Sourdough Starter Recipe with Bread Flour Recipe

Ingredients

Initial Mixture

• 120 grams whole grain flour (whole wheat flour, rye flour, or freshly milled flour)
• 120 grams filtered water

Feedings

• 120 grams Organic White Bread Flour (Shepherd's Grain or Bob's Red Mill recommended)
• 120 grams filtered water

Instructions

Day 1: Create the Starter

1. In a wide-mouth quart jar, crock, or glass measuring cup, mix 1 cup (120 grams) whole grain flour with 1/2 cup (120 grams) filtered water using a fork, making sure you've incorporated all the dry flour.
2. The mixture should feel like thick peanut butter. If needed, add a little more water to incorporate the flour, but be precise with measurements.
3. Place the lid on top (loosely) or cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap to keep moisture in.
4. Let sit at room temperature (70-80 degrees F) on the kitchen counter for 24-48 hours, or until you see some bubbling.
5. After the first 24 hours, you may or may not see bubbling. Prefer to let this rest until you see a tiny bit of activity (bubbles)—this sometimes takes 36 or up to 48 hours.

Day 2-3: First Feedings

1. Once you see a little bit of bubbling, start 'day 2.' Discard all but 1/2 cup (136 grams) of the starter.
2. Add to the remainder: 1 cup of white bread flour (120 grams, spooned and leveled) and 1/2 cup filtered water (120 grams), mixing well with a fork.
3. Place the lid on loosely and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature (70-80F) for another 24 hours.
4. By the third day, you should definitely see some bubbling. If not, let it go a bit longer.

Day 3-5: Establish Feeding Schedule

1. Depending on how warm your house is and how active your starter, you may need to begin feeding more often, or even move to two feedings a day roughly 12 hours apart.
2. Feed the starter only after it has peaked (metabolized all the flour) and has started sinking down or gets liquidy—this is when it is hungry! This might be 12, 14, 18, or 24 hours depending on temperature.
3. For each feeding, discard all but 1/2 cup of the starter (keeping roughly 1/2-cup in the jar, about 4 ounces or 136 grams).
4. Add 1 cup Bread Flour (spooned and leveled) and 1/2 cup water to the 1/2 cup starter. Let this rest at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until the starter looks 'hungry' again.
5. It is better to underfeed rather than overfeed. Put the starter in a clean jar and mark the beginning level with a sharpie, string, or rubber band so you can easily see rising and falling.
6. If the starter is still rising at the time of second feeding (at night) with no evidence it has fallen, it is still 'eating'—skip this feeding and feed first thing in the morning.

Day 5-6: Final Feedings

1. Feed 1-2 times, discarding all but 1/2 cup of starter EACH TIME. Feed 1 cup bread flour and 1/2 cup water.
2. Look for hunger signs—rising and falling. Repeat feeding 1-2 times, roughly 12 hours apart, or when hungry, discarding all but 1/2 cup the starter EACH TIME. Use 1 cup bread flour and 1/2 cup lukewarm water.
3. The starter should look active, bubbling, rising, sliding down, and hopefully close to doubling in size.
4. If not doubling, repeat this day until starter doubles in size within 8-12 hours of feeding, and read the troubleshooting section.

Day 6: Float Test & Ready to Use

1. Give it one last feeding. Discard all but 1/3 cup. Add 1 cup flour (120 grams) and 1/2 cup water, and place it in a clean jar.
2. You can use a sharpie or place a rubber band around the jar to mark the beginning level. The starter should hopefully double in volume within 6 hours of feeding.
3. When it peaks, DO THE FLOAT TEST: Place a teaspoon of starter (just from the top while it is peaking—don't stir it down) in a glass full of water. It should hopefully float.
4. If it floats, you can make sourdough bread tonight! Let the starter keep resting at room temperature for a few more hours, allowing it to fully metabolize the flour, perhaps sinking a little, before making your dough. You want to make dough with a slightly hungry starter.
5. Place the remaining starter in the fridge and feed it in a week. You'll have enough starter to make one more sourdough loaf during the week and still have enough to feed.

Troubleshooting

1. If your starter does not double in size, don't give up! Often it just takes longer, sometimes up to two weeks, especially if it's cold.
2. Continue feeding one-two times a day (only when hungry) for a few more days, until you see a visible rise and fall. Read the troubleshooting section for more guidance.
3. If you need to take a break, just put it in the fridge and try it again up to a week later. Don't toss it—if there are bubbles, it is still alive.

Notes

• For your first measuring, weigh the flour using a kitchen scale to understand how thick the mixture should feel
• Temperature is critical to the process—maintain 70-80 degrees F. Use a kitchen thermometer to check periodically
• This batch of starter will make two loaves of bread with enough left over to feed for the following week
• Better to underfeed than overfeed—overfeeding dilutes the growing yeast and makes it lethargic
• Mark the jar with the beginning level using a sharpie, string, or rubber band to easily see rising and falling
• Once established, store in the fridge and feed once per week if not actively baking