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How to Make a Sourdough Starter: Day One

September 23, 2011 by Nicole 133 Comments

Today we begin the great sourdough starter experiment.  The goal of this experiment is to catch some wild yeast and try to keep them happy so that they will multiply.  By harnessing the power of wild yeast in a sourdough starter, we’ll eventually be able to bake bread without using any commercial yeast at all.

Let’s get started!

There are several different ways to create a sourdough starter and I don’t know that any one method is truly better than the others.  I’m using Peter Reinhart’s method from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, but what I’m about to share with you is a bit different than what’s in the book.  That’s because he updated the method after the book was published and shared the correction on his blog.

So, I’m using Mr. Reinhart’s updated instructions with a few small changes of my own.  I have successfully created a sourdough starter before, but haven’t used this exact method, so we really are embarking on a brand new adventure together. (Update: this method works great! Scroll to the very bottom of the page for printable instructions.)

Here’s how I started:  I mixed one cup of whole wheat flour with 3/4 cup of room-temperature pineapple juice in a bowl until everything was well blended.  I scraped the mixture into a clean glass jar and marked the level with a rubber band so that it will be easy to detect any growth if it occurs.  I covered the jar with a paper towel and secured it with a rubber band.  Now all I have to do is let the jar sit at room temperature for 24 hours.  Pretty easy so far, right?

How to Create a Sourdough Starter

It takes about a week to create a sourdough starter that is strong enough to bake bread, but you will only spend a few minutes a day of active time.

If you click on the links in the instructions below, you will see step-by-step photos and descriptions of my own process of making a sourdough starter from scratch. For a printable recipe of how to make a sourdough starter, scroll to the very end of this post.

Day One: In a small bowl, mix one cup of whole wheat or whole rye flour with 3/4 cup (6 oz) canned pineapple juice (at room temperature) until all of the flour is hydrated.  Scrape mixture into a quart-size wide mouth glass container, such as a jar or glass measuring cup.  Mark the level of the starter with a piece of tape or rubber band. Cover the container with a paper towel, cheesecloth, or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band.  Leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day Two: You probably won’t notice much change at this point.  Scrape the contents of the jar into a mixing bowl and add 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose plus 1/2 cup pineapple juice (make sure juice is room temperature).  Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.  Wash and dry your glass container and scrape the mixture into the container.  Mark and cover the container just like day one.  Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day Three: You may notice some activity at this point.  The mixture may have risen some and there might be bubbles.  Regardless of whether you notice any fermentation or not, discard half of the mixture (or give it to a friend to cultivate), and mix the remaining half with 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose and 1/2 cup filtered water (make sure water is room temperature).  Wash and dry your container and scrape the mixture into the container.  Mark and cover as before.  Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day Four: The mixture should have at least doubled in size at this point.  If it seems to be sluggish and hasn’t doubled in size, allow it to sit at room temperature for another 12 to 24 hours.  Otherwise, repeat instructions for Day three.

Day Five: Feed the starter (repeating day three instructions) first thing in the morning and then again in the evening (about 12 hours apart).

Day Six: If your starter has been very active and always doubles in size (or more) between feedings, then your starter is ready to bake with.  You may also choose to refrigerate your starter at this point and slow down the feedings to once a week.  If you’d like to bake some bread, here is a basic sourdough bread recipe to get you started.  If your starter still seems a little sluggish, continue with the twice daily feedings as above.

Day Seven: Same as above.

How to Make a Sourdough Starter: Day 5 Pinch My Salt

How to Make a Sourdough Starter

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 7 days
Total Time: 7 days 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5-pound bag unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour or whole rye flour
  • 1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
  • filtered or bottled water*

Instructions

  1. Day One: In a small bowl, mix one cup of whole wheat or whole rye flour with 3/4 cup (6 oz) canned pineapple juice (at room temperature) until all of the flour is hydrated. Scrape mixture into a quart-size wide mouth glass container, such as a jar or glass measuring cup. Mark the level of the starter with a piece of tape or rubber band. Cover the container with a paper towel, cheesecloth, or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
  2. Day Two: You probably won't notice much change at this point. Scrape the contents of the jar into a mixing bowl and add 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose or unbleached bread flour plus 1/2 cup pineapple juice (make sure juice is room temperature). Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Wash and dry your glass container and scrape the mixture into the container. Mark and cover the container just like day one. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
  3. Day Three: You may notice some activity at this point. The mixture may have risen some and there might be bubbles. Regardless of whether you notice any fermentation or not, discard half of the mixture (or give it to a friend to cultivate), and mix the remaining half with 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose or bread flour and 1/2 cup filtered water (make sure water is room temperature). Wash and dry your container and scrape the mixture into the container. Mark and cover as before. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
  4. Day Four: The mixture should have at least doubled in size at this point. If it seems to be sluggish and hasn't doubled in size, allow it to sit at room temperature for another 12 to 24 hours. Otherwise, repeat instructions for Day three.
  5. Day Five: Feed the starter (repeating day three instructions) first thing in the morning and then again in the evening (about 12 hours apart).
  6. Day Six: If your starter has been very active and always doubles in size (or more) between feedings, then your starter is ready to bake with. You may also choose to refrigerate your starter at this point and slow down the feedings to once a week. If you'd like to bake some bread, here is a basic sourdough bread recipe to get you started. If your starter still seems a little sluggish, continue with the twice daily feedings as above.
  7. Day Seven: Same as above.

Notes

*The reason I suggest filtered or bottled water is that chlorinated water straight from the tap might make it more difficult for your starter to get going. Some people have had no trouble using filtered water, but if you're going to invest the time in creating a sourdough starter from scratch, why take any chances? I filter my tap water through a Brita water pitcher. Any cheap bottled water would be fine, too. The only thing we're trying to avoid is chlorine. If you know that your tap water is not chlorinated, feel free to use it without filtering it.

© Nicole Cross
Category: Breads

Filed Under: Adventures in Baking, Breads, Sourdough

Previous Post: « Back to My Roots: Sourdough
Next Post: How to Make a Sourdough Starter: Day Two »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tina says

    January 5, 2019 at 8:50 pm

    I’m so excited that I found this website and all of the helpful information about naturally fermented sourdough.
    Reply
  2. Fred Wilson says

    March 3, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    You might look at buckwheat flour from War Eagle Mills in Arkansas.
    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    June 23, 2019 at 12:21 pm

    So I am on day three. Day for says to feed according to day 3, do I take half out? Or just feed from here on out?
    Reply
    • Nicole says

      June 25, 2019 at 7:17 am

      You always need to remove some before feeding or you will end up with an overflowing container. :-) During the building process, I usually discard what is removed, although you could get creative and use it in a batch of muffins or pancakes if you’d like.
      Reply
  4. Andrea Binder says

    November 24, 2019 at 8:42 pm

    Hello! So I don’t know if my measuring cups are not good but I’m on day two of the starter but it is so thick! Like a sticky dough. Is that ok?
    Reply
  5. Rachel says

    April 19, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Most bottled water has sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) added to make it alkaline. That would defeat the purpose of creating a nice acidic environment, right? Maybe the safest water option is distilled water?
    Reply
  6. Feroza Saeed says

    July 6, 2020 at 2:57 pm

    Can someone please tell me the name of the song played in the back ground of the sourdough biscuite. "I'm falling for you" Thank you.
    Reply
    • Nicole says

      July 14, 2020 at 9:37 am

      The video was created using Animoto and I'm not sure who the artist is on that song. I will try to find out!
      Reply
    • Nicole says

      July 14, 2020 at 9:43 am

      I found it! The song is called "Will you marry me" and the artist is Chris Pierce.
      Reply
  7. LostInTheWoods says

    August 24, 2020 at 4:20 am

    thanks so much for sharing your method, this worked beautifully! after 24 hours there were bubbles forming and a subtle rise; after feeding on day 2, i had to place in a cool window overnight to slow fermentation, the starter had become so active. i will be moving to the day 3 feeding at the 36 hour mark. i had some wild blueberries on hand and placed a few on top of the cheesecloth seal at the top of the jar to encourage transfer of wild yeasts- not sure if this is the explanation for such an energetic start or if it’s just the summer temps, but i am very excited to work with this starter:)
    Reply
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