Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe (Step-By-Step Guide)
This sourdough starter recipe is perfect for beginners or people struggling to make a healthy and active starter. It is super easy to make and doesn't require constant attention and feedings. All you need is water and flour, and a bit of patience.
Equipment
- 1 Wide-mouth glass jar (or plastic container) with a normal screw lid (1 pint/16oz/500ml)
- 1 Kitchen scale
Ingredients
For creating the starter
- 100 g filtered water (no chlorine)
- 50 g whole grain rye flour (I used organic)
For the feedings
- 150 g filtered water
- 150 g whole grain rye flour
Instructions
- DAY 1: Mix the flour and water in the designated jar. Make sure everything is well incorporated. Put the lid on but don't tighten it. Give it some wriggle room.
- DAY 2: You will most likely see no activity (or just a few small bubbles on the surface) and it will smell of flour and water. Give it a good mix with a clean spoon, put the lid on, and leave it alone.
- DAY 3: You might see lots of small bubbles on the surface (or some foamy bubbles). It should smell a bit sour or funky. Stir well with a clean spoon, put the lid on, and leave it alone.
- DAY 4: You will see some small bubbles on the surface, just like the previous day, but the texture becomes more liquid as the yeast and bacteria start to consume the flour. The smell should be slightly sour and acidic. Don't panic if it smells a bit funky. If you see mold, throw it away and start over. If not, Discard all but 50g of the starter. Feed it 50g of rye flour and 50 g of water. Mix well. You will now have a thicker starter than previously. Put the lid on and leave it alone.
- DAY 5: You might see small bubbles on the surface but no major activity. Stir it, put the lid on, and leave it alone. It should have a slightly sour smell.
- DAY 6: Same as day 5. Usually, days 4 to 6 are "quiet days".
- DAY 7: Same as day 6 but you will notice it become more liquid. The yeast and bacteria are consuming the food. Now you can discard all but 50g and feed 50g water and 50g rye flour. Put a rubber band around your container to check for growth.
- DAY 8: You should either see a growth in size or just lots of bubbles throughout the starter, not just on the surface. If it doubles in size in 4-6 hours, you need to feed and discard it once it deflates to its original size. If it has a bit of growth but not doubling, leave it alone until it deflates back to normal. If no growth at all leave it and check back the next day.
- DAY 9: If your room is warm enough, your starter should now start to double in 4-6 hours. If not, move it to a warm area and feed it warm water (around 38°C/100°F-it feels slightly warm when you dip your finger in) instead of room temperature (not hot water). Discard all but 50g of your starter and feed it 50g rye flour and 50g water. If it doubles, wait for it to deflate before discarding and feeding.
- DAY 10: Most people have an active starter now. It should double in 4-6 hours before it is ready to use in baking. You can now bake your first sourdough bread. You need to keep it on the counter for a couple more days and feed and discard it every 24 hours. If the starter looks like it is starving after 24 hours, you should either increase the feeding ratio to 1:2:2 (by weight - 1 part starter, 2 parts flour, 2 parts water) or increase the frequency of feeding (every 12 hours). If this is not enough, you can further increase the ratio. But remember, a starter can only be starving if it has doubled and completely deflated in that 24-hour time window. Do not feed if it hasn't doubled and deflated first.
Notes
PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE ABOVE FOR IN DETAIL INSTRUCTIONS.
Nutrition
Serving: 150gCalories: 244kcal
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