Sourdough Starter 101 Guide
Hello and happy Tuesday!
A few weeks ago I promised to release a sourdough starter 101 guide to all my readers and I’m here to deliver on that promise today!
If you’re looking for a simple sourdough starter guide you have come to the right place.
We like to keep it simple around here and try not to overcomplicate things, because who has time for that?!
In this guide you’ll learn the basics of starting your OWN sourdough starter! I’ll be releasing more sourdough recipes as the weeks go by, so once your sourdough starter is mature enough to use, you’ll be whipping up amazing recipes to nourish your body and soul.
I’m so excited to be able to share all my knowledge with you about sourdough and share all my tried and true tips and tricks to make sure your newfound sourdough journey is one you’ll be able to hand down as the years go by.
This whole process is going to take you about 7 days, although I would opt to continue feeding and discarding until day 14. At that point your starter should be happy enough to use in all the recipes.
So let’s get started!
Day 1:
Did you know sourdough is a living organism?
The same way you take care of your plants is the same way you have to care for a sourdough starter. You feed it, you water it and you talk to it-ok maybe that’s just me.
Sourdough consists of wild yeast, so instead of using a commercial yeast you can craft recipes that use this little jar of gut friendly goodness over a bag of store bought yeast!
If you’re ready to start your sourdough journey, this whole sourdough series is for YOU!
Grab your flour (I use an organic unbleached flour), filtered water, a jar (mason jars are my favorite), a lid (sourdough has to ‘breathe’) so I opt for a metal lid covered with cheesecloth, measuring cups, and a silicone spoon to stir it with.
Instructions:
Measure out 1/2 cup of flour and pour into the jar.
Then measure out 1/2 cup of water and pour that into the jar as well.
Stir to combine.
Tell it it’s pretty and you want it to do good things.
Cover it with the lid and cheese cloth.
Say a quick prayer.
Set it on the counter to rest until tomorrow.
See day 1 video here!
Day 2:
Today things get more crazy-well not really but you’re going to have to really pay attention today!
Do you see bubbles? Yes! Such a good thing. Let’s keep going!
Discard half your starter, throw it away because at this point your discard is of no use to you until you have a more active starter.
You’ll need:
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of water-maybe a touch extra
And wait for it….a dash of honey!
Why honey? Good question! I use honey in my sourdough starters because they feed the wild yeast that is in a sourdough starter. Plus I don’t love sour sourdough (you can laugh it’s fine) so I like to feed my sourdough starter with a dash of honey (let’s say about a tablespoon) a week to keep it a sweeter sourdough. Honey can also increase the lactic acid inside a sourdough starter as well as fuel the growth of all the good bacteria inside your starter. If you use honey opt for a local, raw honey!
Once you have discarded, feed your starter 1/2 cup of flour (organic is a good option), 1/4 cup of filtered water (you might have to add a touch more water to get a pancake like consistency), and a dash of honey.
Stir it all together.
Tell it that it’s doing a great job.
Say a little prayer.
Put the lid it, set it on your counter, and check back tomorrow!
That’s it! That’s day two! See day 2 video here!
Day 3:
Happy day 3 of your new sourdough starter!
At this point you should start to see more bubbles forming and your starter should be rising a bit now-how exciting!
You still are going to want to throw away the discard at this point because just like yesterday the discard that you currently have is not of use to you until you have a more active and healthy starter.
So let’s get going!
Today we’re going to switch our jars in case you have a messy jar like I do, but that the most complicated step for today.
Directions:
Discard half your starter (throw it away).
If you are changing your jar like I needed to, pour in the remainder of your starter into your new jar and set the old one aside.
Add half a cup of flour (I use organic AP flour).
Pour in half a cup of filtered water.
Stir really good to combine.
Put the lid one.
Tell it that it’s doing a great job.
Say a little prayer it continues to rise.
Set it aside on your kitchen counter till tomorrow!
So that’s it!
Day 3 through day 7 look really similar, but as the rest of the week goes on we should start seeing more bubbles and the rise time should get quicker and more efficient as it becomes a truly active and healthy starter!
You can see day 3 video here!
Day 4:
If you’ve been following along so far your new baby starter should continue to be bubbling and rising a bit! You’re so close to having an active and healthy starter.
I noticed yesterday that 1/2 cup of water (atleast for my new baby starter) was a tad too much, so you will notice I only add 1/4 cup of water today to mine. If you feel like you need more water, feel free to adjust your starter to your specific water needs.
What you’ll need:
Your jar of sourdough starter
An empty bowl
A 1/4 cup measuring cup
Filtered water
Organic AP flour
Silicone spatula
Directions:
Discard about a half of your starter-still throw this discard away. It’s not ready to be used to discard recipes until it is more active and healthy.
Scrape down the sides of your jar and add 1/2 cup of organic AP flour and 1/4 cup of water. If you feel like your starter needs more than 1/4 cup of water feel free to slowly add more until you reach a pancake like batter consistency.
Tell it that it’s doing a good job.
Put the lid on.
Say a little prayer it continues to produce bubbles and rises.
Set it aside until tomorrow where we will be on day 5 already!
See day 4 video here!
Day 5:
Day 5 is here and this is your reminder to go feed your sourdough starter!
At this point your starter should be smelling a bit tangy and producing more bubbles and even rising beautifully.
When you are discarding, still throw it away but soon you’ll be able to to keep your discard for all the amazing discard recipes you’ll find in the near future (I’m planning on posting some for you to read through and use!)
Discard half your starter.
Feed 1/2 cup of flour (I use an organic AP flour) & 1/4 cup of filtered water.
Adjust water as you see fit. You may need a touch more if your sourdough still has streaks of flour in it.
Tell it that it’s doing a good job.
Put the lid on.
Say a little prayer it continues to rise.
Set it aside until tomorrow where we’re doing day 6!
Let me know if any questions pop up! You can see day 5 post here!
Day 6:
Same protocol as the previous days BUT I’m changing my jar again (messy sourdough starter jars are my jam apparently) and I’m adding less water than flour!
Sourdough rules are plentiful-one person will tell you one thing and another person will tell you another. In the end I really do think it’s personal preference when it comes to sourdough-and honestly rules in this crazy life are meant to be broken anyways.
Directions:
Discard about half of your starter.
Add 1/2 cup of organic AP flour.
Add 1/4 cup, maybe a tad extra of water. Use your judgement here.
You want your sourdough starter to look like a thick pancake batter!
Stir it up.
Tell it that it’s doing a good job.
Put the lid on.
Say a little prayer.
Put it aside until tomorrow!
Tomorrow is our last day doing this crazy new starter routine. For me I’ll continue this discard feed ratio for atleast the next 2 weeks until my new starter becomes stronger and healthier. After tomorrow I’ll continue to throw away my discard until I feel the smell and texture is where I want it. I’ve been baking with sourdough for almost two years now-so I know what to look for when it comes to a healthy starter.
If you have any questions let me know! Even if you’re looking at this weeks, months, or years down the line reach out to me and I’ll try to help in any way I can!
You can view day 6 video here!
Day 7:
Happy Day 7 of your new sourdough starter!
Same protocol today!
Discard half your starter.
Feed 1/2 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of water (maybe a tad more).
Stir together really well.
Tell it that it’s doing a good job.
Put the lid on.
Say a little prayer.
Put it aside until tomorrow.
At this point your starter should be doubling in size and have substantial bubbles in it.
I think I should say congratulations to you!!!! Your starter should now be an active starter and you should be able to use it for recipes from here on out. I would continue to discard and feed for at least the next week to make sure it continues to rise properly before using in any recipes but if you are eager to get started and your starter is rising, bubbly, and smells happy then go on and use it.
If you’re keeping your starter on the counter don’t forget to discard and feed every single day. If you decide to keep it in the fridge make sure you are feeding at least once a week and checking on it occasionally throughout the week as well.
You can view day 7 video here!
So there you have it-by the time you get to the end here you should be ready to make all the amazing goodies I have posted here on Blooming Through Motherhood. If you have any questions feel free to reach out or connect via social media on IG. It’s such a passion of mine to help others create nourishing food for themselves and their families, so thank YOU for letting me be apart of your journey to creating a sourdough starter made special for your family!
Happy sourdough baking my fellow sourdough baker!