sourdough starter recipe

How to make your own Sourdough Starter <strong>(see the step-by-step video in post)</strong> using simple ingredients with no special equipment, in 5-8 days, that can be used in<a href="https://www.feastingathome.com/sourdough-bread/"> sourdough bread</a>, pizza dough, <a href="https://www.feastingathome.com/sour-dough-waffles-maple-glazed-peaches/">waffles</a>, <a href="https://www.feastingathome.com/blackberry-sourdough-scones-with-lemony-glaze/">scones,</a> pancakes, and rolls- instead of using yeast. Sourdough Starter is a wild yeast, made from flour and water and the wild yeast in the flour itself and from the air around us. UPDATED 4/16/2020  {Original recipe taught to me by a friend who adapted it from <a href="https://breadtopia.com">Breadtopia</a> and <a href="https://www.kingarthurflour.com/">King Arthur Flour</a>}

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Simple Sourdough Starter

Organic White Bread Flour (5-10 lb bag)

Filtered Water

Day 1: Starting in the morning or at night,

 using a wide-mouth 4-cup mason jar or Crock or Glass Measuring Cup mix 1 cup whole grain flour (120 grams) with 1/2 cup (120 grams) filtered water using a fork making sure you&#8217;ve incorporated all the dry flour.  For your first measuring &#8211; it is a good idea to weigh the flour, using a kitchen scale so you get an idea of how thick it should feel. It should be like a thick paste. Thick like peanut butter. If you need to add a little more water to incorporate the flour, that is OK, but be precise with the flour. Place the lid on top (using the Weck jar is really handy here) or a damp towel to keep moisture in, or plastic wrap- and let sit at room temperature (70-80 degrees) on the kitchen counter for 24-48 hours, or until you see some bubbling. If you are not sure how warm it is, use a kitchen thermometer and check it a few hours later. See notes for TEMPERATURE.

Day 2

After the first 24 hours, you may or may not see a bit of bubbling. I prefer to let this rest until I see a tiny bit of activity (bubbles) and sometimes this takes 36 or up to 48 hours.  So start &#8220;day 2&#8221;, when you see a little bit of bubbing. Discard all but 1/2 cup (136 grams) of the starter. (See notes for discard).  Add to the remainder, 1 cup of white bread flour, (120 grams), spooned and leveled,  and 1/2 cup filtered water (120 grams), mixing well with a fork. Place the lid on loosely again and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature (70-80F)  for another 24 hours.

Day 3

By the third day, you should definitely see some bubbling- and if not, let it go a bit longer. Depending on how warm your house is and how active your starter, you may need to begin feeding more often, or even move to two feedings a day roughly 12 hours apart, like in the morning and at night. In a nutshell, you want to feed the starter only after it has peaked (metabolized all the flour from the last feeding) and has started sinking down or gets liquidy- this is when it is hungry! This might be 12 hours, it might be 14, it might be 18, or 24, depending on the temp in your house. In very warm climates it may only be 8 hours.  It is better to underfeed rather than overfeed here. For each feeding, like before, discard all but 1/2 cup of the STARTER (keeping roughly  ½-cup of starter in the jar -4 ounces or 136 grams) Add 1 cup Bread Flour  (spooned and leveled) and 1/2 cup water to the 1/2 cup starter and let this rest at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until the starter looks &#8220;hungry&#8221; again before repeating.

Day 4

Feed 1-2 times,  discarding all but 1/2 cup of starter EACH TIME. Feed 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup water.  Look for the hunger signs. Hopefully, you&#8217;ll begin to see some rising and falling. It&#8217;s helpful to put the starter in a clean jar and mark the beginning level (with sharpie, string or rubber band) so you can easily see this. ***If for some reason your starter looks like it is still rising at the time of second feeding (at night) and there is no evidence it has fallen or no slide marks, it is still &#8220;eating&#8221; so  skip this feeding and feed first thing in the morning. AGAIN, Feeding it when it is  &#8220;not hungry&#8221; will basically dilute all the growing yeast and make it lethargic. Better to starve than overfeed. 

Day 5

Feed again, 1-2 times, roughly 12 hours apart, or when hungry,  discarding all but a 1/2 cup the starter EACH TIME. 1 cup bread flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water. The starter should look active, bubbling, rising, sliding down, hopefully, close to doubling in size. (If not, repeat this day and read troubleshooting section.) 

DAY 6: 

 Give it one last feeding. Discard all but a 1/3 cup. Add 1 cup bread flour (120 grams) and 1/2 cup water, and place it in a clean jar so you can see the action clearly.  You can use a sharpie or place a rubber band around the jar to mark the beginning level. The starter should hopefully double in volume within 4-6 hours of feeding. Let the starter rest at room temperature for 8 hours; it should be active, with bubbles throughout or breaking the surface. Then DO THE FLOAT TEST: To test the starter, place a teaspoon of starter (just from the top, don&#8217;t stir it down) in a glass full of water, it should hopefully float. If it does, you can make bread. Tonight!

At this point, if your starter does not double in size or pass the float test, don&#8217;t give up! Often it just takes longer, sometimes up to two weeks if cold.  Continue feeding one-two times a day ( only when hungry) for a few more days, until you see a visible rise and fall. Read the troubleshooting section. If you need to take a break, put it in the fridge and try it again up to a week later. Don&#8217;t toss it- if there are bubbles, it is still alive.

SMELL

Starter should smell slightly sweet and tangy, and not off or &#8220;bad&#8221;.  To me, it smells like a wet horse;)  If it really smells unpleasant, you may have used an unclean jar, or somehow introduced other bad bacteria. I would start over.

NO ACTION

If your starter was doing great, then fizzled out, try using a little whole grain flour mixed with the bread flour into the feedings and really monitor amounts, making sure you are feeding the  1/2 cup starter 120 grams of flour. Check the temp (using a thermometer) and give it a little extra time to &#8220;digest&#8221; the flour. Sometimes it takes longer than you think. It is OK to skip a feeding at night if it looks like it is still peaking or rising. Don&#8217;t feel pressure to always follow the schedule- always watch your starter and feed it when it looks &#8220;hungry&#8221;.

TOO MUCH ACTION: 

if your starter overflows from the jar, this is a good sign,(not bad) it is alive and active. This often happens in warm climates. You&#8217;ll need to feed it more often or find a cooler spot. Even if it floats on day 2-3, please keep feeding it the full 6 days before using it to make bread. It will add more flavor and complexity.

CONSISTENCY

Thick or Thin? If you have been careful about measuring feedings, but are not seeing rising or falling, another way to tell what stage of your starter is in is to look at the consistency. If the starter seems really thick, it is still &#8220;digesting&#8221;. If it seems loose or runny or liquidy, (to the point where you can pour it out of the jar) it has most likely digested all the flour and is now hungry. It loosens up as it metabolizes the flour. So even if you don&#8217;t see rising or falling, look for consistency to give you clues.

DO NOT overfeed

For example, maybe, feeding 2 x day at 12-hour intervals is too often. You want to feed after the starter has peaked, then deflated a little or is runny (see photo above- you&#8217;ll see some slide marks on the jar) and this tells you that it is hungry. If you feed the starter before it has had a chance to metabolize (or eat) all the flour and then you discard part, and feed it again, you are actually diluting all that amazing yeast. Get it? So it&#8217;s all about watching your starter in your home. There are lots of variables here. Just be patient, pay attention and watch. This is a living thing- it doesn&#8217;t care about time schedules and recipes or what it &#8220;should&#8221; do. It will &#8220;eat&#8221; when it is &#8220;hungry&#8221; and sometimes it likes to eat slowly.

It may take longer than 6 days in colder environments

Use a kitchen thermometer and take its temp. Is it under 65F? Find a place where it can be warm.  Or use lukewarm water when mixing. Place it  in the oven with the light on overnight. (Not in direct sunlight) or above the fridge, or on the stovetop. Sometimes if cold,  it takes 10-12 days. Be patient, keep going. If it is doing absolutely nothing, leave it out on the counter for 24-48 hours and see what happens. If you see bubbles, it is alive and can be coaxed. If you run out of flour or need a break, don&#8217;t just toss it, put it in the fridge and see if you can get it going a few days or up to a week or two later.

ACIDITY

If you still can&#8217;t get that starter going, some people recommend subbing pineapple juice for the water for one feeding- raising the acidity level. My good friend just tried this and it got hers going.

LIQUID

If you see any liquid at the top of your starter, it means your starter is hungry. So, yes it&#8217;s still alive which is a good thing! You can stir the liquid in, or pour the liquid out, either way, but feed it! This may be a sign that you may need to feed it more often than you are.

MOLD

if you see any discoloring or mold on the surface, the starter was probably contaminated. If it is only on the surface, you could salvage it. Scrape it off, save 1/2 cup of the underneath starter, and keep going. Feed, smell, use your best judgment.

REFRIGERATE &amp; FEED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK

Pick a scheduled day and try to stick with it, always reserving 1/2 cup and feeding it 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Discard the remaining, or give it away, or keep the discard in a separate container to use in waffles, pancakes, sourdough buns, banana bread, biscuits, etc. I usually don&#8217;t feed the discard unless giving away.

If you forget to feed it one or two weeks in a row, it is most likely OK, just feed it 1-2 x day for 1-2 days in a row to revive it (keeping it out on the counter) until bubbly and active.  I&#8217;ve left my starter for a month on vacation (in the fridge) without feeding and simply revived it by feeding it 3 days in a row, 2 x day. It&#8217;s actually kind of hard to kill. You can also freeze it for longer storage.

If you find yourself wanting to bake more often than once a week, you can keep it out and feed it 1-2 times daily. Or if baking every few days, you can pull it out of the fridge, feed it 4-8 hours before using, leaving it out, use what you need while it is peaking, then put it back in the fridge that evening. Do the same thing a few days later when ready to use it again. So this would be feeding 2-3 times a week, best if baking 2-3 times a week.

MAINTENANCE:

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/nTAZduC6.mp4

A video on How to make your own Sourdough Starter from scratch using simple ingredients with no special equipment, in 5-7 days, that can be used in crusty sourdough bread, pizza dough, waffles, pancakes, and biscuits– instead of using yeast. 

How to make Sourdough Starter video 

A reliable, flexible recipe for a lovely sourdough sandwich bread using the dutch oven, stretch and fold and long cold rise methods. This bread slices well, makes excellent toast, paninis and sandwiches.

Milk & Honey Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Starter (2 Cups)

water (1 Cup)

Whole Milk-warmed (1 1/2 Cups)

Eggs (4 large eggs)

Honey (1/3 Cup)

bread Flour (8 Cups)

natural sea salt (1 1/2 Tablespoon)

Weigh out starter into a large bowl.

Add water and mix until it turns into...

Add water and mix until it turns into cloudy murky water.

Add Milk, Eggs, Butter, and Honey and mix....

Add Milk, Eggs, Butter, and Honey and mix. (I mix them together and warm them all to about 80 degrees in my microwave)

Add flour and mix with your hands(or a...

Add flour and mix with your hands(or a dough spatula) until the dough comes together.

Rest the dough without stretching for 30 to...

Rest the dough without stretching for 30 to 60 minutes:

Add salt, work in with wet hands using...

Add salt, work in with wet hands using a pinching action. Drive the salt into the dough with your fingers rather than try to mix it in or roll it.

Cover. Rest 30 minutes.

Pull the dough gently but firmly from the...

Pull the dough gently but firmly from the back of the bowl up and over to the front. Turn the bowl 1/4 Turn and repeat. Do this until you have stretched the dough and folded it over on all four sides.

Rest the dough covered, 30 minutes at room...

Rest the dough covered, 30 minutes at room temperature(about 70 degrees). (I set a timer)

Repeat the stretch and fold process four times...

Repeat the stretch and fold process four times 30 minutes apart. You are building the gluten in the dough in this stage. As you repeat the stretch and folds the dough will change from a gloppy mess to an elastic resilient dough.

Let the dough sit and bulk ferment (raise)...

Let the dough sit and bulk ferment (raise) for 1 hour at room temperature.

Put the bowl into A plastic(grocery) bag and...

Put the bowl into A plastic(grocery) bag and set in the refrigerator to finish cold fermentation for 24 hours. ***see notes at page bottom

Remove Dough from the refrigerator and turn out...

Remove Dough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a floured board.

Divide (by weight for even size) into two...

Divide (by weight for even size) into two dough balls. Gently shape into two rounds, cover and let rest until dough comes to room temperature and is pliable. 30 to 60 minutes.

Shape and gently place into bannetons or pans...

Shape and gently place into bannetons or pans (seam side up) to rise at room temperature until raised 20 to 30 percent.

Chill in refrigerator before baking two hours to cold...

Chill in refrigerator before baking two hours to cold proof in the plastic bag again. (this helps get a higher oven spring).

Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside to 450˚F...

Preheat oven with Dutch oven inside to 450˚F for at least 30 minutes.

Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough...

Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to accommodate your loaf. You'll use the paper as handles to lower your proofed loaf down into the very hot Dutch oven.

Take the risen dough out of the refrigerator...

Take the risen dough out of the refrigerator .

Place the parchment round over the basket and...

Place the parchment round over the basket and carefully flip the whole thing over and un-mold the dough.

Using a pastry brush, dust the loaf to...

Using a pastry brush, dust the loaf to remove excess flour.

Score.

Spritz liberally with water (for a blistered, flour...

Spritz liberally with water (for a blistered, flour free crust) or omit the spritz for a rustic looking loaf

Carefully lower your loaf into the preheated Dutch...

Carefully lower your loaf into the preheated Dutch oven and place the lid on and set into the oven.

Slide a sheet pan one rack below the...

Slide a sheet pan one rack below the Dutch oven to deflect excess heat from the bottom crust.

Bake covered for 30 minutes at 450˚F. *(MY...

Bake covered for 30 minutes at 450˚F. *(MY oven is so hot I bake the bread completely covered for 40 minutes on convection heat at 450 degrees and it comes out as pictured. Adjust these directions to your own oven)

After 30 minutes, remove the Dutch oven from...

After 30 minutes, remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Carefully remove the par-baked loaf from the Dutch oven using the parchment paper as handles.

Slide loaf back into the oven directly on...

Slide loaf back into the oven directly on the center rack.

Spritz oven with water bottle.

Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until an...

Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until an internal temperature of 200˚F-205˚F is achieved.

Remove from oven to a cooling rack.

Let cool completely. To keep the soft crust...

Let cool completely. To keep the soft crust store the loaf in a plastic bag at room temperature. 

Let the Dutch oven heat back up for...

Let the Dutch oven heat back up for a few minutes and start the process over again for the second loaf. Enjoy!

Instead of forming for boules after bench rest...

Instead of forming for boules after bench rest roll the dough out and degass it.

Now form the dough into loaves for two...

Now form the dough into loaves for two 9 x 4.5 x 5 bread pans.

OIL your bread pans and lay the dough...

OIL your bread pans and lay the dough in so it just touches the sides of the pan and the ends.

Allow to rise covered in the bread pans...

Allow to rise covered in the bread pans two to four hours until the dough is level with the top of your bread pans.

Set the loaves covered in the fridge.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Set a pan of water on the bottom...

Set a pan of water on the bottom shelf of your oven. (I use a broiler pan half full of water).

When the pan is steaming and the oven...

When the pan is steaming and the oven is preheated SCORE the loaves and set the loaf pans on a baking stone (or baking sheet) in the middle of your oven.

Bake 15 minutes then reduce the heat to...

Bake 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake an additional 35 minutes.

Check for doneness. Use a digital thermometer and...

Check for doneness. Use a digital thermometer and push it into the end of your loaves to the center. It should read 210.

Remove the loaves and let cool in the...

Remove the loaves and let cool in the pans 5 to 10 minutes.

Cut around the sides of your pan carefully...

Cut around the sides of your pan carefully to release the bread from the pan as needed.

Cool on racks an hour until room temperature...

Cool on racks an hour until room temperature before cutting.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/ow7ogcfeoouupoyvotzw.mp4

Homemade Sourdough bread is a worthy journey into Artisan bread making.  The adventure begins with wild yeast starter and continues into the vast and rich history of bread baking.

Beginner Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe 

Use this Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe as a base for many sweet breads, dinner rolls, muffins and other baked goods. Hints for storing and using up the sourdough starter.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe

water (about 110 degrees)

active dry yeast* ((2 1/4 teaspoons))

all-purpose flour

sugar

milk ((2%

Pour the warm water into a small glass bowl.

Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let this stand for 5-8 minutes to allow it to dissolve.

In a larger glass bowl (or plastic bowl. Don't use metal bowls or utensils for sourdough), mix together the flour and sugar with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the milk and then the yeast mixture.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to stand until bubbly.

Once the mixture is bubbly, pour it into a gallon-size zippered plastic bag and seal. Do not refrigerate. Allow the sourdough mixture to sit out at room temperature. This counts as Day 1.

Day 2: Mash the bag.

Day 3: Mash the bag.

Day 4: Mash the bag.

Day 5: Mash the bag.

Day 6: Add 1 cup of flour, sugar and milk. Mash the bag until it is mixed well.

Day 7: Mash the bag.

Day 8: Mash the bag.

Day 9: Mash the bag.

Day 10: Pour the sourdough into a glass (or other nonmetal) bowl. Add 1/2 cup each of all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Divide out 1 cup portions of the starter, placing each one-cup portion in separate zippered plastic bags. You'll get about 4-5 bags.&nbsp;

Seal the bags, and give the starter away to friends along with the instructions, keeping one for yourself if desired. The starter then goes back to Day 1.

Keep one starter for yourself.

Click here for the instructions to bake the bread.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/jWxJoH9v.mp4

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

Instead of wasting your discarded sourdough starter, come learn how to make herb whole wheat sourdough crackers. They&#x27;re crispy, savory, and delicious - perfect for holidays, parties, or just as a healthy snack. We love to pack ours full of fresh herbs from the garden, but dried herbs can be used instead too.

Herb Sourdough Crackers (How to Use Sourdough Starter Discard)

Cup Whole wheat flour

Unbleached bread flour flour

Cup Sourdough starter* (see notes below)

herbs

Cup Coconut oil

Tsp Sea salt

Olive oil

Tsp Optional: garlic powder

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the sourdough starter, flour, chopped herbs, salt, and coconut oil.

Divide the large dough ball into two equal sized balls.

Next shape and squish each dough ball into a patty like rectangular shape until the dough thickness is about a half inch.

Place the rectangular dough patties on their own plates and cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to a couple hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the patties of dough each on their own piece of floured parchment paper and roll out with a floured rolling pin until dough is nice and thin, about 1/16th of an inch thick.

Lightly brush the dough with extra virgin olive oil, and lightly sprinkle salt over the top.

Cut the dough using a pasta/pastry cutter (or pizza wheel) into 1 to 2 inch squares. Next, use a fork to poke each cracker square several times. 

Place the parchment paper and the cracker squares on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Rotate the baking sheets halfway through to help the crackers bake evenly.

Once finished baking, quickly remove the crackers to a cooling rack.

Once cool, enjoy the crackers immediately or store them in an airtight container to enjoy later.

This sourdough bread starter recipe shows how to make sourdough starter from scratch. No need to order online, you can make a starter for bread right at home!

How to Make Sourdough Starter

Whole wheat flour

All-purpose flour

Room temperature filtered water

Day 1

Use a kitchen scale to add 25 grams whole wheat flour, 25 grams all-purpose flour, and 50 grams of water. Stir to combine. The mixture should look like a thick paste. Cover the jar and place in a warm location for 24 hours. The temperature of your room can have a big effect on the speed at which your starter grows. Ideally, you want to be between 68 and 72 degrees. The starter will not flourish in cooler temperatures.

You may or may not see a few bubbles starting to appear in the starter. Either way, discard about half of the starter and add the same ingredients to the jar: 25 grams whole wheat flour, 25 grams all-purpose flour, and 50 grams of water. Stir to combine. Cover the jar and place in a warm location for 24 hours.

You will likely see a few more bubbles today. The starter should start to smell a little bit sour (in a good way!) Again, discard half of the starter. Today, you&#8217;ll switch to using only all-purpose flour. Add 50 grams all-purpose flour and 50 grams of water. Stir to combine. Cover the jar and place in a warm location for 24 hours.

You should see a lot more bubbles and the starter should increase in volume. Follow the same process: discard half of the starter. Add 50 grams all-purpose flour and 50 grams of water. Stir to combine. Cover the jar and place in a warm location for 24 hours.

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