Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe

This easy sourdough starter recipe offers a detailed day-by-day guide so you know exactly what to expect. It makes sourdough simple enough for anyone, and all you need is water, flour, and a clean glass jar to get started.

I have officially jumped on the sourdough train. In fact, I’ve been on the train for a while and have even shared a few of my favorite sourdough recipes, like homemade sourdough bread, sourdough sandwich bread and sourdough rolls.

But before you can make any of that, you need an active sourdough starter. Today I’m sharing all of the tips and tricks I’ve learned since I started experimenting with sourdough, as well as the foolproof method and my easy sourdough starter recipe.

Keep in mind that a sourdough starter requires at least 7 days, and usually more like 10 days, before it’s ready to use. But once you have a starter, you can keep it going forever and have it ready to go whenever the urge to bake arises.

Be sure to read it all the way to the end of the post before starting because I’ve included lots of tips and troubleshooting to help you avoid my mistakes. Remember that sourdough is less about following rules and more about paying attention. If you stay consistent, keep it warm, and watch how it behaves, you’ll learn exactly what your starter needs. And once you understand that, everything else becomes easy.

Why This Sourdough Starter Recipe Is Great For Beginners

• No guesswork. There’s no specific timeline to chase with this recipe or guessing if the starter is ready. Instead, I teach you exactly what to look for and what the different things you may observe mean. That makes the process of making a sourdough starter much more reliable.
• Built from real experience. This sourdough starter recipe follows the exact process I use in my own kitchen. I’ve done plenty of trial and error so you don’t have to.
• Simple and repeatable. One thing I didn’t love about many sourdough starters is that every day was different and there was so much to keep track of. This recipe simplifies all of that with the same feeding ration and the same method the entire time. There are no complicated adjustments needed in the beginning either.

A Note Before You Start

Every sourdough starter behaves differently. Your kitchen’s temperature, humidity, season, flour type, and even the natural bacteria living in your home will all affect how your starter grows. That means that your starter may not follow the exact same timeline as mine, and that’s completely normal and okay.

My advice to you is that instead of watching the clock, learn to watch the starters rise, bubbles, smell, and texture.

What Is A Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough starter is what you see everyone keeping on their counter in a jar to make sourdough-anything. It’s simply fermented yeast made from flour and water. Wild yeast and bacteria is trapped in the jar, feeds on the sugar in the flour, and ferments. Think of it as the homemade version of yeast packets at the store. When it’s added to recipes, it makes the dough rise, just like regular yeast, but it also adds that tangy sourdough flavor.

What You’ll Need

The only ingredients needed to make this sourdough starter recipe are wheat flour and water, but there are also a few tools you’ll want to have handy. Be sure to check out the recipe card for the full list of everything you’ll need and the measurements.

• Kitchen scale – Measuring the flour and water on a scale is important when it comes to feeding the starter, as too much or too little of either will affect the fermentation process.
• Glass jar – An 8 to 12-ounce glass jar is where you’ll want to keep your starter. Be sure to have a second clean jar available for later in the process.
• Loose-fitting lid – The jar shouldn’t be tightly sealed like a canning jar.
• Rubber band – A large rubber band that fits around the jar is key so you can keep track of where the starter was and know how much it’s risen.
• Whole wheat flour – Whole wheat flour is the best choice for starting because it contains more natural yeast and nutrients. You can also use all-purpose flour, which has a slower start but works, or rye flour, which has an even faster fermentation compared to whole wheat flour. Bread flour can be used later, once the starter is established, but not in the beginning. My recommendation is to start with whole wheat flour and then transition to another type of flour.
• Water – Water hydrates the flour and activates fermentation. Lukewarm water helps encourage microbial activity. Use filtered water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated. Bottled water is also a safe alternative. Avoid using very hot water because it can damage developing microbes. The ideal water temperature is 70°F–80°F (21°C–27°C).
• Your active starter (once established) – Once your starter is active, it will become the base of all future feedings because it carries the yeast and bacteria that make sourdough work and make your bread rise.

A Note on Flour & Water Variations

Keep in mind that switching flours will change your starter’s behavior. Rye flour creates faster, stronger fermentation. Bread flour develops stronger gluten later (good once established). All-purpose flour produces a milder flavor.

The amount of water used is also important. Adding slightly more water creates a looser, faster-fermenting starter. Slightly less water creates a thicker, slower-fermenting starter.

How To Make A Sourdough Starter (Day-by-Day Breakdown)

Let’s take a look at each day of the starter process, including what to bubble sizes and smells to expect.

Your Simple Daily Routine

Keep 30g starter. Add 30g flour and 30g water. Mix. Watch what happens. That’s it.

Day 1: Mix Your First Starter

In a small jar, combine 30g of whole water flour and 30g lukewarm water. Mix until it forms a thick paste consistency. Place the rubber band at the level of the mixture and place a loose-fitting lid on it.

Place the mixture somewhere warm and stable. Some of my favorite locations are on top of the fridge, inside the oven with the light on (and the oven off), or near a warm appliance. It should be somewhere slightly warm but not hot, as you don’t want to cook the mixture.

Day 2: Watch for the “False Rise”

At some point on the second day, the starter will likely double or even triple quickly and then fall. There might be large, uneven bubbles and a stinky smell or a gray, dark, or slightly discolored layer on top.

This is completely normal and called the false rise. It’s caused by different bacteria in the mixture becoming active before the starter stabilizes. They produce gas quickly but are not sustainable long-term.

When the starter rises and then falls, leaving marks on the jar, that means it’s active and has completed a healthy fermentation cycle.

Transfer 30g of the starter to a clean jar. Add 30g flour and 30g water. Mix them together until there’s a smooth mixture.

Discard everything remaining in the other jar in the trash – it has bad bacteria, doesn’t taste good, and isn’t ready for recipes.

Day 3: Another Big Rise (Maybe)

The starter might double or triple again, with big and small bubbles. This is simply a sign that you’re in the early development phase and the good bacteria is starting to take over.

Repeat the same process as yesterday by transferring 30g of starter to another clean jar, adding 30g flour and 30g water, and discarding the rest.

Day 4: The “Quiet Phase”

On day 4, expect only a small rise, fewer bubbles, and a mild fruity or slightly sour smell. This is when the starter begins to stabilize, become more acidic, and build the right environment for yeast.

Repeat the daily process of keeping 30g starter, feeding it 30g flour and 30g water, and discarding the rest.

Day 5: Smell Changes and Small Rise

Around day 5, you might notice a lemony, tangy smell and a cleaner, fresher aroma. This is a great sign that means that the starter is developing healthy bacteria and balanced fermentation.

Repeat the daily feeding process.

Day 6: Bigger Rise

Around day 6, the starter will begin to rise more noticeably, about 1 inch or more above the rubber band. There should be a mix of bubbles throughout.

Continue transferring 30g of starter to a new jar, feeding it 30g flour and 30g water, and discarding the rest.

Day 7: The Breakthrough Moment

Things start to get exciting around day 7! This is when the starter is almost ready to start using. It’s ready to use when it doubles in size consistently, rises and falls in a predictable pattern, smells pleasantly sour (but not harsh or rotten), and looks airy and full of bubbles.

Repeat the daily feeding process.

Day 8: One Last Step (Don’t Skip This)

As tempting as it may be to use the starter as soon as it meets the criteria described on day 7, it’s not quite ready. Once it starts doubling consistently, feed it 2 to 3 more times before using it. This ensures that it performs reliably when you start baking with it.

What Is Sourdough Discard? When Can I Start Using It?

Sourdough discard is what’s left in the jar after you transfer the starter out and is what’s used to make many recipes.

At first, your discard is not going to be usable. The starter needs to be active and consistently doubling for at least 3 to 5 days before the discard is good to use. After that, the sourdough discard can be used to make things like pancakes, waffles, crackers, flatbreads, muffins and more. One of my favorite things to make with sourdough discard is sourdough sandwich bread.

How to Read Your Starter

Simply observing your sourdough starter and paying attention to the size of the bubbles, the smell, and how much it’s rising can tell you a lot. Here’s a quick overview of what may be happening and what it means.

• Big bubbles early: This is normal early activity. Keep feeding it.
• No rise: This is common in the transition phase. Keep feeding it. The room temperature may be an issue.
• Small and big bubbles mixed throughout: This means healthy development. You’re right on track!
• Tangy or lemony smell: This is a great sign that means good bacteria is forming. Progress is happening!
• Consistent doubling: It’s ready to use!

How Often Do You Feed an Active Sourdough Starter?

Once you have an active sourdough starter that is consistently doubling, think of it as a living thing that needs to be kept alive.

If you bake frequently and will be using the discard often, you’ll want to continue with basically the same process as beginning the starter. Keep it on the counter, feed it daily with flour and water, and keep the jar clean. You don’t necessarily need to keep transferring jars daily; just use a spatula to scrape down the edges of the jar to keep it clean.

If daily maintenance sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. There’s another option!

Once you’ve followed the steps in this sourdough starter recipe and have an active starter, you can store it in the fridge. This slows down the fermentation process significantly. You do still need to feed it so it stays strong and will rise when used, but that can simply mean feeding it once a week. I personally like to feed my starter the night before I plan to bake with it.

FAQs

Here are a few of the top questions I’ve received about this easy sourdough starter recipe.

Storing a Sourdough Starter

• Room temperature: If you bake at least a couple of times a week, you can keep your active starter on the counter. It will ferment faster and stay more active and bubbly, ready to be used at any time. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to continue to feed it daily and keep it loosely covered.
• Refrigerator storage: If you bake less frequently, you can keep the sourdough starter in the fridge once it’s become an active starter. (Do not keep it in the fridge until you’ve achieved consistent doubling several days in a row.) Feed is about once a week to keep it active. I usually feed it the night before I bake a loaf of bread.