Home » Homemade Sourdough Starter
By Jennifer 61 Comments
If you're a bread lover, you'll love this San Francisco style sourdough starter for baking your own tangy and chewy sourdough bread!
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If you’re a bread lover like me, then you’ve got to try your own homemade sourdough starter. The tangy taste of sourdough brings back memories of my honeymoon where my husband and I spent a week in San Francisco.
That’s where I had some of the best sourdough I’ve ever had, not to mention the best creamy clam chowder! It seems like I got a sourdough bread bowl full of clam chowder every day on that trip (not so good for the waistline.)
Fast forward almost 15 years later and I’m still in love with sourdough…and my husband! Late this summer I decided to make my own sourdough starter from scratch.
MAKING SOURDOUGH:
I decided to use a recipe from a cookbook I bought when we were in San Francisco, simply called San Francisco Cookbook, A Culinary Tour Of The City By The Bay.
There are so many different opinions about sourdough and how to make it that you could go crazy trying to read everyone’s advice. I’m no expert on sourdough, but I’ll just share with you what is working for me.
This recipe uses dry yeast to get the starter going. Again, there are strong opinions about what to use in order to have an authentic starter, however, this starter has worked for me and has been growing and been in use in my home since August of 2015, so I’m sticking with it and am happy to call it authentic.
I allowed this starter to develop for a week before I started using it so that it was strong enough to use in bread recipes. Depending on different conditions like temperature, the sourdough may be ready in a week, or it may take up to two weeks.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S READY?
- You’ll know your sourdough starter is ready when it has a sour smell, is very bubbly on top and is able to double in size with regular feedings. (The smell is not a rotting smell, but acidic and sour – no mold growing on top.)
- Another great test to know if your sourdough starter is ready to use is to fill a glass with cool water and drop some starter into the water. If it sinks it's not ready, if it floats it's ready.
If your home is consistently cool, around 68 degrees or below, you’ll want to place your sourdough jar in a warmer place like the top of your refrigerator.
IS MY SOURDOUGH STARTER STILL GOOD?
Some folks get worried when they see the accumulated liquid at the top of their starters, but this does not indicate that your starter has gone bad.
This liquid is called “Hooch” and is the alcohol that is given off when yeast ferments. It really means that your sourdough starter is HUNGRY.
After an extended period of neglect, the Hooch can vary in color from gray to amber, to dark brown, even to black!
Simply pour off the Hooch and stir well prior to feeding your starter. Follow the recipe steps for feeding.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER HAS GONE BAD?
- Pink or Orange colored starter or pink or orange streaks in your starter indicated that it has gone bad and should be thrown out.
- Smell your starter. It should smell like unbaked bread, yeasty, and can also smell likealcohol, vinegar, overripe fruit or beer.
MORE SOURDOUGH INSPIRATION!
So far our very favorite is Sourdough Pancakes. They have an amazing tangy flavor and are a good way to use up excess starter.
Our family also loves using this Sourdough Starter to makeHomemade Sourdough Bread, Pizza Crust, Soft Preztels, crackers and more!
Looking for a slightly sweeter sourdough flavor? Try my Potato Flake Amish Friendship Bread!
Potato Flake Amish Friendship Bread Starter
Potato Flake Amish Friendship Bread
Homemade Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Pancakes
Sourdough Pizza Crust
Sourdough Soft Pretzels
HAVE YOU MADE ANY OF MY RECIPES? POST THEM ON INSTAGRAM AND TAG @jennifercooks123 AND #jennifercooks!
Homemade Sourdough Starter
4.67 from 9 votes
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Author: Jennifer Locklin
Ingredients
- 1 packet rapid rise dry yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
Day 1:
Dissolve yeast in a large non-reactive mixing bowl with warm water. (Glass, crockery, plastic or stainless steel)
Stir in flour and whisk until well mixed.
Cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 2:
You may see a little bubbling or you may not by day 2, that’s ok. Discard half of the starter.
Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup lukewarm water.
Whisk until smooth.
Cover and let rest at room temperature for another 24 hours.
Day 3:
You should be seeing some bubbling by now and an increase in volume. Now you will start with regular daily feedings.
Discard 1 cup of starter.
Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup lukewarm water; whisk to mix well.
Cover and let rest at room temperature for another 24 hours.
Day 4:
Repeat day 3 process.
Day 5:
Repeat day 3 process. By now the starter should have at least doubled in size and have lots of bubbles at the top. Starter should have a sour, tangy aroma.
To Use:
If you’ve been keeping your starter in the refrigerator, you’ll need to feed the starter and warm it up to room temperature for at least 4 hours - so plan ahead. Once the starter is bubbling and doubling in volume, remove what you need for your recipe and set it aside. Feed the remaining sourdough starter with 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 cup all-purpose flour; whisk until smooth. Allow the starter to feed for 2 hours at room temperature, then place back in the refrigerator.
Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter
If you’re a hardcore baker and intent on using your sourdough starter multiple times a week, then you’ll want to keep it at room temperature, feeding once-a-day like this:
Maintaining At Room Temperature: Daily Feeding
Stir the starter well and discard all but 1 cup of starter.
Stir in 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
Mix until smooth.
Cover and repeat every 24 hours.
This is what I did in the beginning, but now I’m a little more laid back about it so I do the following method:
Maintaining in the refrigerator: Once-A-Week Feeding
Once you have a viable starter, store the starter in an airtight container. I keep mine in a large hermetic clamp jar in my refrigerator.
Once a week, take your starter out of the refrigerator. (There may be dark brownish to grayish liquid on top. drain this off; this is just alcohol from the fermentation process.)
Discard all but 1 cup of starter - this discarded portion can be used in the pancakes I mentioned about. I usually do this process on Saturday mornings when I cook a late breakfast/brunch for my family. The discard can also be used in pizza dough, crackers and other baked goods - coming soon!
Add 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 cup all-purpose flour; whisk until smooth and cover.
Allow starter to rest on your kitchen counter, which will warm it up a bit and allow it to begin feeding. After 2 to 4 hours return to the refrigerator.
Notes
If your starter develops a dark liquid on top - even a bluish black, it’s ok. Really! The first time I saw it on mine my heart sunk. I just knew I ruined all my hard work. But after reading many articles, I discovered that this liquid is a result of a hungry starter and is a liquid alcohol produced by the fermentation process. I even read that coal miners used to drink it when they were desperate for some alcohol…gross!
I usually pour off the hooch and stir in any remaining residue of liquid on top back into its “mother” (the starter), then proceed with my feeding schedule. Really, it’s ok! I’ve done this many times.
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About Jennifer
I’m Jennifer Locklin, author and owner of Jennifer Cooks. I am a trained chef and passionate about good food, cooking for family and friends, and creating recipes that form lasting memories from one generation to the next. I hope you find inspiration for cooking and creating here!
Reader Interactions
Comments
Joan says
Will this work with Gluten free flours?Reply
- Jennifer says
Yes, I believe it should work. I have not tested it with gluten-free flours, however there are similar recipes for gluten-free starters that indicate that it’s the same process, just substituting flour types.
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- Joan says
Thanks. I’ll try with the other flours I have been using like brown rice flour, oat flour and coconut flour. I’m experimenting switching out white flours with different other healthier ones using my bread machine. So far so good. Only had one fatal disaster with dark rye that the birds outside enjoyed. Lol.
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- Carrie Miller says
All of that “discarding” in the first week seems wasteful. Even though it will be less sour, can you use the discarded portion or baking?
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- Jennifer says
Yes, I know it seems wasteful. I don’t think it would be developed enough to make bread, however it’s great in other things that don’t require a strong leavening. I really like to use my discard in Sourdough Pancakes. I have a great recipe here that I use regularly. I haven’t posted these yet, but I also use it in Sourdough Crackers and Sourdough Pizza Crust. I’ll be posting the recipes soon.
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- Robbie says
Jennifer, just wondering . . . . You mentioned above that you don’t think the discarded portion would be developed enough to make bread, my question is, if the starter is already weeks into the making, would the discarded portion be as developed as what remains ? I can understand the first discards wouldn’t be developed enough. I am also wondering if you only made half the amount, feeding with only 1/2 cup flour, would you still have to discard ?
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- Jennifer says
Yes, ultimately you still have to discard the first several days of a starter (whether or not you’re reducing the total quantity of the recipe). One reason for this is that you are removing a quantity of undesirable bacteria that builds up initially. After the initial few days of discarding the soupy mixture, and after the starter is regularly bubbling and expanding, and has a pleasant “tangy-yeasty” aroma after feeding, then you can use your discard safely in recipes. I hope this makes sense. 🙂
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- Kim Mulder says
How long can a starter be used?
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- Jennifer says
Hi Kim! The starter can be used indefinitely as long as you are feeding it on a regular basis. The best method for longterm use is to keep it refrigerated and feed it every 5 days or so. It may get a yellowish, gray or even black liquid on top. This is all ok and can either be stirred back in or poured off. If the starter ever gets mold growth or pink or red streaks then it should be thrown out.
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- Joan says
I made my starter switching out the water with whey from my Kefir Milk. It came out great! Made my first bread with it yesterday using my bread machine. The whey provided added protein along with the fermenting. I’m a newbie baker so I don’t always make stunning brea . Lol. This trial loaf rose quite nicely but it’s a bit doughy. The taste is awesome however. The recipe called for sugar but I switched it out with coconut palm sugar.Reply
- Jennifer says
That sounds great! I’m glad you’re trying the sourdough starter. I like more each time I use it in recipes!
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- Michelle says
I’m on day five and have had no bubbles or doubling. In fact, there has been liquid on top every day. It smells nice and yeasty and sour though. I tried a spoonful in water…it just sunk to the bottom in a cloud mess. Any thoughts or tips?
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- Jennifer says
I’m not sure. If you are keeping it in the refrigerator, I would place it at room temperature until it’s really going. If you’ve used hot water, it’s possible that you’ve killed the yeast. If that’s the case, you’ll need to start over. It can take longer than a week for the starter to begin to bubble and rise, so you might give it another 4 to 5 days. The liquid on top could be the “hooch” or alcohol created by the process, which is just fine and can be stirred back in. Or it’s possible that the starter is too wet and you could add a little more flour to see if it helps. The consistency should be like thick pancake batter. If after 4 or 5 more days you have no luck, I’d dump out 3/4 of the mixture and begin feeding again.
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- Sean says
This starter recipe helped me get started with experimenting and got me to a point where I decided to learn some more to improve on the bread. After some research, I decided to read Flour, Water, Salt and Yeast by Ken Forkish. One thing he points out is that if you make a starter with commercial yeast, it will displace any naturally occurring yeast as the commercial yeast is more robust. He does suggest using commercial yeast in sourdough bread, but not in the starter. I’m going to try that route as I want to try a more traditional approach, but I appreciate your guidance that got me started. When I re-read the article above, I get the sense you are aware of the more traditional approach. I also suspect your method is likely to develop a strong active starter on the first attempt.Reply
- Jennifer says
Yes, I am aware of the more traditional approach, and you’re right, my recipe helps get you started (no pun intended :)). Sometimes, for beginners, it can be difficult to grow a starter and can be discouraging.
I’m so glad you’re experimenting! I love sourdough!
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- Patti says
In this sourdough recipe has step 42 been accidentally omitted?
Just wondering…
Thanks!Reply
- Jennifer says
No, that’s just a skip in the formatting. I’ll have to fix that.
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- Ellie says
I just started day one. On day two how much of the batter shoukd I discharge?Reply
- Jennifer says
Hi Ellie! You should discard half of the starter mixture.
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- Tracy says
Hi Jennifer,
I’m new to sourdough and tried your recipe for the starter. I made it 2 hours ago and it is bubbling and has doubled already. I live in the tropics where it’s very warm and humid. Should I put the starter in the fridge to keep if from overflowing and then feed it agin in the a.m.?
Thank you,
TracyReply
- Jennifer says
Hi Tracy,
I’m so sorry for the delay! I think it would be fine in the refrigerator. Once I got mine going, I have kept it in the fridge and fed it once a week.
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- Alicia says
Do you mix the starter before you discard half of it?
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- Jennifer says
You can stir it if it has separated, but you’ll discard before stirring in the flour and water.
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- Patty says
On day one it’s really bubbling. Afraid of it bubbling out of container. Can I put in fridge to to the rest of the days?
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- Jennifer says
Yes, it can go in the refrigerator. You can decrease your feeding schedule to once a week in the refrigerator.
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- Sarah says
Thank you for this! My mother-in-law used to make this bread while my husband was growing up and he was so sad when she didn’t have a starter anymore. I’m making this as a Christmas surprise. I am wanting to bake multiple loaves for friends and family. How should I go about this? Do I need to make multiple starters? Or will there be enough for a few loaves by the time it’s ready to bake?
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- Jennifer says
Oh gosh! I’m sorry for my delayed response! You should’ve had plenty to make multiple loaves. What a great Christmas gift!
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- Melanie says
Hi Jennifer,
I’ve tried to make sourdough starter before and it didn’t go well. I remember there being pineapple juice involved, and a baaaad smell after several days. Anyway, you’ve inspired me to try it again! I’ll let you know how it goes.Reply
- Jennifer says
So glad you decided to give it a try again! Hopefully this will go well for you…let me know!
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- Christina says
Hi Jennifer,
I’m on day 12 now (my home is consistently around 68-69 degrees) and I’m still not certain that my starter is ready to use. I had a good amount of bubbling in the beginning but that seemed to plateau in the first week. It has doubled in size. It was kind of thin in terms of consistency so I added a little extra flour to a couple of the feedings. The aroma seems even seems right. But… I no longer have much bubbling on top despite the daily feedings and when I’ve done the dropping in cool water test, it consistently sinks and turns into the cloudy mess as a previous reader mentioned. I have kept it out at room temperature the entire time. I’ve been feeding and storing my starter in my Kitchen Aid mixer stainless steel bowl because you listed stainless steel as being acceptable but I’ve noticed a couple other blogs don’t include metal as an option, could that have anything to do with it? My dilemma at this point is, do I dump and start over or attempt to use it?Thanks for your time and advice!
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- Jennifer says
Hi Christina! Thank you for your question.
If your starter is not ready within 24 hours, take a cup or so out and make ordinary bread or pizza dough, following my recipes, along with adding 1 ½ teaspoons of yeast to the mix. Save about 1 cup of the doughy mixture and place in your container. Add enough water to the reserved dough and mix to make it the consistency of thick pancake batter.
After 24 hours, do the float test again to check. If your starter is not ready again, do the same process above. Keep doing this process until your started passes the test. For whatever reason, your current starter is not working very well – the reasons could be numerous.
Once the starter passes the float test, you can continue keeping it at room temperature and feeding it daily, or you can keep the jar in the refrigerator and feed it every one to two weeks (you will see it separate and have a gray to gold liquid at the top – that’s ok, just mix it in and feed as directed).
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- Cecilia Peña says
Thank you so much for posting this article, it seems so easy to follow, i just prepared my very first sourdough starter, will be following your instruction to the tee. I’m hoping that in 5 days time i csn bake my very first sourdough bread. I will let you know how it all works out for me. Thank you very much.Reply
- Robyn says
So glad I found your post. My mom used to make sourdough biscuits with fried chicken strips and gravy when we were growing up. One of my favorites! I am going to try this. Im a novice baker and it sounds a lot simpler than recipes I’ve seen. I am curious as to what size container you store the starter in so it has room to develop without overflowing.
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- Jennifer says
Hi Robyn…thanks for stopping by! I use a two-quart glass jar with a hermetic clamp lid. I usually set it in a larger bowl just in case it seeps out of the top seal, which can be a huge mess without something underneath to catch it. Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
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- Jody says
I have mine in a 2 quart plastic container with snap lid but its oozing out on day 1 is that normal?
Reply
- Jennifer says
Yes, that’s normal and means it’s working! I usually put it in a container much larger than needed and sometimes I put a bowl or platter underneath it so that it will catch the mess if it happens to bubble over.
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- Jane Jonas-Irvine says
I’ve got your starter recipe and the pancake recipe, but I couldn’t find your sourdough bread recipe. Would you please direct me to where I can find it? I am looking forward to using it. Thank you.
Reply
- Jennifer says
Thanks for visiting my site and contacting me! Here’s a link to the bread recipe: https://jennifercooks.com/homemade-sourdough-bread/
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- Lorraine says
How do I share the starter with a friend for her to use?
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- Jennifer says
You can just scoop out a cup and put it in a plastic container or mason jar with lid.
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- Melini says
Love yourvrecipe. Mine doubled in size and was bubbling beautifully the first night. Tonight when I fed it (day 2) it has a wonderful sourdough smell. It makes me want to jump right in and make some bread.Reply
- Filiz says
Thank you with for your good explanation to feed the starter and how long we should leave it outside and put it back refrigerator. The bluish liquid always my starter has too that scared me i did something wrong but i feel relax and comfort about it. Thank you
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- Jada says
Hi im on day two and my mixture looks sort of separated. It seems there is water on top. Did i do something wrong?
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- Jennifer says
No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It will separate as it sits and sometimes the liquid will look dark gray. It’s ok…just stir it in well and you should be good to go!
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- Pam says
Hi! I just mixed everything together and put it in a large pickle jar with cheese cloth and a rubber band. The mixture was very thick and had some lumps. Is this ok? Thanks!
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- Jennifer says
Oh, yes that should be fine. I hope it works out for you!
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- Bob says
How much starter do you use for a loaf of bread?
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- Jennifer says
Hi Bob! The recipe for bread is here: https://jennifercooks.com/homemade-sourdough-bread/
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- Wendy says
This looks great! Would I be able to use it in a breadmaker?
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- Jennifer says
Absolutely! You can make the bread in your bread maker, just follow your bread maker instructions for assembly.
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- Lauren says
How do you know the starter is ready for baking? About how many days?
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- Jennifer says
Hi Lauren. Usually after about a week it will be ready. As long as it’s bubbling up when it’s fed, it should be good to use. As more time goes on it will develop a more sour depth of flavor.
Reply
it will be ready after about 1 week. I used mine on day 6 for the overnight process and it worked out great. Had raving reviews over my bread.
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- Jennifer says
Hi Haley! I’m so glad your starter is doing so well!
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- Deb L White says
I started reading through all the posts, then I got impatient and thought I’d just cut to the chase and ask you straight out. Once the starter is read for bread making, do you know if this is when I can put it in my bread maker? In other words, using your sourdough starter recipe and once its ready to make bread, do you have a recipe using a bread maker machine? Thanks!
DebReply
- Jennifer says
Hi Deb. I have never made it in a bread machine, but King Author Flour has the following recipe and method for using sourdough starter in a bread machine:
1-POUND LOAF
1 teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 2/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/3 cups ripe (fed) sourdough starter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 to 4 tablespoons lukewarm water, enough to make a soft doughINSTRUCTIONS
Place the ingredients into the pan of your machine, in the order suggested by the manufacturer; program for French Bread, or a similar long-rising cycle; and press start.Check the dough after about 10 minutes of kneading; add additional water or flour as necessary to make a smooth, soft dough.
Remove the bread from the machine when it’s done, and cool it on a rack.Reply
I have a question! What if I only bake sourdough bread once a week but I need to make more than one recipe? Does this recipe double in the fridge weekly? So say I made sourdough bread today, replenished with one cup water, one cup flour, let sit for 2 hours and then put in the fridge until next Sunday when I take it out, will there be enough starter for two of the sourdough bread recipes on Sunday next week? I have a weekly order of one loaf (at least) and there seems to be an interest in sourdough bread in my family and others that I might have more orders than one recipe would provide. Should I have 2 separate starters going? Because the instructions are saying to discard (or use) all but one cup before feeding again and putting back in the fridge after the 5 day initial process.Reply
- Jennifer says
Hi Haley! The 5-day process in the fridge is to keep you from having to feed it every day. I have had success leaving more than 1 cup in the jar and feeding it the same amount when I need more for additional recipes. You can leave it at room temperature on the counter and feed it daily if you want.
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- Rachel says
You don’t need yeast to start a starter. You need flour and water and it will make its own wild yeast.
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- Kiera says
Found your recipe and using it to start with for my daughter. She wanted to make sour dough starter as part of our homeschool program and this is great. We did day 1 today and she was so excited to see doubling already. Thank you again for a great post!
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- Jennifer says
Hi Kiera! That’s wonderful! I love to see kids learning in the kitchen!
Reply
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