Sourdough starter
Sourdough Starter Creation
Build a sourdough starter from white flour, whole meal flour, and water in a glass jar, feeding daily until it doubles and shows steady bubbles.
Before you start
- Keep the jar clean and use non-chlorinated water if your tap water is heavily treated.
- Starter timing depends on room warmth and can take days to weeks.
Tools
- glass jar
- rubber band
- spatula
Parts
white flour · whole meal flour · water
- 01
Gather jar and flours
Set out a clean glass jar, a rubber band, a spatula, water, white flour, and whole meal flour. Mark the starting level with the rubber band once the mix is in the jar so you can see rise later.
- 02
Mix day one feed
Add 1 teaspoon white flour and 1 teaspoon whole meal flour to the jar. Stir in enough water to make a thick, even paste with the spatula. Scrape down the sides so nothing dries on the glass.
- 03
Feed on day two
On day two, feed with plain white flour and water only. Stir until smooth and scrape the walls clean again. Leave the jar loosely covered at room temperature.
- 04
Switch to twice-daily feeds
When you see bubbles forming, start feeding twice a day. Each feed, add flour and water, mix fully, and reset the rubber band to the new level. Keep the jar in a warm spot in the home.
- 05
Decant weekly and test readiness
About once a week, decant the starter into a clean jar and resume feeding. It is ready when it doubles in size after a feed. That can take a few days to a few weeks depending on how warm the room is.
Was this accurate?
Rate the written steps, not the original video. One vote per browser.