How to make a sourdough starter: The EASY way

Courtney Cleveland
Mar 17
4 min read

Updated: May 18

A sourdough starter is just flour and water that captures wild yeast and good bacteria from the flour and your environment. Over time, it becomes bubbly, active, and strong enough to help bread rise.

This method uses a small amount of flour so you do not waste a ton while your starter gets going.

What You Need

Digital kitchen scale
Clean glass jar
Spoon or spatula
Rubber band or marker
Flour
Water
Loose lid (metal or glass ideally) - do NOT use a cloth lid or paper towel

Best Flour to Use

Best for beginners: unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour

Faster option: whole wheat flour or rye flour

Whole grain flour usually gets a starter going faster because it has more wild yeast and nutrients.

You can use one flour the whole time, or you can do half whole wheat and half bread flour.

Water to Use

Use room temperature water.

Filtered water is great, but tap water is usually fine unless it is heavily chlorinated. If your tap water smells strongly like chlorine, let it sit out uncovered for a few hours before using.

Day 1: Start Your Starter

Place your jar on the scale and press tare so the scale reads zero.

Add:

20 g flour
15 g water

Mix very well until there are no dry pockets of flour. It will be thick, almost like a paste. That is okay.

Scrape down the sides of the jar so you can see what is happening clearly.

Cover loosely. Do not seal the jar tightly because gas needs to escape.

Place a rubber band around the jar at the top of the starter mixture. This helps you see if it rises.

Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Best room temperature: 72°F to 78°F

Day 2: Check and Feed

After 24 hours, look at your starter.

You may see:

Nothing at all
A few bubbles
A sour, floury, or slightly funky smell
A little liquid on top

All of that can be normal.

Now feed it.

First, discard most of the starter and keep 20 g starter in the jar.

Then add:

20 g flour
15 g water

Mix well, scrape the sides, cover loosely, and mark the level with your rubber band.

Let it sit for another 24 hours.

Day 3: Feed Again

By day 3, your starter may start bubbling more. Sometimes it has a big dramatic rise early on and then gets quiet. That is normal. The early burst is often bacteria activity, not a fully mature starter yet. We refer to this as a false rise.

Keep:

20 g starter

Feed:

20 g flour
15 g water

Mix, cover loosely, mark the level, and let it sit for 24 hours.

Days 4-7: Keep Feeding Daily

Each day, repeat the same process:

Stir your starter.
Discard all but 20 g starter.
Add 20 g flour.
Add 15 g water.
Mix well.
Scrape down the jar.
Mark the level.
Cover loosely.
Let it sit for 24 hours.

Your daily feeding is:

20 g starter + 20 g flour + 15 g water

This is a slightly thicker starter because it uses less water than flour. A thick starter is totally fine and will be very strong.

What Your Starter Should Look Like

A healthy starter will eventually:

Have bubbles throughout
Rise after feeding
Smell pleasantly tangy, yeasty, or slightly fruity
Have a thicker, airy texture
Rise and then fall predictably

It may smell weird in the beginning. It can smell like cheese, vinegar, gym socks, nail polish remover, or old fruit. That does not automatically mean it is bad. Starters go through a very funky teenage phase.

When Is It Ready to Bake With?

Your starter is ready when it can reliably double after feeding.

Look for this pattern:

You feed it.
It rises to double its size.
It reaches its highest point, called peak.
Then it slowly falls.

For bread, you usually want to use it when it is at or near peak.

A starter is usually ready around 14-21 days, but some take longer depending on flour, water, and room temperature.

It is ready when it doubles within about 4-6 hours after feeding for 3 days in a row.

What If Nothing Happens?

Do not panic.

If your starter is not rising yet:

Keep feeding once per day.
Move it somewhere warmer.
Use whole wheat or rye flour for a few feeds.
Make sure your water is not too hot.
Make sure you are not sealing the jar airtight.

A warm spot around 75°F to 78°F is ideal.

What If There Is Liquid on Top?

Liquid can be normal.

It may look:

Clear
Gray
Brownish
Thin and watery

You can stir it back in or pour it off. Then feed as usual.

If it happens often, your starter may need:

A warmer/cooler spot adjustment
More frequent feedings
A larger feeding ratio once it gets active

What If It Smells Bad?

Some bad smells are normal in the beginning.

Normal beginner smells:

Sour
Vinegar
Funky
Cheesy
Fruity
Alcohol-like
Nail polish remover

Throw it away only if you see:

Fuzzy mold
Pink, orange, or red streaks
Rotten smell that does not improve after feedings