It’s so easy to successfully make your own Sourdough Starter with the tips below.
Sourdough bread and other baked goods are gaining in popularity in the recent years, as many people step out of their comfort zone to try something new.
Jumping on the sourdough, bandwagon can be a bit intimidating.
You could buy a live sourdough starter kit, or get a sourdough starter from a friend with extra, but not everyone has these options.
The good news is that you can easily make your own sourdough starter.
What is Sourdough Starter?
Sourdough starter is intimidating because it is a live culture that needs to be treated with care much like you would a pet.
You even need to feed it regularly to keep it alive, unlike packets of yeast from your local grocery store that can be forgotten about for months and tossed into the freezer to last even longer.
If you’re the forgetful type, save yourself some stress and set alarms to remind you to take care of your sourdough starter, until it becomes a habit.
Sourdough Starter Jar
Before starting your homemade sourdough starter you will want to find a clear glass jar.
Any glass jar will work, but these ones are especially nice with the ability to measure the temperature and track growth easily.
Clean it well and find a breathable lid.
Fabric secured with rubber bands makes an excellent lid for your sourdough.
You’ll want a sharpie marker to help keep track of your sourdough growth, if you don’t have a jar that tracks sourdough growth for you.
To erase the sharpy marks you can use a dry erase marker for an easy trick to cleaning away the marks.
Some people like to use a rubberband around the jar to mark where your sourdough starter began.
Ingredients Needed
Starting your sourdough is easy.
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/4 cup water
While some recipes leave the sugar out or use another option like juice in place of the sugar this is the easiest way to get your sourdough starter.
The sugar will feed the bacteria and give you a quicker start to your sourdough starter.
Mix everything together to make a thick paste mixing in as much air as you can.
Cover with a breathable lid for the best results. Some fabric with a rubber band can do the job.
How to Store Sourdough Starter
Keep your sourdough starter in a warm space roughly 75-80 overnight.
On the second day check for bubbles to show if you have fermentation.
If you do not have any bubbles don’t worry they will come. Keep your jar in a warm place.
How to Feed Sourdough Starter
On day three you can begin to feed your sourdough starter.
This should be done each day to help it really thrive.
Mix 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup water in a glass bowl.
Remove half of your starter from the sourdough starter jar and set aside in another bowl to discard or use in one of the recipes below.
Add the new flour and water mixture to your sourdough starter to feed it and keep growing and fermenting.
Repeat this process each day.
When is your sourdough starter complete?
You can tell when your sourdough starter is complete and ready to use, when it has grown to twice its size.
Each feeding after bubbles have become strong, can be used to make another jar of starter to give away to a friend or start baking items.
The active starter will have a pleasant “sour” odor, not a rotting one.
Most starters will be ready in about a week, sometimes if your area is a bit cooler you will need to give it two weeks.
How to Store in the Fridge
You can store this in the refrigerator in between feedings and after each use,
Before adding to the fridge, leave at room temperature until it has had time to start fermenting after a fresh feeding.
Aim to feed your starter even if you are not baking at least once a week to help keep it alive and active.
Sourdough Starter Discard Recipes
All of the following sourdough recipes below use sourdough discard.
- Sourdough Apple Muffins – These sourdough apple muffins are packed with apples. They’re quick and easy, coming together in under 30 minutes.
- Sourdough Crackers – These tangy sourdough crackers are the perfect easy way to use up sourdough discard. They are super simple and super tasty!
- Sourdough Chocolate Brownie Cookies – These sourdough discard cookies are incredibly soft, filled with chocolate, and perfectly balanced with flaky sea salt.
- Sourdough Banana Bread – This sourdough banana bread recipe is the perfect way to use up bananas and sourdough discard. It is perfectly sweet and moist.
- Sourdough English Muffins – These Sourdough English Muffins are easy to make and the perfect way to use up your sourdough discard!
- Sourdough Tortillas – They are super soft, puffy and delicious.
- Sourdough Onion Rings – Make the crispiest, crunchiest, tastiest onion rings you’ve ever had, with the perfect amount of coating, by using sourdough starter discard!
- Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins – These Lemon poppy seed muffins are soft, moist, and a bit tangy.
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies – deliciously chewy (not cakey) chocolate chip cookies.
- Sourdough Pie Crust – Extra flaky pie crust that can be used for quiches, fruit or custard pies, galettes, or hand pies.
- Sourdough Toasted Almond Biscotti – The classic flavors of an almond biscotti but made with a sourdough discard.
- Sourdough Granola – The sourdough granola is crunchy, nutty, a little sweet, and full of clusters.