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The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide: How to Make a Robust Sourdough Starter From Scratch

A very active, bubbly sourdough starter filling a glass mason jar, showing significant rise and foam.
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Learn the simple, step-by-step process to create your own active sourdough starter using only flour and water. This guide explains the daily feeding schedule needed to build a healthy culture for your artisan bread baking.

Ingredients

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  • 100g Whole Wheat Flour or Rye Flour (for initial activation)
  • 100g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (for maintenance)
  • 100g Unchlorinated Water (room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Day 1: Mix 50g of whole wheat or rye flour with 50g of room temperature water in a clean glass jar. Stir until fully combined. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75°F) for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2: You may see a few bubbles or nothing at all. Discard half of the mixture. Add 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water to the remaining starter. Mix well, cover loosely, and wait 24 hours.
  3. Day 3: You should see more activity now. Discard half. Feed with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. Mix and wait 24 hours.
  4. Day 4: Discard half. Feed with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. At this stage, you might start feeding twice a day if your kitchen is warm (every 12 hours).
  5. Day 5 – 7: Continue the discard and feed process every 12 to 24 hours, using only all-purpose flour and water. Your starter is ready when it consistently doubles in size within 4 to 8 hours after feeding and has many bubbles throughout.
  6. Maintenance: Once active, maintain your sourdough starter by discarding all but 50g, then feeding it with 100g of flour and 100g of water. Store at room temperature if you bake daily, or in the refrigerator if you bake weekly.

Notes

  • Use filtered or unchlorinated water; chlorine can inhibit yeast growth.
  • A consistent feeding schedule is the secret to a healthy, active sourdough starter.
  • If you see dark liquid (hooch) on top, stir it in or pour it off, then feed your starter immediately.
  • If you see mold, discard the entire starter and begin again.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastethisplate.com/sourdough-starter-from-scratch-guide/