Learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch with just flour and water. This versatile ingredient can be used to make breads, cakes, cookies, and so much more. I love cooking and baking with my sourdough starter, so let’s dive in to the most important step to start your sourdough making journey!

What Is A Sourdough Starter?

A sourdough starter is a live active culture made of fermented flour and water, this makes it healthier for your digestive system because it is full of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. It is used as a way to ferment recipes and naturally rise bread.

Health Benefits

I know you’ve probably already have heard about the health benefits surrounding fermenting and sroudough, but basically, we have what’s called phytic acid, it is antinutrient found in grains, beans, and nuts that interferes with the absorption of certain nutrients. They are present on grains to keep them from spoiling. When we ferment them we break that down to make these foods healthier and more digestible.

How long does it take to make sourdough starter?

It takes about a week to create an active sourdough starter, but sometimes it can take about two weeks to make a starter ready to bake bread.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it?

When you are first geowing your sourdough starter you will be tossing starter to grow your starter. If you don’t discard you will have so much starter that it will be hard to keep healthy. This is because the more starter you have the more flour and water you will need to add for the yeasts and bacteria to feed on.

How do you know your sourdough starter is ready?

Your sourdough starter is read to use when you feed it and after 4-12 hours it doubles in size and is super bubbly. A good way to be sure of this, is to place a rubber band where the top of the starter is after you feed it. Then after a few hours have passed you can see how high it has grown.

OR you can perform the “float test” this is a common test to ensure your soourdoufh start is ready. Take a small glass of room temperature water. Add a quarter sized dollop of active starter. If it floats, it is ready to bake with. If it doesn’t it is not active enough.

Sourdough Starter Recipe:

Now that we know the benefits, let’s make it!

Ingredients

Flour (Whole grain wheat, unbleached all-purpose, and einkorn are all great choices.)

Filtered water (I use a Berkey water filter. We have the Royal size for our family of 10.

How To Make Sourdough Starter

Day 1:

Mix one cup of flour and one cup filtered water. Stir vigorously, making sure to scrape down the sides to incorporate everything. Place a clean tea towel over the bowl and set aside. Allow it to sit for 24 hours.

Day 2:

Discard half of the mixture into your garbage, and repeat the process. Add one cup flour, one cup water, stir vigorously, and cover.

Why do you have to remove half the mixture? We need to take some away if we add, if you didn’t discard by day four, you would have sourdough starter overflowing from your bowl. Also, removing half ensures that the right amount of flour and water is feeding the growing colony of beneficial yeast.

Repeat the day two instructions for days three, four, and five.

Day 6-7

On days six and seven, do the same thing but feed it every 12 hours, instead of every 24.

By day seven, there should be enough beneficial bacteria and yeast present to bake sourdough bread and all the other sourdough goodies.

*You will know it’s working if it bubbles, and doubles in size.

Sourdough Starter Maintenance

Once your sourdough starter is alive and active, there will be some maintenance to keep it going for years and years.

In can be in the refrigerator for occasional use, this slows down the fermentation process, one feeding per week, or every other week, is sufficient. Just take it out of the fridge, feed it, let it double and put it back if not using it or use it.

I usually use my starter a couple times per week.

If you leave your starter out on the counter, you will need to add flour and water every day. You will also have to be baking every day to use up all that starter.

Most people probably won’t use the starter quite so much. I recommend storing it in the refrigerator when you are not using it.

Instructions 

• On day one, mix one cup of flour and one cup filtered water. Stir vigorously, making sure to scrape down the sides and incorporate everything. Place a clean tea towel over the bowl and set aside. Allow it to sit for 24 hours.

• On day two, discard half of the mixture and repeat the process. Add one cup flour, one cup water, stir vigorously, and cover.

• Repeat the day two instructions for days three, four, and five.

• On days six and seven, do the same but feed it every 12 hours, instead of every 24.

• By day seven, there should be enough beneficial bacteria and yeast present to bake sourdough bread and other fermented sourdough goodies, like pancakes and english muffins. You will know it’s working if it bubbles, and doubles in size.

Enjoy your new sourdough starter! Let me know how you get on in the comments below!