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Day-by-Day Guide to Creating Your Sourdough Starter From Scratch

Close-up of an active, bubbly sourdough starter in a clear glass jar, showing signs of fermentation.
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Follow this simple, step-by-step timeline to cultivate your own active sourdough starter using only flour and water.

Ingredients

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

Instructions

  1. Day 1: Mix 50g whole wheat/rye flour with 50g water in a clean jar. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature (68-75°F) for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2: You may see little activity. Discard half the mixture. Feed the remaining starter with 50g all-purpose flour and 50g water. Mix well, cover loosely, and wait 24 hours.
  3. Day 3: You should see some bubbles. Discard half. Feed with 50g all-purpose flour and 50g water. Wait 24 hours.
  4. Day 4: Activity might slow down. Discard half. Feed with 50g all-purpose flour and 50g water. Wait 24 hours.
  5. Day 5: You should see more consistent bubbles. Discard half. Feed with 50g all-purpose flour and 50g water. Wait 12 hours.
  6. Day 6: Feed again 12 hours later using the same 1:1:1 ratio (discard half, feed 50g flour, 50g water). Look for doubling in size within 4-8 hours after feeding.
  7. Day 7+: Continue the 1:1:1 feeding schedule every 12 or 24 hours until the starter consistently doubles in volume a few hours after feeding. This means your wild yeast cultivation is active.

Notes

  • Use a clear jar so you can track the rise and fall of the starter.
  • If your kitchen is cold, place the jar in a slightly warmer spot, like inside an oven with only the light on.
  • A mature, active starter should float when a small spoonful is dropped into a glass of water.
  • Maintain your starter by feeding it daily when kept at room temperature.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchnkudos.com/sourdough-starter-guide-day-by-day/