Sourdough Starter

Perfect for beginners, this Sourdough Starter will have you baking gorgeous loaves of fresh, crusty sourdough bread in your kitchen in no time! And you’ll love watching it perform its bubbly magic week after week! Trust me, this is the foolproof recipe you’ll need to start baking sourdough!

Sourdough Starter

To start, this quick sourdough starter recipe is easy to make, simple to maintain, and if taken care of properly… can last for years and years!

And once you begin using it… you can take your homemade bread recipes and give them a MASSIVE flavor upgrade!

John writes: "Very clear instructions, and so easy a child could do this."

You’ll just need a few minutes each day. That’s all it takes to create an active and bubbly starter dough for sourdough that will ready to bake with in about 7 days!

Of course once you get your starter active and bubbly, you’ll want to maintain it with 1 feeding every week. And to help you remember to feed your starter, you can even make a catchy slogan in your head like… Feeding Fridays, Sourdough Saturdays, etc. Feeding sourdough starter really is that simple.

As tradition goes, you’ll want to name your sourdough starter, too! I mean, it is living, right? 🙂

Mine is named Agatha Bertha. She’s been alive and flourishing for almost a year now, and has become such a great little friend in the kitchen!

I can’t wait to hear what you name yours! So be sure to share in the comments below!!

Now… are you ready to make your own magical sourdough starter?

This is how to get started…

What is Sourdough Starter Made Of?

You’ll just need 3 sourdough starter ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour – I like using King Arthur Flour or Gold Medal.
• Whole Wheat Flour – It contains more microorganisms and nutrients which can kickstart your starter and help give it a faster fermentation. In other words, it makes it easier to get your starter going.
• Filtered Water – The goal here is non-chlorinated water. You could use Spring Water, filtered tap water run through a Brita, or simply leave some of your tap water in a glass on the counter for 24 hours… allowing the chlorine to evaporate.

How to Make Sourdough Starter

There’s no need to purchase a Sourdough Starter Kit when it’s so easy to make your own sourdough bread starter recipe from scratch!

So how do you make starter dough for sourdough?

You’ll start with just 3 simple ingredients, and then you will feed it about twice a day for the first week.

Once it becomes active and bubbly, usually around the 7th day, you’ll be ready to bake your first loaf of this sourdough bread recipe! That’s right, your starter will be ready for action in just 1 week!

Scroll down for the printable recipe card with detailed, step-by-step instructions.

Best Containers for Sourdough Starters:

Over the years I have found that the best container for an active sourdough starter is a clear glass jar with straight sides.

I use a simple 32 ounce wide mouth glass mason jar. This sourdough starter jar gives your starter plenty of room to expand and grow, and the clear glass allows you to keep an eye on the bubbles and activity.

What Should Sourdough Starter Look Like?

When it comes to your starter, you’ll be looking for those bubbles to start forming.

A bubbly starter is a happy starter!

How Do You Keep Sourdough Starter Warm in a Cold House?

Got a cold house? Not a problem!

If your sourdough starter isn’t rising by day 4, after a feeding cover it with plastic wrap and a rubber band on top to hold it in place, then place it in a turned off oven with the oven light on and oven door closed for a few hours a day.  

The slight warmth from the oven will be the perfect cozy spot to help it wake up and get rising.

Kathy writes: “Put it in your oven with the light on – it makes just enough heat. Be sure to remove it before using the oven, though. Maybe put tape on your switch as a reminder.”

How Often Should I Feed My Sourdough Starter?

Once you get through the initial 7 days of getting your starter going, you can maintain it with once a week feedings IF you store it in the refrigerator.

If you store it at room temperature, you’ll need to feed every 12 – 24 hours.

That’s why I like to store it in the fridge. 🙂

What Can I Make with Sourdough Discard?

After your starter is well established, living in your refrigerator, and being maintained with weekly feedings, you may be wondering… “what should I make with my sourdough discard each week?”

Well, that’s a great question!

You can either toss it each week, or put it to use in a fun new recipe! My absolute favorite way to use sourdough discard is with this Sourdough Bread Recipe to bake up a fresh loaf of artisan style bread.

You can also use your discard to bake up the most scrumptious sourdough biscuits imaginable. (Trust me, they’re AMAZING with homemade Strawberry Jam or Blackberry Fruit Jam.)

Other options include sourdough crackers, sourdough english muffins or biscuits, sourdough pancakes or waffles, and even a sourdough pizza crust.

Then, don’t forget about sandwiches! You can use your sourdough bread to make the most amazing Sourdough Grilled Cheese Sandwich. And don’t forget about breakfast! Trust me, you’ll NEED to use your sourdough to make this heavenly Sourdough French Toast!

How Do I Share My Sourdough Starter?

After your sourdough starter is well established and mature, you can start sharing it with friends and family.

It makes such great Gifts in a Jar Recipe to give to your family and friends!

I would suggest waiting until your starter is several months old, then simply take your discard from one of your weekly feedings, transfer it to a new clean jar, feed it 1/2 cup all purpose flour + 1/4 cup filtered water, stir well, place the lid on the jar, leave it out on the counter for a few hours, then transfer to the fridge.

Discard and feed again the next week, just like you do with your regular starter each week, and it will be ready to share!

How Do You Keep Sourdough Starter Alive When On Vacation?

Well… it just depends how long you’ll be gone.

If you’ll be gone around 1 week or so, keeping it in the refrigerator should be just fine. Just feed it before you go, and then feed it again right when you get back.

If you’ll be gone longer, there are a few options…

• Have someone babysit (and give it the weekly feedings)
• Share some as gifts with friends & family (and you can get back the discard if yours doesn’t make it)
• Store some in the freezer. (then revive it at room temperature with feedings when you get back)

Frugal friend Lavia writes: “Mine is named Penelope. She’s about 10 years old now. I even carried her with me when we moved cross country (kept her refrigerated every time we stopped in a hotel). I keep her in a couple containers in the freezer and a couple in the fridge. It also helps to give some away in case you have a mishap, so then you can get her back from whoever else has her (that happened to me once).”

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