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How to Make and Maintain a Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter is wild yeast and bacteria you cultivate from flour and water — it leavens bread without commercial yeast and gives you the tang and complex flavor of real sourdough. Building one from scratch takes 7-14 days of daily 5-minute feedings; once it's alive, maintenance is one feeding a week if you bake regularly or refrigeration if you don't. Costs about $5 in flour to start.
Your Progress
0 of 8 steps completedStep-by-Step Instructions
1 Step 1: Get a glass jar (1 quart or larger)
Step 1: Get a glass jar (1 quart or larger)
The starter doubles or triples in volume between feedings, so use a jar that's at least 2× the size of your starter. Clear glass lets you see bubble activity. Never seal the lid airtight — the starter releases CO2 and a sealed jar can explode (or pop the lid off with a wet starter geyser).
Weck 743 Mold Jar, 1L
European canning jar with a glass lid that rests loosely on top. Ideal for sourdough — looks great on the counter, perfect size, easy to clean. ~$13-17.
Ball Wide-Mouth Mason Jar, 1 quart
Cheap and indestructible. Tightening the band is fine if you leave it loose enough to release pressure — or skip the band and rest the flat lid on top. ~$3-6 each.
Anchor Hocking Heritage Hill jar, 1 gallon
Big tall jar — best if you bake high-hydration breads and need to maintain a larger starter. Slim glass walls let you watch the rise. ~$12-16.
2 Step 2: Get a kitchen scale (essential for ratios)
Step 2: Get a kitchen scale (essential for ratios)
Sourdough is ratio-based — equal weights of flour and water by gram. Volume measurements (cups, spoons) are too inconsistent — flour packs differently every time. A 0.1 or 1g scale removes the guesswork.
OXO Good Grips 11lb Stainless Steel scale
Tare button, 0.1oz/1g resolution, removable platform. The default scale for serious home bakers. ~$48-55.
Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale
11 lb capacity, 1g resolution, two-button operation. Cheap, durable, perfect for sourdough. The hobbyist favorite. ~$22-28.
Generic 5kg / 1g digital scale
Same accuracy as the Escali at a lower price. Battery-powered, auto-off. Acceptable if budget-constrained. ~$12-18.
3 Step 3: Pick a flour to feed the starter
Step 3: Pick a flour to feed the starter
Whole wheat or rye flour has more wild yeast on the bran — starts faster and is more vigorous. Once established (after ~7 days), you can switch to bread flour or AP for daily maintenance. Many bakers run a permanent 50/50 mix of whole grain and white.
King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
Reliable mid-protein flour for daily maintenance after the build. The 'no-think' default. ~$5-7 for 5 lb.
King Arthur Bread Flour, 5 lb
Higher protein (12.7%) — slightly more gluten development. Slightly better for bread baking but no difference for the starter itself. ~$6-8 for 5 lb.
Bob's Red Mill Organic Dark Rye Flour
Highest-yeast-content flour you can buy. Mix a tablespoon into the first 3 days of feedings to jump-start activity. ~$5-7 for 22 oz.
Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground Whole Wheat
Cheap and effective. Use 100% whole wheat for days 1-3, then transition to white flour for maintenance. ~$6-8 for 5 lb.
Hayden Flour Mills Heritage Flour
Premium heritage-grain flour. Fancier flavor, used by bread purists. Overkill for the starter itself; great for the baking. ~$12-18.
4 Step 4: Day 0 — initial mix
Step 4: Day 0 — initial mix
Combine 50g flour + 50g lukewarm water (around 85°F — body temperature) in your jar. Stir with a clean utensil until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely (lid resting on top, NOT screwed down). Mark the side of the jar with a rubber band or marker at the starter's level. Set in a warm spot (75-80°F is ideal — top of refrigerator, near a sunny window).
50g flour + 50g water (1:1 ratio, by weight)
Standard ratio. Equal parts by weight gives a thick pancake-batter consistency. Don't measure by volume — flour and water aren't equal-density.
Add 5g of dark rye on day 0 (jump-start)
If your day-0 flour is all-purpose, mix in a small amount of whole rye on the first day only. The wild yeast on the rye bran kicks the starter off faster.
Use unchlorinated water
Chlorine in tap water kills wild yeast. Either filter your tap water through a Brita, or let an open cup sit for 24 hours so chlorine evaporates. Spring water works fine too.
5 Step 5: Days 1-7 — feed once daily
Step 5: Days 1-7 — feed once daily
Every 24 hours: discard half the starter (leave ~50g in the jar), then add 50g fresh flour + 50g water. Stir, cover loosely, mark the level. By day 3-5 you should see bubbles forming. By day 5-7 the starter should be reliably doubling in volume between feedings. If nothing's happening by day 5, your kitchen may be too cold — move to a warmer spot.
Warning: Days 2-4 often have a brief stinky 'false start' (smells like vomit or feet) — this is a normal bacterial succession, not a sign you've failed. Keep feeding through it. Smell will turn sweet/yeasty by day 5-7.
Once-daily feeding (standard)
Same time every day works best for the bacteria to establish a rhythm. Set a phone alarm. Skipping a day in the first week stalls the build.
Twice-daily feeding (faster build)
Once you see bubbles (typically day 3+), shift to twice-daily 12 hours apart. Speeds the build to a usable starter by day 5-6 instead of 7-10.
Discard amount: keep ~20% (50g of 250g starter)
Discarding is essential — without it, the starter dilutes itself to death over a week. Throw the discard in the compost or save it for pancakes and crackers.
6 Step 6: Don't waste the discard — use it
Step 6: Don't waste the discard — use it
Discard is unfed starter that's lost its leavening power but is still flavor-rich. Refrigerate discard in a separate jar (lasts ~2 weeks) and use it in flat baked goods that don't need to rise. King Arthur and Bake from Scratch both have free discard recipe libraries.
Sourdough discard crackers
Mix discard with herbs, olive oil, and salt. Spread thin on a baking sheet, bake at 350°F for 20 min. The 'easiest possible discard recipe.'
Sourdough discard pancakes
Add discard to your normal pancake batter (sub 1 cup of flour-and-milk equivalent). Tangier, lighter pancakes. The most popular discard use.
Sourdough discard pizza dough
Sub discard for the starter portion in pizza dough. Doesn't rise much but adds flavor depth. Top-tier weeknight dinner.
Compost it (zero waste)
If you're not using discard, throw it in compost. Don't pour starter down the drain — it can solidify and clog pipes.
7 Step 7: Float test — is the starter ready to bake with?
Step 7: Float test — is the starter ready to bake with?
Once your starter has doubled within 4-6 hours of feeding for 2-3 days in a row, it's ready to bake. Confirm with the float test: drop a teaspoon of starter into a glass of water. Floats = full of gas, ready. Sinks = needs more feedings. Most starters pass the float test by day 7-14.
Float test in cool water
Drop a teaspoon of starter into a glass of room-temp water. Floating means it's full of fermentation gas. Mature starters float; immature ones sink.
Peak rise timing test
After feeding, mark the level. The starter should triple within 4-6 hours at room temp. If it only doubles or takes 8+ hours, give it 2-3 more days of feedings.
Smell test
Mature starter smells pleasantly tangy and yeasty — like fresh bread dough or a fruity beer. If it still smells off (vinegar, acetone, or vomit), keep feeding.
8 Step 8: Long-term maintenance — pick a schedule
Step 8: Long-term maintenance — pick a schedule
Maintenance depends on baking frequency. Bake several times a week → keep starter on the counter, feed daily. Bake weekly → refrigerate, feed weekly. Bake occasionally → dehydrate a backup. The 1:2:2 feeding ratio (1 part starter : 2 parts flour : 2 parts water by weight) refreshes a strong starter every time.
Counter (daily feeding, bake 2+× per week)
Most active flavor. Feed every 12-24 hours with 1:2:2 ratio. Use directly from the jar at peak rise. Best for serious bakers.
Refrigerator (weekly feeding, bake weekly)
Slows fermentation to a crawl. Pull from fridge, feed 1:2:2, let rise 4-6 hours at room temp before baking. Best for casual bakers.
Dehydrate a backup (insurance)
Spread a thin layer of active starter on parchment, air-dry 2-3 days, crumble into a sealed jar. Lasts years. Rehydrate with equal-weight water + feedings to revive.
Send a backup to a friend
Once your starter is robust, scoop ~50g into a small jar for a friend. Now you have an off-site backup if yours ever dies.
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