. I did forget to start feeding them twice a day until about two weeks ago, and also there were a few days when I was unable to feed them twice. Does cold weather slow down growth? I feel like I’m just wasting flour now.
Sam
Hi Shi! If it’s not doubling, then it’s not ready to use in baking. You really want to be consistent with your feeding until it gets fully established. Cold weather can certainly slow the growth of the starter.
Brittany Steinmetz
Sam,
In the busyness of life I forgot to feed my starter on day 3…do I have to start over, is it okay to skip a feeding? What do I do if I miss feedings any other time?
Sam
Hi Brittany! I would probably just keep feeding it. It is a bit early so not ideal, but I would probably attempt to just keep going. 🙂
Tam
Hi, I’m finally trying my hand at a sourdough starter and I’m using your method. You had mentioned making new starters from the discards, at what point in the process can I use the discards to make new starters? I have friends who would love a starter and I think the idea of a backup is a good one. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Tam! I would recommend waiting until your starter is established which is typically takes about 8 days. I prefer to wait until at least 2 weeks. 🙂
Barb
Hi Sam. Thank you for making sour dough so approachable! I am on day 10 of my second attempt (accidentally turned the oven on and killed the first one). But Susie is doing great. She is growing and bubbling as described. My question is this – I plan to make my first batch of bread next week. (Giving her a full two weeks+ to grown). Should I keep her in the oven and feed daily or can I use the fridge method at this point? And now that she is established, how long can I save the discard to use for other recipes? Does that need to be fed too? Oh and side question, when I do finally make my first loaf, does the pan have to be metal or will a glass loaf pan be ok too? Thank you in advance
Sam
Hi Barb! I’m so sorry I missed this one! If the starter is established it is safe for it to go the refrigerator. I personally don’t save discard longer than 5 days in the refrigerator. Some people will save it longer, but just know that it will become more sour as it sits and will impart that flavor into the baked goods. You don’t need to feed the discard. You can really use whatever kind of pan you have, metal or glass, but just know that your bake time may vary in a glass dish. I hope this helps and again I apologize for the delayed response. 🙂
Shiloh
My two starters (I named them Bill and Steve because for some reason that’s funny to me) rose really rapidly the first few days but by day 5 growth completely stopped. There are now only a few bubbles. Am I doing something wrong? Also I think I may have forgotten to heat up Steve’s water once or twice. Can that hinder their growth? Thx!
Sam
Hi Shiloh! I love the names! While not heating the water can definitely hinder the growth, it’s not going to ruin the starter. Keep feeding as instructed and you should be fine. 🙂
Rebecca
Hi Sam,
Help!! Where is a good warm spot to keep the starter? I am having a hard time getting my starter to rise. I have tried my pantry, cupboard, and even the oven with the light on. When the starter is in the oven with the light on, how long can it stay in there? I think my starter has gone bad, because it hasn’t done anything for days. The smell is a gross sour smell. I threw it out and I would like to try again. I was discarding and feeding twice a day and nothing would happen expect for some bubbles. Any tips that you have I would love to know:) Does feeding the same time everyday matter? I did have days where I would feed it a hour late. Or feed 30 mins early. In your recipe you mention warming the water at 95-100 F. What temp should I aim for every day? Thank you for your help:)
Sam
Hi Rebecca! Your oven should work well as a warm place. You don’t need to feed it twice a day. You may actually not be giving it time to grow the way it needs to. It is supposed to have a bit of a sour smell to it. The bubbling is a good sign. You don’t necessarily have to feed it at the exact same time each day you but you do want it to be close to the same time. I would re-read through the whole post checking all of the pictures and compare it to yours, making sure to only feed it once a day. I hope that helps. 🙂
Scott
On day 3 of my starter, I used sprouted wheat flour to begin with, it bubbled the first day, and now even with removing half it is 3/4 of the way up the jar, and by tomorrow I suspect it will fill it. Following the direction exactly. So I think the sprouted flour may be very good for getting the starter going.
Sam
Thank you for the feedback, Scott! I’m glad it’s going so well. 🙂
Rebecca
Sam, My starter doubled in size the 1st day using whole wheat flour. Do I need to continue as written or do I need to start feeding twice a day?
Sam
Hi Rebecca! I would continue as written. 🙂
Shiloh
What’s the difference between using the discard or the actual starter?
Sam
Hi Shiloh! Typically when a recipe calls for starter, it is the active, bubbly starter. If it calls for discard it’s the bit that you throw away before adding more flour and water to make it active again. 🙂
Lynne Cover
But won’t the discard be active and bubbly because you’re removing it from the active and bubbly starter? Same thing??
Sam
Hi Lynne! Not quite. The discard is generated after the active bubbly starter settles down. You feed the starter, it gets all bubbly and active then sits on the counter overnight and calms down. The next step would be to discard some of the sourdough and then feed it again, restarting the process. I hope that helps! 🙂
Nocole
Quick question. Does the temperature/humidity in your house affect the sourdough starter?
Sam
Yes! The temperature will be a factor in how fast the starter grows. 🙂
Nicole
Thanks for this post, Sam! Funny about naming your sourdough!! Growing up, my mom always had a jar of sourdough and its name was “Sam.” So, that’s the name of my new starter…appropriate, too, since your blog post is helping me get started. I’m looking forward to sourdough chocolate chip cookies!!
Sam
🤣 What a great name! I hope you love the cookies! 🙂
Lisa
Quick question. I am wanting to start a starter and we are well water. I know I had seen something about concern of chemicals in the water. We have a water softener on our water. Will the salt from the softener affect the starter?
Sam
Hi Lisa! The water softener should add minimal sodium into the water so you shouldn’t have any issues. (I also have a well with a water softener) 🙂
Lisa
Great thank you so much. Love all your recipes!
Hilda Nichols
How do you keep your jar so clean? My starter is on the sides and very sticky and dries on my utensils and jar like glue. What could I be doing wrong?
Sam
Hi Hilda! I actually change my jars from time to time. My best advice is to mix it gently to keep it from getting all over the sides. It is pretty sticky.