Simple Sourdough Starter: Flour & Water
Sourdough starter only needs two ingredients and time. Flour and water combined with a little warmth and patience yields a naturally occurring, wild yeast. The only commitment on your part is feeding it and discarding the extra starter daily. We’re talking only a few minutes a day tops!
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter Ingredients:
- 120 g (1 cup) whole wheat flour
- 5 lb bag bread flour
Day 1 Starter Ingredients
- 120 g (1 cup) whole wheat flour fluff, scoop, and level off if using measuring cup
- 120 g (½ cup) filtered water, room temperature (or tap water that has set out overnight uncovered to release any chlorine)
Days 2- 6+ Starter Feeding Ingredients
- 120 g (1 cup) bread (or all-purpose) flour fluff, scoop, and level off if using measuring cup
- 120 g (½ cup) filtered water, room temperature (or tap water that has set out overnight uncovered to release any chlorine)
Instructions
Days 1-6+ Feeding Directions:
Day 1: Make the Starter
- In a quart-size Mason jar, canister, or bowl (any container that is at least a quart size), use a fork to stir well together flour and water. Mix all flour well into the water. Cover the container loosely with a lid, cheese cloth, or towel. Allow the starter to sit at room temperature (or in the oven with an incandescent light bulb on) for at least 12 hours or until bubbles form.
- TIP: Heat water in the microwave for 20 seconds to reach ~100˚F. This little heat will help to keep the internal temperature of the mixture warm after you loosely cover it with the lid.
Day 2: Discard & Feed the Starter
- After 24 hours, you may or may not see bubbles forming. If you don’t see bubbles, allow the starter to remain untouched until you see bubbles. This could take another 24 hours. Whenever you see bubbles or the mixture rises, remove all but a ½ cup of the starter. Add 120 g of bread flour and 120 g of room temperature, filtered water and stir well as you previously did. Cover the container loosely again and allow it sit at room temperature (or in cold oven with light bulb on) for another 24 hours.
- TIP: Use the discard in making other recipes. You can store your discard in the fridge for a couple of days until you have enough to make something. You usually need about a cup.
Days 3-6+: Discard & Feed the Starter 2x Day
- Repeat Day 2, discarding and adding flour and water after bubbling. You should start feeding your starter 2 times a day about 8-12 hours apart. You know when it’s time to feed when the bubbling & rising have peaked, and your starter begins to sink. If you find that your starter is bubbling & rising more quickly (4-6 hours), feed more often. As before, remove all but ½ cup of starter and add 120 g of flour and 120 g water. Stir well and cover lightly storing on the counter or in a warm area for 12 hours.
- TIP: Feed the start when it’s hungry only. You know when it’s hungry when it stops rising and starts sinking. You can also tell by the texture. If the starter is thick, the mixture is still digesting and isn’t hungry yet. If the mixture is liquid-y and pourable, then it's hungry and has metabolized all the flour.
- Once the sourdough starter is at least 6 days old, is bubbling and doubling or tripling in size, then you can make a traditional sourdough loaf of bread.
Video
Notes
*Your starter is ready to use to make loaves of bread when it has doubled in size after feeding. You need a minimum of 6 days to ensure your starter has lots of flavor and complexity even if it’s doubling at a quicker rate. If your mixture is growing too fast, place the mixture in a cooler environment to slow down the starter’s metabolism. The mixture should continually smell slightly sweet with a little tang.
When to make bread:
Ideally, you’ll feed your mature sourdough starter one last time (6-12 hours) before using the starter to make bread. It will take that long for the starter to reach its peak rise.
Storage for Later Use:
Store the starter after feeding it covered in the fridge. Feed it the same day every week, discarding down to ½ cup and adding 120 g each bread (all-purpose) flour and water. Continue this process until you’re ready to bake again. Then, allow the starter to sit out at room temperature for 1-3 days to reactivate. Remember to feed it 1-2 times a day until it’s active bubbly again.