What is Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough bread has been a staple food for centuries, but what makes it so unique? It’s the sourdough starter! A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that has been allowed to ferment for several days, capturing naturally occurring, wild yeast from the air. This starter is used to leaven sourdough bread, giving it its characteristic tangy flavor and chewy texture. Once you have your very own starter, don’t miss my Sourdough Recipes for some inspiration!

Supplies

Water:

Ideally filtered or spring water to avoid chlorine or other chemicals from inhibiting the growth of beneficial bacteria. Also, avoid distilled water, as it lacks minerals that may be beneficial for fermentation.

Glass Jar and lid:

You will need a non-reactive container that is large enough to accommodate the growth of the starter. Glass or ceramic are good choices, as they won’t react with the acidic environment created by the fermentation process.

Avoid using metal containers, as they can react with the acids in the starter and affect the quality of the finished product. A container with a loose-fitting lid or a cover made of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel can also be used to allow air circulation. Mason jars and swing-top glass jars work great.

Flour:

It is best to use whole wheat flour or rye flour, as they contain higher amounts of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria than white flour. These microorganisms are essential for the fermentation process that gives sourdough bread its characteristic tangy flavor and texture. That being said, you can also use all-purpose or bread flour to make a sourdough starter, but it may take longer to develop the desired levels of yeast and bacteria. It’s important to note that using bleached flour or flour that has been treated with chemical additives may also affect the fermentation process and the quality of the sourdough starter.

The Process

It only takes about a week to create your very own starter. The ideal environment when making your starter is around 75 degrees so keep it in a warm place in your kitchen such as next to the oven or on top of the refrigerator. During this process, you will be discarding and feeding the starter each day. If you can, try to do this process around the same time each day.  

Discarding refers to removing half of the jar’s contents. You can throw this portion out but I suggest using it! There are many delicious recipes you can make with discard, such as my family’s favorite, Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread. You can even store the discard in the fridge if you are not planning on using it right away.

Feeding refers to adding water and flour to the remaining starter in the jar. Stir well to combine and recover the jar. After feeding, I suggest placing a rubber band around the jar to mark how big the starter is. 

See my starter schedule at the bottom of this page for a quick reference to guide you through the week.

Let’s get started!

Day 1

Place your clean, empty jar on the scale (if using) and set it to “0.” Add 100 grams of whole wheat flour and 125 grams of filtered water. Stir well, cover, and place a rubber band around the jar to mark the starter’s height. 

Day 2

You most likely won’t see much growth in the first 24 hours so don’t worry if it looks the same as it did yesterday. Place a clean jar on your kitchen scale and set it to “0.” Add 100 grams of your starter from yesterday, 100 grams of whole wheat flour, and 100 grams of filtered water. Stir well to combine, cover, and mark with a rubber band. 

Days 3-7

Repeat day 2.

Day 8

You potentially have a starter that is ready to use at this point! There are two indicators that your starter is ready to use. First, if it doubled in size after the last feeding. Second, you can perform the float test. Take a teaspoon of starter and drop in a cup of water. If it floats then it is ready to go.

If your starter is not yet ready to use, continue to discard and feed until it doubles in size and passes the float test. Once you have an active bubbly starter, use a ratio of 50 grams of starter, 50 grams of flour, and 50 grams of water moving forward. If you wish to maintain a larger starter, you can use 100g/100g/100g. Just be aware that you will need at least a quart-sized jar.

Maintaining your starter

The sourdough starter needs to be fed daily. This is done by discarding half of the starter and feeding it with equal parts flour and water. If you plan to bake with it multiple times per week then you can leave it out on your countertop and feed it daily in between baking. If you are only going to use it once a week or less, store the starter covered in your refrigerator. Whether it has been sitting on your countertop or in the refrigerator, you will need to discard, feed, and wait for the starter to double in size before using it to bake. You want an active, bubbly starter to give your bread a great rise. 

Changing flours

After creating your starter, you have the option to switch the type of flour you feed with. Bread flour is a popular option because of its high protein content. Rye, however, is my top choice for a couple of reasons. It has a lower pH than other flours, creating a more acidic environment and more fermentable carbohydrates to help feed the starter.  If your starter needs a little kick start, give rye a try! No matter which flour you use, you can go back and forth but I recommend not changing more than once per week. 

Starting your own sourdough starter can be a fun and rewarding experience. With a little patience and practice, you’ll soon be baking delicious sourdough bread with your very own starter. So why not give it a try and see what you can create?

Happy Baking!