How to Make a Sourdough Starter

Today I will show you how simple it is to make your very own sourdough starter with only TWO ingredients! It couldn’t be easier.

Did you experience the yeast shortage of 2020? Everybody decided that they were going to use their valuable time at home, and finally learn to bake the perfect loaf of bread…Problem was, it created a yeast shortage that is STILL being felt in some areas. I am happy to tell you that you do NOT need yeast to create a delicious loaf of bread. All you need is flour, water, and some yeast that your new little creation will catch in the air.

I created my first sourdough starter in 2014. I vividly remember being so excited that I was catching wild yeast in the air while other adults my age were running around catching virtual monsters with their phone. Anybody else remember that craze?

I did not name this first starter. Perhaps I didn’t fully appreciate all of it’s magical uses, either. I made it with rye flour, and it did not result in what I had imagined. I marked it off the list as a fail, and moved on.

A few years later, I decided to give it a go again. I had great success. I LOVED using my started for a plethora of things. From breakfast to the dinner, sourdough is SO versatile.

While I was pregnant, my sweet, sweet husband decided to clean out the refrigerator for me, and wouldn’t you know it, he threw my beloved sourdough starter out. He thought something had gone terribly wrong in that glass jar. Bless his little heart.

Soon after I created my third, and current starter, Dolly. She has helped me make dinner in a pinch, put delicious rolls on the table at Easter, and made breakfast many, many mornings. I feel like she has unlimited possibilities…and she is just two simple ingredients.

Sourdough Starter

This is the method that I used to make Dolly the thriving kitchen helper that she is today. There are SO many different opinions, and thoughts on creating the perfect starter.

What you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water
• glass jar
• wooden spoon, try not to use anything metal when working with your starter
• cloth or lid to loosely cover jar

The Process:

• Day One– This is the day you make your starter. Mix the 1/2 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup of water together until it resembles a beige paste. It will be very wet, and sticky. It will almost resemble pancake batter. Cover loosely with a light towel (I use a flour sack towel), and let sit. Now is when the fun begins. You can start seeing bubbles in as little as 12 hours! Try to keep it in an area of the house that stays warm. A cool room can slow the action of the wild yeast down.
• Day Two– Twenty four hours after you created your starter, lift the towel, and check for bubbles. If you see any, you can go ahead and give it “it’s” first feeding. Simply add 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. Give it a good stir. If you don’t see bubbles, don’t lose heart. Stir it, cover it back over, and wait until tomorrow! Let it sit for 24 hours.
• Day Three– Check for bubbles again. If you do see bubbles, remove half of the mixture (this is called discard. You can save it and use it for so many things. You can even use it to create a new starter to give to someone else.) and feed with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Stir it thoroughly to get it all incorporated. Let sit another 24 hours.
• Day Four, Five and Six– you can feed your starter twice a day at this point with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Continue discarding half and feeding until your starter is consistently bubbly and doubling it’s size within about 8 hours of feeding.

After you’ve achieved a consistently bubbly doubling starter, you can bake bread! It is really that simple.

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Sourdough Starter

Equipment

• glass jar
• wooden spoon, try not to use anything metal when working with your starter
• cloth or lid to loosely cover jar

Materials

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Day One- This is the day you make your starter. Mix the 1/2 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup of water together until it resembles a beige paste. It will be very wet, and sticky. It will almost resemble pancake batter. Cover loosely with a light towel (I use a flour sack towel), and let sit. Now is when the fun begins. You can start seeing bubbles in as little as 12 hours! Try to keep it in an area of the house that stays warm. A cool room can slow the action of the wild yeast down.
• Day Two- Twenty four hours after you created your starter, lift the towel, and check for bubbles. If you see any, you can go ahead and give it “it’s” first feeding. Simply add 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. Give it a good stir. If you don’t see bubbles, don’t lose heart. Stir it, cover it back over, and wait until tomorrow! Let it sit for 24 hours.
• Day Three- Check for bubbles again. If you do see bubbles, remove half of the mixture (this is called discard. You can save it and use it for so many things. You can even use it to create a new starter to give to someone else.) and feed with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Stir it thoroughly to get it all incorporated. Let sit another 24 hours.
• Day Four, Five and Six- you can feed your starter twice a day at this point with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Continue discarding half and feeding until

How to store your sourdough starter

Once your starter is active and strong, you can store it in the refrigerator and feed it about once a week. When you plan to use the starter you’ll want to pull it out of the fridge about 24 hours in advance. Feed it, and allow it to warm up and grow.

The good thing about sourdough starters is they get better with age. You don’t have to use it right away. They will last quite a long time. There are a few things to watch out for though, and just like anything they can go bad. If your starter ever turns pink, red, moldy or smells really bad, throw it out…After all, they’re very easy to make, and you’re basically an expert now. 😉

Does it matter what kind of flour I use?

The answer is, no! All grain based flour works well. I personally use unbleached organic white flour for mine. I know several who use einkorn, whole wheat, rye, or a variation of those. I’m pretty confident that you can have success with any flour you choose!

What do I do with all this discard?

There are SO many really great recipes for using up your discard started. Our favorite is discard crackers. You can find the recipe here:How to Make Simple Sourdough Discard Crackers

iamhomesteader.com has some REALLY great recipes and ideas.

• How to Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• How to Make Sourdough Pancakes
• How to Make Sourdough Engish Muffins

I’d love to know if you make your own starter! I can’t wait to hear from you. As always, thanks for spending a tiny part of our day with me!

Here’s an image to pin for later…