Growing a Sourdough Starter from Scratch Easy Recipe and Instructions

Growing a sourdough starter from scratch can be intimidating, but I'm excited to share the exact, easy recipe and instructions for how I got my sourdough starter (now two years old!) up and growing. Get ready for the strong sourdough starter you are about to establish and use to create bread, muffins, cookies, pancakes, crackers, pizza dough, biscuits, and more!

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour or bread flour (King Arthur's is the bee’s knees - organic and unbleached)

• 1/2 cup (60g) whole wheat flour (Bob's Red Mill is really good stuff)

• Water (warm, around 85F)

• One large 3/4 L jar (I use these wide mouth jars)

Overview: Growing a sourdough starter takes some patience. It usually takes about 7 days in ideal temperatures (75+ F), but sometimes it can stretch out to 2 weeks. Find a warm spot for your starter to rise, and use warm water in your feedings to give it a boost.

Instructions for Growing a Sourdough Starter from Scratch (Easy & Foolproof Recipe)

Establish a schedule to feed your starter at the same time each day. Sourdough starters love consistency.

Day 1: Mix 60g whole wheat flour and 60g warm water in your big ol’ jar. Stir it up real good—it’ll be thick and pasty. Cover it with plastic wrap or a lid, and let it rest in a warm spot (around 75-80 F) for 24 hours.

TIP: Need a warm spot? Pop that jar in the oven (turned off) with the light on for an hour or two. Keep an eye on it, though—it can get hot. Or rest it in the microwave, door ajar, with the light on.

Day 2: Check for bubbles on the surface. If you don’t see any, don’t fret. Bubbles might’ve come and gone while you were dreamin’ of biscuits. Let it rest another 24 hours.

TIP: A dark liquid may have appeared on the surface and smell very stinky, like the inside of a boot on a hot day. This liquid is called "hooch" and is just an indication that the starter needs to be fed. It's normal and can be removed most of the time, but can be left alone on day 2.

Day 3: Stretchy texture? Good! Remove half of your starter (you’ll have 60g left). Add 60g all-purpose flour and 60g warm water. Mix it up with a fork—it should look like thick pancake batter or plain yogurt. Cover and rest another 24 hours.

Days 4, 5 & 6: Keep feeding your starter—discard half and add 60g flour + 60g warm water each day. As the yeast begins to develop, your starter will rise and bubbles will form throughout. When the starter falls, it's time for feeding. You can track the rising/falling with a rubber band.

Day 7: Your starter should’ve doubled in size, with bubbly goodness. Texture? Spongy and fluffy, like a roasted marshmallow. Smell? Pleasant, not like a sweaty boot. If all’s well, your starter’s ready! Remember: If it ain’t quite there, keep feeding it. It could be because of cool temperatures, timing, or other factors. Patience, friend!

Last step: Transfer your starter to a clean jar. And heck, give it a name! Mine’s called Clint.

At a glance, your overall daily schedule with measurements should look like this:

• Day 1: 60 g flour + 60 g water = 120 g starter

• Day 2: Do nothing

• Day 3: Remove & discard half of the starter/ 60 g starter + 60 g flour + 60 g water = 180 g starter

• Day 4: Remove & discard half of the starter/ 90 g starter + 60 g flour + 60 g water = 210 g starter

• Day 5: Remove & discard half of the starter/ 105 g starter + 60 g flour + 60 g water = 225 g starter

• Day 6: Remove & discard half of the starter/ 112.2 g starter + 60 g flour + 60 g water = 232.5 g starter

• Day 7: Remove & discard half of the starter/ 116.25 g starter + 60 g flour + 60 g water = 236.27 g starter

Wondering if your sourdough starter is ready to use?

The Float Test:

Grab a teaspoon of that bubbly starter and drop it into a jar of water. If it floats to the top like a cork in a creek, it’s ready!

Sourdough Starter Storage Options

Room Temperature (Active Bakers): If you’re churnin’ out loaves often, keep your starter at room temperature. Feed it 1-2x a day to keep it alive. To keep it easy, you can continue the process of discarding half of the starter and then feeding it 60g water and 60g flour (or a little more/less - sourdough is very resilient!)

Fridge (Occasional Bakers): Maybe you’re more of a “once in a while” baker, like a cowboy savin’ his last bullet. Store that starter in the fridge to keep its strength. You only need to feed it 1x a week, and no need to warm it up first—just give it some flour and water, and let it rest for about an hour before popping it back in the fridge.

#BreadDifferent