Sourdough Starter

1. Stage

Start your starter Day 1: In a clean jar, combine 15 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of flour and 15 grams (about 1 tablespoon) water. Stir until you no longer see any dry streaks of flour. Cover the jar with a lid and set it in a warm place undisturbed.

2. Stage

Stir your starter day 2: Your sourdough starter should begin to show signs of activity. You may start to see lots of bubbles, and it may smell sour or rancid (this is completely normal). Stir your starter, cover it loosely and set it aside.

3. Stage

Feed your starter day 3: You may notice a small layer of liquid has formed on the surface of your sourdough starter. This is hooch and is an indication that your starter has exhausted its food source. You’ll need to feed your starter for the first time. To feed your starter: In a small bowl, place 15 grams (about 1 tablespoon) of starter. Anything that remains in the jar is considered discard and can be thrown away or stored in a separate container in the fridge to use in sourdough discard recipes. Into the small bowl with the starter, add 30 grams (1/4 cup) of flour and 30 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of water. Stir until no dry streaks of flour remain and the starter is incorporated. Place your fed starter back in the jar, cover the jar with a metal or plastic lid and set it in a warm place. If your kitchen is warm, your counter will work fine, but if your kitchen is cold you can place your starter in the oven while it’s turned off with the light on.

4. Stage

Feed your starter again day: Look for signs of activity in your starter, here I can tell that my starter increased in volume and then fell overnight by the markings on my jar. Don’t let this fool you, this burst in activity does not mean your starter is ready. Feed your starter once more by combining into a small bowl 15 grams of starter (discard the rest), 30 grams of water and 30 grams of flour. Place your fed starter back into the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.

5. Stage

Continue feeding your starter daily on days 5 through 8: After a burst of activity and the excitement of day 4, your starter will most likely experience a lull in activity. During this time, it will appear watery and flat. You’ll see few if any bubbles on the surface or throughout the starter. Don’t lose hope, continue feeding your starter and it will soon show signs of life. The aroma of your starter will also evolve during this process, at this point it may smell like cheese or yogurt. Feed your starter once per day, during days 5 through 8 by combining 15 grams of starter (discard the rest), 30 grams of water, and 30 grams of flour. Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.

6. Stage

Feed your starter day 9: Days after appearing lifeless, your starter should finally begin to show signs of life. Tiny bubbles evenly distributed throughout my starter may begin to appear and it should begin to thicken. It may also start smelling like beer. Feed your starter once more by combining 15 grams of starter (discard the rest), 30 grams of water, and 30 grams of flour. Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place.

7. Stage

Feed your starter twice per day starting on day 10 and 11: Another huge burst of activity, large translucent bubbles could appear on the surface of your starter. This is a sign that it has exhausted all its food and is more active than ever. To increase the strength of your starter and get it ready for baking, you can begin to feed it twice per day. Feed your starter by combining 15 grams of starter (discard the rest), 30 grams of water, and 30 grams of flour. Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place. Do this once in the morning and again at night. You can start storing any discard in the refrigerator to use for sourdough discard bakes.

8. Stage

Starter days 12 through 14—check readiness of starter: At this point, your starter should start to appear very active, with lots of tiny bubbles throughout, it should also be much thicker and begin to smell sweeter and much more like bread. This is a good indication that it’s time to test the readiness of your starter. Feed your starter the same way you have been: 15g starter, 30g flour, 30g water once in the morning. Mark the level of your starter with a rubber band or dry erase marker. Set a timer for 4 hours, if it doubles or triples in volume consistently after this time period, you’ll know it’s ready. If the starter meets the readiness standards identified above at anytime between days 12-14 you can prepare the starter to bake bread.

9. Stage

Feed starter to bake bread: If you plan on using your starter to bake immediately, begin feeding your starter 3 times per day to ensure that it’s strong and vigorous enough to leaven bread. Combine 15 grams of starter, 30 grams of water, and 30 grams of flour. Place your fed starter in the jar, cover it loosely and set it in a warm place. Do this 3 times each day, once in the morning, afternoon, and evening. To prepare your starter for baking, feed it the amount you need to accommodate a specific recipe, allow it to rise undisturbed for 4 hours. Once it has doubled or tripled in volume it’s ready to be mixed into your dough!