Starting your own sourdough starter from scratch is one of the most rewarding baking projects you can try. With just flour, water, and a little patience, you’ll cultivate a living culture that brings incredible flavor and texture to every loaf you bake. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned baker looking to go back to the basics, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, help you troubleshoot common challenges, and get you on your way to creating your very own bubbly, tangy starter.
Sourdough Starter FAQ: Troubleshooting Common Questions
How long does it take for a starter to be ready?
Most starters become bubbly and active within 5–10 days, but this process can be different for everyone. Patience is key—every environment is different, so give your starter time to develop its natural yeast and bacteria. Keep your starter warm and feed it daily and eventually it will be ready to bake with. I usually recommend waiting until day 14 or later before baking a loaf of bread with your new starter.
What kind of flour should I start with?
Whole grain flours like whole wheat or rye work best to kickstart your starter because they’re full of natural yeast and nutrients. Once it’s active, you can switch to all-purpose flour if you prefer. The key is to pick a good-quality, unbleached flour so your starter can thrive from the beginning.
Do I need to use filtered or bottled water?
Filtered or dechlorinated water is ideal because chlorine can slow down or even stop fermentation. I recommend using filtered or bottled water when you are first making your sourdough starter. Then once it’s established and consistently doubling in size after a feeding, you can switch over to tap water if you want. If your tap water tastes fine and doesn’t have a strong smell, it usually works just fine. If your starter starts acting sluggish and isn’t rising well, that might be a sign that it doesn’t like your tap water and you need to switch back to filtered water.
How much should I feed it every day?
A simple rule of thumb is to feed your starter equal parts (by weight) flour and water. You’ll discard about half each day before feeding to keep the yeast population balanced and prevent overflow. The exact amount you discard isn’t critical—as long as you’re consistent with your feedings and ratios, your starter will adapt and grow stronger.
Once your starter is established, I love to feed at a 1:5:5 ratio. That promotes a strong & healthy starter, but limits the number of times I have to feed my starter every day.
Why isn’t anything happening … it’s been three days.
Don’t worry if your starter looks lifeless for the first couple of days—it’s completely normal. Wild yeast takes time to wake up and start fermenting. Keep feeding on schedule, and you’ll usually see bubbles or a light rise around day 3–4. Temperature and flour choice both play a big role in how quickly it comes to life.
Is it normal for my starter to smell weird?
Yes! In the beginning, it can smell a little funky—cheesy, sour, or even like nail polish remover. These smells are part of the natural bacterial balance that happens early on. As your starter matures, those off smells will fade, and it will start to smell pleasantly tangy, like yogurt or mild vinegar. Some even describe it as a sweet, yeasty smell.
How do I know when my starter is ready to bake with?
A ready starter is bubbly, airy, and doubles in size consistently after a feeding. It should smell pleasantly sour and pass the “float test” (a small spoonful floats in water). If it’s still sluggish or inconsistent, give it a few more days of regular feeding—it’s better to wait than to bake with a weak starter.
The float test is a popular way to check if your starter is ready to bake, but it’s not foolproof. And honestly, it’s kind of a controversial topic among sourdough bakers. Some bakers swear by it, while others skip it entirely because a starter’s ability to float can depend on its hydration level, how recently it was fed, or even how much air is trapped inside. A thick or slightly underfed starter might still bake beautiful bread, even if it sinks—so it’s best to use the float test alongside other signs like smell, rise, and bubbles.
What should my starter look like each day?
Early on, it might look thick, pasty, and a little dull—but each day it should slowly get lighter, looser, and more bubbly. By the end of the first week, it should be doubling in size after each feeding and have a sponge-like texture full of bubbles. Remember, every starter is unique, so trust the process more than the exact look.
Below this FAQ section is a visual look at making a starter from day 1 to day 10.
Can I keep it in the fridge while I’m still building it?
Not yet—your starter needs warmth and regular feedings to build strength in its first month. The fridge slows everything down, which can stall its development. Once it’s mature and reliably active, you can refrigerate it between bakes to make maintenance easier. If at all possible, try to keep it out of your fridge for the first month.
It rose once and now it’s flat again – did I kill it?
Nope, that’s completely normal! Many starters show early bubbles around day 2 or 3, then seem to die off. What’s really happening is that the first bacteria are dying out while the good yeasts and lactic acid bacteria begin to take over. Keep feeding on schedule—your starter will bounce back stronger within a few days.
What temperature should I keep my starter at?
Starters love a cozy environment around 75-80°F. If your kitchen runs cooler, try keeping it near a warm appliance or in a turned-off oven with the light on. A slightly warmer space helps fermentation happen faster, while cooler temperatures just mean your starter may take a little longer to see activity and for your starter to mature.
Supplies
- Two Jars – these Weck jars are my absolute favorite jars to use for my sourdough, but any glass jar will work. In this tutorial I’m just using a pint mason jar. It’s a great size, but the narrow mouth makes stirring more difficult. That’s why I love the Weck jars so much. Having two jars is nice because then you can feed into a clean jar each time and not have to transfer to a new container, wash your jar and then move it into the jar.
- Digital Kitchen Scale – We measure everything by weight, not by volume. You’ll want a kitchen scale and this one is a really great, inexpensive scale.
- Filtered water – if your tap water has chlorine in it, you’ll want to use filtered water. Chlorine can slow down, or even stop fermentation, so using filtered water is a great way to get your starter going. Once it’s established, you can switch over to tap water without any problem.
- Rye Flour (or any whole grain flour) – whole grain flours are kind of like super foods for your sourdough starter. Using Rye flour will help jumpstart your sourdough starter. You can make a start without rye flour, but the process will be much slower. It’s worth the money to buy a small bag of flour.
- All Purpose Flour (or bread flour) – I recommend using an unbleached flour if you can find one.
Temperature is Important
Below you’ll see a photo guide of how to make your own sourdough starter. I’ll label everything day-by-day so you can get a rough idea of how this process might look for you. But before you start, just remember that every starter is going to act differently. You may find that your starter activated faster than mine did. Or you may find that your starter takes even longer than mine did.
But one thing to always remember … temperature is important. Fermentation happens best in that 75-80°F temperature range. So, if you’re trying to make a starter in the fall/winter months, you may need to get creative to keep your starter warm.
A lot of people say to keep your starter in the oven with the light on. And while that is a warm place to keep a starter, I know way too many people who turn on the oven to preheat for baking and forget their starter is in there. And it’s really upsetting to realize you’ve cooked your starter.
My favorite place to keep my sourdough starter is in the microwave. I take a microwave-safe cup or bowl and fill it 2/3 with water. Warm it up in the microwave for 5 minutes and then place your starter in the microwave next to the hot water. It’s like a proofing box, but without spending any money.
Make a Sourdough Starter: A Day by Day Look
Making a sourdough starter from scratch really isn’t that difficult, but it does take time, patience and consistency. Below is a day-by-day look at the process. Just know that every sourdough starter is different and the process will look a little different every single time. This is a look at my most recent attempt at making a sourdough starter. I started this process in the middle of October when it was warm and then a cold front came in and really slowed down the fermentation.
Day 1: You’re going to gather together your supplies
- Clean jar
- Digital scale
- Filtered water
- Rye (or whole wheat) flour
- All purpose (or bread) flour – unbleached is best
In a clean jar you’re going to mix together 50 grams filtered water, 25 grams bread flour (or all purpose flour) and 25 grams of rye flour. Stir well until everything is combined and there are no dry bits of flour anywhere. Mark your jar so you can see any growth and place it somewhere warm. Check back on your starter in 24 hours.
Day 2: You may notice there are starting to be some scattered bubbles – that tells you that fermentation is starting. If you have a lot of activity, you can skip ahead to “day 3” and do your first feeding. My starter had a couple of bubbles, but not much activity, so I decided to leave it for another 24 hours and not feed it yet.
Day 3: Look at that activity that’s starting. Fermentation is definitely getting started, so it’s time for our first feeding.
But first, an important note. It’s really, really, REALLY important that you feed your starter in a clean jar every single time right now. Your starter is just getting going, so it’s really susceptible to bacteria and can get moldy really easily. It’s always best practices to feed into a clean jar, but sometimes we break that rule. But not right now. Right now you are using a clean jar every single time.
In a clean jar:
- 50 grams sourdough starter
- 60 grams filtered water
- 30 grams of rye flour
- 30 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir everything up really well so there are no dry bits of flour at the bottom. Mark your jar and place it somewhere warm. Come back to check on it in 24 hours.
The starter that is left in your original jar is now discard. But, it just goes right to the garbage. It’s not safe to bake with this discard yet. Just throw it away for now … there will be plenty of time ahead for you to make delicious discard recipes.
Day 4: Somewhere between day 4 and 7 you may notice a sudden burst of activity. Your starter suddenly looks super bubbly and alive — and you start thinking, “Wow, I did it!” But don’t get too excited just yet.
What’s really happening is a group of early bacteria (called Leuconostoc) are having their moment. They make a ton of gas and bubbles, but they’re not the ones we actually want running the show long-term. Once the starter gets a little more acidic, those early bacteria fade out and the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria — the real sourdough dream team — move in. So if your starter goes quiet after that first burst, don’t toss it! It’s just doing what it’s supposed to do.
In a clean jar:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 25 grams of rye flour
- 25 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour. Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day. Make sure you throw away your discard.
Day 5: Just as suspected, there was less activity in my sourdough starter today than there was yester. But we’re not going to panic. Just feed and keep trusting the process.
In a clean jar:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 25 grams of rye flour
- 25 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour. Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day. Make sure you throw away your discard.
Day 6: Not a lot happening again today with my starter. You may notice you have a lot of activity in your starter. Or maybe your starter is a little sluggish like mine. Just keep feeding. It will start doubling and get active soon.
In a clean jar:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 25 grams of rye flour
- 25 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour. Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day. Make sure you throw away your discard.
Day 7: I realized today what my problem was. A cold front came through and my house is much colder the last couple days than it was in the beginning. I took the temperature of my sourdough starter and it was only 68F … which is way too cold for fermentation. So, I’m going to feed my starter and get it warmed up and see if that makes a difference.
In a clean jar:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 25 grams of rye flour
- 25 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour. Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day. Make sure you throw away your discard.
Some of my favorite ways to warm up my sourdough starter:
- Use warm water
- Set it on a warming mat
- Put it somewhere warm – on top of the refrigerator is usually a warm spot
- Make your own proofing box – this is what I did.
I don’t have a fancy proofing box. But I figured out a way to DIY my own. It costs nothing and it works great.
Fill a microwave safe cup or bowl 2/3 of the way full with water. Microwave for 4-5 minutes so the water gets hot and so does the microwave. Then set your sourdough starter in the microwave next to the hot water. Close the door and you’ve got a DIY proofing box. Check on it every couple of hours. If it feels cool, you may need to rewarm the water. Just make sure you don’t microwave your starter.
Day 8: Warming it up did the trick! I also noticed that my starter doubled within 12 hours of feeding, so that tells me it’s time to start feeding twice a day. Try to pick a time that works for your schedule and feed every 12 hours (or as close to 12 hours as you can). Starters really love consistency. I usually do 8 am and 8 pm.
In a clean jar every 12 hours:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 25 grams of rye flour
- 25 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour. Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day. Make sure you throw away your discard.
Day 9: My starter is consistently doubling in size every 12 hours. This tells me it’s getting really close to ready to bake with.
In a clean jar every 12 hours:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 25 grams of rye flour
- 25 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour. Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day. Make sure you throw away your discard.
Day 10-14: Your starter is probably really close to ready to bake with. I like to wait until about day 14 before making my first loaf of bread, but you may notice your starter isn’t ready yet. Some starters take 21+ days. Keep feeding consistently and try not to get discouraged.
In a clean jar every 12 hours:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 25 grams of rye flour
- 25 grams of all purpose or bread flour
Stir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour. Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day. Make sure you throw away your discard.
You’ll know your sourdough starter is ready to bake with when it’s consistently rising and falling on a regular schedule after feedings. It should double (or even triple) in size after every feeding, look light and bubbly, and feel airy when you stir it. You’ll also notice a pleasant, slightly tangy smell — not sharp or funky. If it’s doing all that for a few days in a row, congratulations — your starter’s strong, active, and ready to raise some dough!
Converting Your Starter to 100% White Flour
Once your starter is consistently doubling and hitting its peak, you can start to convert your starter to feeding with only all purpose or bread flour. Because your starter is young and likes routine, you don’t want to rush this process. So, we’re going to gradually reduce the amount of rye flour and increase the amount of white flour each day.
Day 1 – feed morning and night like this:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 20 grams rye flour
- 30 grams all purpose flour
Day 2 – feed morning and night like this:
- 25 grams sourdough starte
- 50 grams filtered water
- 15 grams rye flour
- 35 grams all purpose flour
Day 3 – feed morning and night like this:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 10 grams rye flour
- 40 grams all purpose flour
Day 4 – feed morning and night like this:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 5 grams rye flour
- 45 grams all purpose flour
Day 5+ – feed morning and night like this:
- 25 grams sourdough starter
- 50 grams filtered water
- 50 grams all purpose flour
Now what?
Now you’ve got your starter and it’s time for the fun part. But if you’re like me, you might feel a little overwhelmed by all the complicated steps in sourdough bread. So, I’ve created a super simple overnight sourdough bread recipe that has helped hundreds of people feel comfortable and confident baking with sourdough. You can get the recipe right here.
I mixed up this loaf of bread using my overnight sourdough recipe on Day 14 with my new starter and it turned out great!
And if you’re not sure how to take care of your starter or want more sourdough for beginners tips and tricks, check out my Getting Started page here for more informational blog posts and graphics.
Make a Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- 2 Jars with a lid
- Rubber spatula or spoon for stirring
- Dry erase marker, for marking starting point on jar
- Kitchen scale
Ingredients
- Filtered water
- Rye flour, or whole wheat flour
- Bread or all purpose flour
Instructions
Day 1
- Place a clean jar on your kitchen scale and hit tare so the weight shows 0 grams.
- Pour 50 grams filtered water, 25 grams bread flour (or all purpose flour) and 25 grams of rye flour.
- Stir well until everything is combined and there are no dry bits of flour anywhere.
- With your dry erase marker, mark the highest point of your sourdough starter.
- Place your jar someplace warm and let it ferment for 24 hours. Keeping your starter warm is going to be key – fermentation happens best around 75-80 °F
Day 2
- Check on your starter. If there are bubbles and you see some growth you can skip ahead to day 3 and do your first feed. If there isn't much growth, just leave it for another 24 hours and then check back on it.
Day 3
- In a clean jar, take 50 grams of your sourdough starter and add:-60 grams filtered water-30 grams of rye flour-30 grams of all purpose or bread flourStir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour.
- Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Check on it in 24 hours.
- The remaining starter that you didn't feed is discard. But because this is not an established sourdough starter, this needs to be thrown in the trash (not down the kitchen sink). It's not safe to bake with this yet.
Day 4 -8
- Sometime between day 4 and 8 you might notice a burst of activity where it grows a lot in the jar and then the next day you don't see much activity. This is totally normal. Don't panic. Just keep feeding. You're going to feed the same way for the next 5 days.
- In a clean jar, take 25 grams of your sourdough starter and add:-50 grams filtered water-25 grams of rye flour-25 grams of all purpose or bread flourStir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour.
- Scrape down the sides of the jar, mark where your starter is in the jar, cover and set someplace warm. Try to be consistent in your feeding schedule. Sourdough likes routine, so try to feed your starter around the same time each day.
- The remaining starter in your original jar that you did not feed is discard. But because this is not an established sourdough starter, this needs to be thrown in the trash (not down the kitchen sink). It's not safe to bake with this yet.
Days 8+
- By this point you should start to see consistent growth with your starter. It should rise consistently and double and might even hit a peak and start to fall back down during that 24 hour period. If this is happening, you can move on to 2 a day feedings.
- Every morning, in a clean jar, take 25 grams of your sourdough starter and add:-50 grams filtered water-25 grams of rye flour-25 grams of all purpose or bread flourStir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour.
- Every evening, in a clean jar, take 25 grams of your sourdough starter and add:-50 grams filtered water-25 grams of rye flour-25 grams of all purpose or bread flourStir it up really well until there are no dry bits of flour.
- These feedings should take place about every 12 hours.
- The remaining starter in your original jar that you did not feed is discard. But because this is not an established sourdough starter, this needs to be thrown in the trash (not down the kitchen sink). It's not safe to bake with this yet.
- By this point you are getting close to ready to bake your first loaf of bread. I like to wait until it's been at least 14 days before I try to bake with my new sourdough starter, but look for the following signs that your starter is ready:-consistently doubling or tripling in size-has lots of air bubbles-has a sweet, yeasty smell (if it smells like nail polish remover, it's not ready yet)
Converting Your Starter to All White Flour
- Once your starter is consistently doubling and hitting its peak, you can start to convert your starter to feeding with only all purpose or bread flour. Because your starter is young and likes routine, you don't want to rush this process. So, we're going to gradually reduce the amount of rye flour and increase the amount of white flour each day.
- Converting Day 1 – feed morning and night like this-25 grams sourdough starter-50 grams filtered water-20 grams rye flour-30 grams all purpose flour
- Converting Day 2 – feed morning and night like this-25 grams sourdough starter-50 grams filtered water-15 grams rye flour-35 grams all purpose flour
- Converting Day 3 – feed morning and night like this-25 grams sourdough starter-50 grams filtered water-10 grams rye flour-40 grams all purpose flour
- Converting Day 4 – feed morning and night like this-25 grams sourdough starter-50 grams filtered water-5 grams rye flour-45 grams all purpose flour
- Converting Day 5 – feed morning and night like this-25 grams sourdough starter-50 grams filtered water-50 grams all purpose flour
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