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The Ultimate Guide: How to Make and Maintain a Sourdough Starter From Scratch (Day-by-Day Instructions)

A highly active sourdough starter showing significant bubbling and foam development inside a clear glass jar.
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Learn how to create an active, bubbly sourdough starter from just flour and water. This guide offers simple, day-by-day instructions perfect for beginners to establish their own natural yeast starter for homemade bread.

Ingredients

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  • 100g Whole Wheat or Rye Flour (for initial activation)
  • 100g All-Purpose Flour (for ongoing feeding)
  • 100g Unchlorinated Water (room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Day 1: Initial Mix. In a clean jar, mix 50g of whole wheat or rye flour with 50g of room temperature water. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely (do not seal tightly) and let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2: Rest. You may see little or no activity. Do nothing today. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for another 24 hours.
  3. Day 3: First Feeding. Discard half of the starter mixture (about 50g). To the remaining starter, add 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. Mix well, cover loosely, and let it sit for 24 hours. You might see some small bubbles.
  4. Day 4: Second Feeding. Discard half of the starter. Feed the remainder with 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of water. Mix well. You should notice more activity, perhaps doubling in size within 12 hours.
  5. Day 5 & 6: Consistent Feeding. Continue the feeding schedule twice a day (every 12 hours) if your kitchen is warm, or once a day if it is cooler. Always discard half before feeding 50g flour and 50g water. Look for consistent doubling in size and a pleasant, slightly sour aroma.
  6. Day 7 Onward: Maturity. Your sourdough starter is ready to bake with when it reliably doubles in volume within 4 to 8 hours after feeding and shows many bubbles throughout. Once active, you can switch to maintaining it with a 1:1:1 ratio (starter:flour:water) when feeding.
  7. Maintenance (If Baking Often): Keep the starter at room temperature and feed it daily using a 1:1:1 ratio.
  8. Maintenance (If Baking Infrequently): Store the fed starter in the refrigerator. Feed it once a week by taking it out, letting it warm up, discarding most of it, feeding it, letting it sit for 2-3 hours, and then returning it to the fridge.

Notes

  • Use unchlorinated water, as chlorine can inhibit yeast growth. Filtered or bottled water works well.
  • If your starter seems sluggish, try using whole grain flour for a few feedings to boost the wild yeast activity.
  • A 1:1:1 feeding ratio (by weight) is standard for maintenance: 50g starter, 50g flour, 50g water.
  • If you have excess starter after feeding, use it in sourdough discard recipes like pancakes or crackers.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbyjade.com/sourdough-starter-success-day-by-day/