How To Make a Sourdough Starter

Days 1 & 2: Initial Mix and Stirring

In your jar, measure and mix the following:

50g* water or pineapple juice or basil water or water with a few drops of lemon juice

50g whole grain wheat or rye flour or all purpose or bread flour

* Increase the liquid amount to 65g for a ratio of 1.3 : 1 if you use rye whole grain flour as it is more thirsty.

Give the mixture a good stir. With your spatula, clean down the sides of the jar. Place the lid on the jar but don’t screw it down so air can escape but bugs can’t get in. Keep the jar in a warm place, ideally between 75-78°F. If cooler, the process may take longer. If warmer, the process may be faster up until about 86°F. In very warm temperatures, bacteria are favored over yeasts and over 130°F most of the microbes will die off.

Stir the mixture every 12 or so hours but there is no need to feed it again during the next 24-48 hours. Before 48 hours, only if you see signs of fermentation (bubbles or holes from popped bubbles) can you begin a feeding regimen.

Day 3 (usually): The First Feed

It’s time to do the first feed and this is where feeding responsively, rather than methodically, will help your success. There will always be variables that a recipe cannot account for. Your observations need to come into play so you can make adjustments.

If your starter has more than a few bubbles and you’re keeping it warm, do a 1:1:1 feed. You can continue with pineapple juice or water with a few drops of lemon juice to keep the pH low, otherwise use a good source of unchlorinated water.

100g starter

100g pineapple juice, lemon water, or water (130g if using rye flour)

100g flour

If the starter has no bubbles or just a few bubbles and/or it is cooler where you are, then do a smaller feed of 3:1:1 or 2:1:1. The point is to use relatively less new flour and water for a less active starter. Continue with or use for the first time pineapple juice or water with a few drops of lemon juice to lower the pH and help prevent undesirable bacteria from taking hold.

3:1:1

100g starter

33g pineapple juice or lemon water (43g if using rye flour)

33g flour

2:1:1

100g starter

50g pineapple juice or lemon water (65g if using rye flour)

50g flour

Stir, clean up the sides of the jar, mark the level on the jar, and keep it warm. See how it progresses over the next 12-24 hours.

Day 4 Onward: Follow These Golden Rules (See the Troubleshooting Section if the starter has no bubbles yet.)

Check on your starter at 12-hour intervals at minimum and more often if it seems to be expanding quickly.

If the starter has bubbled up very well (at least doubled) then do a 1:1:1 feed. Once your starter peaks and begins to fall in less than 12 hours, increase the feed ratio to 1:2:2 and stay attentive.

If the starter shows signs of fermentation (bubbles), has risen, but hasn’t doubled, then do a 2:1:1 feed.

If the starter shows little to no fermentation and hasn’t risen at all, then stir and skip a feed.

Should the starter show no signs of fermentation and you have just been stirring every 12 hours, the consistency may get more liquid. Add flour, a teaspoon at a time, to thicken it up.

If the starter is a bit lackluster but does show some signs of fermentation e.g. it bubbles but doesn't double, and you have looked into possible ingredient (water) issues, then the starter pH may be too high. Try stirring the starter back down and see if it rises again. Then feed the starter as soon as it begins to fall.

Allowing your starter to peak, and feeding when it has just started to fall, enables it to reach an optimal pH level and this will ensure a healthy population of yeast and bacteria. Once your starter expands by at least double in a reasonable time frame after feeding -- several times -- and it smells sour, you can bake with it or refrigerate it at slightly less than double so it has a little food for its time in the cold. Your kitchen/starter temperature will impact doubling time, but generally after a 1:1:1 feed, the starter should peak in about 4-6 hours. With higher ratio feeding, e.g. 1:2:2  and 1:3:3, add several more hours to the expected peaking time.

At any stage of your starter development always refer back to these steps. Don’t be afraid to go back a step or two should your starter perk up and then go quiet again. And remember, “If you’re in a hole, stop digging.” Panicking and then getting yourself deeper into the hole with a feeding frenzy before the starter has a chance to bubble up will only make the situation worse. Take the time to assess the situation. Have you changed anything like the flour or water? Has the temperature changed? Did you go onto the next step too soon? We realize sometimes it is difficult to know if a starter is struggling because of under or overfeeding (both might appear the same i.e. struggling to bubble up) so under these circumstances you can always split the starter in two and experiment.

Make sure to check out the Troubleshooting FAQ section of this blog post if you have concerns with your new starter.

Here are guides on how to manage your sourdough starter going forward as well as more starter FAQs beyond the creation stage:

How to Feed Starter

Managing Your Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Starter Management A Zero Discard Method

Sourdough Starter FAQs