Homemade Sourdough Starter Recipe

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Homemade Sourdough Starter Recipe 🍞

Making your own sourdough starter at home is simple and rewarding. With just a few basic ingredients and a little patience, you’ll soon have a bubbly, active starter ready for baking delicious sourdough bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup water (filtered or dechlorinated if possible)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar or honey (optional, helps speed up fermentation)

Instructions

Day 1: Mix Your Starter

  1. In a clean glass jar or non-reactive bowl, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup of water.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey to feed the natural yeast.
  3. Stir the mixture thoroughly until it’s smooth with no dry flour remaining.
  4. Cover the jar loosely with a lid or breathable cloth secured with a rubber band to allow airflow while keeping dust and insects out.
  5. Let it sit at room temperature (ideally 68°F to 75°F / 20°C to 24°C) for 24 hours.

Day 2–7: Feed Your Starter Daily

  1. After 24 hours, “feed” the starter by discarding about half of it, then adding:
    • 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
    • 1/4 cup of water
  2. Stir well until smooth, then cover and leave it at room temperature.
  3. Repeat this feeding process every 24 hours for the next 5 to 7 days.

What to Expect

  • By Day 3 or 4, you should start to see bubbles forming and the starter may begin to rise and fall.
  • By Day 5 to 7, your starter should:
    • Be bubbly and active
    • Have a pleasantly sour, yeasty smell
    • Double in size within a few hours of feeding

Using or Storing Your Starter

  • Once your starter is bubbly and mature, it’s ready to use in sourdough recipes.
  • If you’re not baking daily, store it in the refrigerator and feed it once a week:
    • Discard half
    • Add 1/2 cup flour + 1/4 cup water
    • Stir and return to the fridge

Tips for Success

  • Use filtered or dechlorinated water to avoid chemicals that can harm natural yeast.
  • Keep the starter in a warm, stable environment to encourage fermentation.
  • If a layer of liquid forms on top (called hooch), it’s a sign your starter is hungry. Pour it off or stir it in before feeding.

With care and consistency, your sourdough starter will thrive and last indefinitely—providing endless delicious loaves!

Would you like a basic sourdough bread recipe to go with your starter?

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