Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe

Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe

from theclevercarrot.com
236 servings

Looking for an easy, sourdough starter recipe for beginners? Adapted from my bestselling book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, follow my no-nonsense, step-by-step guide for practical tips, tricks, and ongoing care- anyone can do it. Use it to make my famous golden, crusty sourdough bread recipe. Please read my notes & tips below before you begin. Notes & Tips: Download & print out your personal sourdough starter feeding chart. This will keep you on track. The overall process typically takes approximately 7 days, if the temperature is warm enough, ideally 70-75 F. However, it can take up to 2 weeks or more for a strong starter to become established. Note: growth will seem to slow down on Day 3-4 when you switch to AP flour or bread flour for the ongoing feedings. This is normal. Please be patient.  You will need one large 3/4 L jar, or something of similar size (I use this one). Place a rubber band or piece of masking tape around the jar to measure the starter’s growth as it rises.

Ingredients

  • 1x (5lb) bag all purpose flour or bread flour (I use either KAF, Trader Joe’s, or Whole Foods)
  • 1/2 cup (60g) whole wheat flour (I use KAF whole wheat)
  • Water (preferably warm around 85 F )

Directions

  1. 1

    Combine 60 g (1⁄2 cup) of whole wheat flour + 60 g (1⁄4 cup) of warm water in a large jar. Mix with a fork until smooth; the consistency will be thick and pasty. 

  2. 2

    Remove and discard half (60g) of your sourdough starter from the jar. To do so: use a spoon to scoop it out, or pour it directly into a bowl to weigh (you can also just eyeball the amount- it doesn’t have to be exact). The texture will be very stretchy.