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How to Make Sourdough Starter

Name: How to Make Sourdough Starter
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 50g bread flour; 50g water

A sourdough starter is flour and water fermented by wild yeast and bacteria over 5-7 days. Mix equal parts flour and water, feed daily, and watch for bubbles and tangy smell. Once it doubles in size within 4-8 hours after feeding, it's ready to bake with.

Total time: 5 days
Hands-on: 10 min
Serves: 1
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

50g bread flour
50g water

Step by step

Mix the initial starter. Combine 50g bread flour and 50g room temperature water in a clean glass jar. Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with a lid or cloth. The mixture will look like thick paste.
Wait and observe the first day. Leave at room temperature (68-72°F) for 24 hours. You might see a few bubbles or smell something slightly sweet. This is normal. Don't worry if nothing happens yet.
Begin daily feedings. Discard half the starter. Add 50g bread flour and 50g water. Stir well. The discard step is crucial—it makes room for fresh food and keeps the right balance of microorganisms.
Continue feeding for days 3-5. Repeat the discard and feed process every 24 hours. By day 3, you should see more bubbles and smell something tangy. The starter might rise and fall between feedings.
Watch for maturity signs. A mature starter doubles in size within 4-8 hours after feeding and has a pleasant, tangy smell like yogurt. It should pass the float test—a spoonful dropped in water will float.
Test readiness. Feed your starter and time how long it takes to peak. If it reliably doubles within 4-8 hours for three consecutive days, it's ready to bake with.

Tips & troubleshooting

Use filtered or bottled water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated—chlorine kills the wild yeast you're trying to cultivate
Mark your jar at the starter level after feeding to easily see when it doubles
Keep a consistent feeding schedule—your starter thrives on routine more than precision
Don't refrigerate until your starter is fully mature and active
Save your discard in a separate jar—you can make pancakes, crackers, or pizza dough with it

Variations

Whole Wheat Starter. Use 25g whole wheat flour and 25g bread flour for feeding. Whole wheat ferments faster and creates a more complex flavor but requires more frequent feeding.
Rye Starter. Replace bread flour with rye flour entirely. Rye starters develop faster, often ready in 4-5 days, and produce bread with deeper, earthier flavors.
Cold Climate Starter. If your kitchen is below 68°F, place the jar on top of your refrigerator or near a warm appliance. Feed every 12 hours instead of 24 to compensate for slower fermentation.

Questions

Why isn't my starter bubbling after three days?: Cold temperatures slow fermentation. Move it somewhere warmer, around 75-80°F. Also check your flour—bleached flour can inhibit wild yeast growth.
Should I stir my starter between feedings?: No need to stir between feedings. The separation you see is normal—just stir when you feed it.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?: Yes, but bread flour works better because higher protein content feeds the microorganisms more effectively. All-purpose flour will work, just expect slower development.
What if my starter smells like nail polish remover?: This acetone smell means it's hungry. Feed it more frequently or increase the amount of flour in each feeding. The smell should disappear within a day or two.
How do I know if my starter has gone bad?: Trust your nose. Bad starter smells rotten or like garbage, not tangy. Fuzzy mold of any color means start over. Pink or orange streaks also mean it's contaminated.