How to Make a Sourdough Starter in Five Days
A simple but essential recipe in every baker's kitchen! This is the ultimate guide to show you step-by-step on how to make your very own sourdough starter in just five days.
Ingredients
Day 1
- Clean glass jar
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon barley malt or honey
Day 2
- 1 cup bread flour
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon barley malt or honey
Day 3
- 1 cup bread flour
- ¾ cup water
Day 4
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 ½ cups water
Day 5
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 ½ cups water
Instructions
Day 1:
- Combine flour, water, and malt.
- Cover jar with a loosely fitting lid or plastic wrap.
- Set in a warm, draft free place for 24 hours.
Day 2:
- Uncover jar and stir ingredients.
- Stir in flour, water, and malt.
- Cover jar again and set back in a warm, draft free place for 24 hours.
Day 3:
- Uncover jar. There should be a little bubbling in the mixture.
- Mix.
- Stir in flour and water.
- Cover jar again and set in a warm draft free place for 24 hours.
Day 4:
- Uncover jar. There should be more bubbles, and the mixture should be starting to smell sweet.
- Stir together.
- Add flour and water and stir together.
- Cover again and place in a warm, draft free place for 24 hours.
Day 5:
- Uncover jar. Mixture should be bubbly and have a sweet aroma.
- Stir together, then pour off half the mixture.
- Add flour and water. Stir.
- Cover again and place in refrigerator.
Notes
- Healthy sourdough starter has a sweet, yeasty smell.
- A new starter doesn't have as much sourdough flavor as an older starter!
- Always use a glass container with a loose fitting lid to keep your starter in.
- Sourdough does not react well to stainless steel!
- Sourdough tastes different in different parts of the country, based on the type of yeast in the air. If you move and take your sourdough starter with you, the flavor will change based on the airborne yeast in your new location. Crazy, right?
- You can use sourdough starter for a variety of recipes, not just bread!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 455kcalCarbohydrates: 95.4gProtein: 12.9gFat: 1.2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 10mgFiber: 3.4gSugar: 0.3g
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.