Description
A simple, foolproof guide to creating a wild yeast sourdough starter using just flour and water. This beginner-friendly method requires no fancy equipment and builds a robust culture in about 7 days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 100g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (approx. ¾ cup + 1 tbsp)
- 100g Filtered Water (room temperature, approx. ⅔ cup + 2 tbsp)
- 10g Whole Wheat or Rye Flour (optional, for feeding after Day 1)
Instructions
- Day 1 Morning: In a clean 16-ounce glass jar, combine 50g all-purpose flour and 50g room-temperature water. Stir vigorously until it resembles thick pancake batter with some lumps.
- Day 1 Evening: Discard half of the mixture (approx. 50g). Add 50g flour and 50g water. Stir well, cover loosely with a lid or coffee filter, and let sit.
- Days 2-4: Twice daily (morning and evening), discard half of the starter. Feed with 50g flour and 50g water. Stir and cover loosely.
- Day 5 Morning: Discard half. Feed with 50g all-purpose flour, 10g whole wheat flour, and 50g water. Stir and cover.
- Day 5 Evening: Discard half. Feed with 50g all-purpose flour and 50g water. Stir and cover.
- Days 6-7: Continue the twice-daily routine of discarding half and feeding with 50g flour and 50g water.
- Day 7 Test: After feeding, wait 4-6 hours. Perform the float test by dropping a spoonful of starter into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, it is ready.
- Maintenance: Once active, feed daily at room temperature or store in the fridge and feed weekly.
Notes
Use filtered water if tap water tastes like chlorine. Keep the starter in a warm spot (75-80°F) for faster activity. If mold appears (fuzzy green/pink/black), discard and start over. Hooch (dark liquid) is normal and indicates hunger; stir it in or pour it off before feeding.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Baking Basics
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 100g of starter
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
Keywords: sourdough starter, beginner sourdough, wild yeast, homemade bread, baking basics, gluten-free starter alternative