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Sourdough Starter

See how to make sourdough starter for your homemade baked goods. See more

Sourdough Starter

Read Reviews (133)

"Make your starter in a glass container and store in the refrigerator after fermentation has occurred." — Esther Nelson

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Sourdough Starter

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Measuring All-Purpose Flour

Original recipe makes 3 cups Change Servings

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water

2 cups all-purpose flour

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Directions

In large non-metallic bowl, mix together dry yeast, 2 cups warm water, and 2 cups all purpose flour and cover loosely.
Leave in a warm place to ferment, 4 to 8 days. Depending on temperature and humidity of kitchen, times may vary. Place on cookie sheet in case of overflow. Check on occasionally.
When mixture is bubbly and has a pleasant sour smell, it is ready to use. If mixture has a pink, orange, or any other strange color tinge to it, THROW IT OUT! and start over. Keep it in the refrigerator, covered until ready to bake.
When you use starter to bake, always replace with equal amounts of a flour and water mixture with a pinch of sugar. So, if you remove 1 cup starter, replace with 1 cup water and 1 cup flour. Mix well and leave out on the counter until bubbly again, then refrigerate. If a clear to light brown liquid has accumulated on top, don't worry, this is an alcohol base liquid that occurs with fermentation. Just stir this back into the starter, the alcohol bakes off and that wonderful sourdough flavor remains! Sourdough starters improve with age, they used to be passed down generation to generation!
Use this starter to make the Sourdough Chocolate Cranberry Cake, and the Sourdough Chocolate Cake.

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This was my first successful sourdough starter! I made this on Friday, kept it in the oven with just the oven light on, and that made a nice warm little womb for this starter! :-) Today, day 5, I used 1.5c to make "San Francisco Sourdough Bread" from this website, and replaced what I took out with 1.5c flour & 1.5c water. The bread turned out great and had a definite sourdough taste, even on the first use, so I can't wait 'til it ages a little more for more of that great flavor. Thank you so much, Esther!

—LADYJAYPEE

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 21, 2011

I may be back to edit this review but for now I have to criticize it for not telling me to feed it daily once I start with 1/4 flour and warm water. It's been in my oven with the light on for 4 days. I figured there must be a problem since it was not rising. I opened the reviews and see that this step was missing. FEED IT...anyway I threw it out and started again. Hopefully I will have better results

—WahiniSuzi

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152 Ratings

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Oct 14, 2003

I wish I would have known I needed to "feed" the starter. My first loaf came out like a brick. I have since given the starter a pinch of suger and it seems to have livened up and is ready for the next go-round.

—MRSKJS

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Mar 24, 2007

I let mine sit out for 4 days before transferring it to a mason jar and storing in the fridge. WARNING: Don't put an air tight lid on. If you are using a mason jar, just lightly close the lid allowing some air in. Otherwise you may have a problem! The starter is fermenting and has a tendency to "grow". Make sure there is some room at the top of the jar for this.

—Valerie's Kitchen

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Mar 30, 2006

This starter has been working out really well for me. I used this basic recipe but fed the starter twice a day for a week with 1/3 warm cup water and 1/3 cup flour. Right before I put it in the fridge I added a pinch of sugar and more flour/water. The 4 stars is because the results are much better if you feed it. I made San Francisco Sourdough Bread by Donna on this website.

—Diyeana

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Apr 03, 2008

I absolutely love sourdough bread but was never sure about the whole starter thing... finally I gave in and did some research. I found a website that went on and on about how 'starter newbys' fail repeatedly, the difficulties of starting starter, etc.... obviously they didn't try this recipe! I've kept mine alive for 2 weeks now and made my first loaf of sourdough. Not too sour yet but rose to gargantuan proportions! I feed mine 1/4 c of flour, 1/4 c of water every day. It always has a nice layer of brown fermentation on top. Just mix it in, it's apparently normal!

—KC192

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Jun 21, 2003

Very good and easy even for me. I've never made a sourdough starter. I kept feeding it (eery day) for 4 days before I made my first loaves (rounds) of San Francisco Sourdough bread. My family ate one up in about 10 minutes! I had enough starter to give away to two more people and mine went in the fridge to 'sleep'. I love it. It's like a pet you need to feed and take care of.

—Flashsmith

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Feb 15, 2008

This starter is very forgiving! I was worried my home wasnt warm enough for fermentation since it is a cold winter here but it did ok! I put it in the oven with the lioght on for 7 days...feeding 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup flour every day. I used it to make San Francisco Sourdough on this site and it was a hit!!! It had a great sour taste so i am sure it will only get better. I even gave some starter to my mom!! This makes a lot!

—Nikkohli

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Nutrition

Calories
62 kcal
3%

Carbohydrates
12.9 g
4%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
0.2 g
< 1%

Fiber
0.5 g
2%

Protein
1.9 g
4%

Sodium
2 mg
< 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Sourdough Starter

Serving Size: 1/15 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 15
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 62
Calories from Fat: 2

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.2g < 1 %
Saturated Fat 0g < 1 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 2mg < 1 %
Potassium 27mg < 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 12.9g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 0.5g 2 %
Protein 1.9g 4 %
Sugars 0g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium < 1 %
Iron 9 %
Thiamin 14 %
Niacin 12 %
Vitamin B6 < 1 %
Magnesium 2 %
Folate 23 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.