Sourdough Starter / Waking Up Your Starter
How to Make a Sourdough Starter and Wake It Up!
Curious about baking sourdough from scratch? It all starts with a sourdough starter—your wild yeast-powered secret to tangy, chewy, naturally leavened bread. Whether you’re brand-new to sourdough or dusting off a sleepy starter from the fridge, this post walks you through how to create a vibrant, bubbly starter and how to bring it back to life when it’s gone a little dormant.
Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Starter
A homemade sourdough starter is like a tiny kitchen science experiment that turns flour and water into a living, breathing leavening force. No store-bought yeast is needed—just patience and a little flour power. Once active, your starter opens the door to incredible loaves of bread, pizza dough, English muffins, crackers, and more. And the best part? You only need two ingredients.
Fun Flavor Variations For Your Sourdough Baking
Why settle for plain when you can get creative with different flavor combinations:
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Whole Wheat Twist: Use whole wheat flour for a nuttier, earthier starter and bake.
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Rye Power: Start with rye flour to jump-start fermentation and deepen flavor.
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Add-ins: Once baking, add mix-ins like olives, herbs, or roasted garlic to your dough for a savory flair.
Tips For Creating and Maintaining a Healthy Starter
•For the best results, follow these simple tips to perfect your Sourdough Starter every time:
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Use Clean, Filtered Water: Chlorine can slow fermentation—if your tap water is heavily treated, use filtered or bottled water.
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Choose a Consistent Flour: All-purpose, whole wheat, bread flour, or rye flour all work—just try not to switch it up daily.
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Feed at Regular Intervals: Once established, feed your starter roughly every 24 hours if kept at room temperature. If refrigerated, feed once a week.
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Waking Up Your Starter: If it’s been hanging out in the fridge for a while, feed it 1 to 2 times daily for 2 to 3 days until it’s bubbly and passes the float test (a small spoonful floats in water). The starter should be filled with bubbles, see my picture under waking up your starter to get an idea of how bubbly your starter should be.
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Discard Wisely: During the early days, you’ll need to discard a portion of your starter to maintain a manageable size and encourage healthy wild yeast and bacteria growth.
A Quick Timeline for Starting from Scratch
Day 1: Mix equal parts flour and water in a clean jar. Stir well and leave uncovered (or loosely covered) at room temperature.
Day 2 to 3: You may see bubbles or a slight rise—feed it again (discard half, then add fresh flour and water).
Day 4 to 7: Your starter should smell slightly sour and have a bubbly, marshmallowy texture. Keep feeding daily until it consistently doubles in size.
Day 7+: It’s baking-ready once it consistently doubles within 4 to 6 hours of feeding and passes the float test. The starter should be filled with bubbles, see my picture under waking up your starter to get an idea of how bubbly your starter should be.
Common Troubleshooting for Your Sourdough Starter
Even the most experienced bakers run into sourdough snags now and then—don’t worry, most issues are fixable! Here’s how to troubleshoot the most common problems:
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My starter isn’t bubbling or rising: This is normal in the first few days. Keep feeding it consistently with equal parts flour and water (by weight), and make sure it’s in a warm spot—around 70–75°F (21–24°C). If it still isn’t active by Day 7, try switching to whole wheat or rye flour to boost fermentation.
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There’s a layer of liquid on top (hooch): Hooch is a sign your starter is hungry! Just pour it off or stir it back in before feeding. Then, increase your feeding frequency or store your starter in a cooler spot.
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It smells really strong or bad: A healthy starter smells tangy, yeasty, or slightly fruity. If it smells like acetone, cheese, or just unpleasant, give it a few extra feedings at room temperature to refresh the balance of bacteria and yeast.
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There’s mold on top: Unfortunately, mold (fuzzy or colorful growth) means it’s best to toss the starter and start over. Be sure to use a clean jar and utensils, and store your starter in a spot without drafts or contaminants.
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It rose once, but now it’s sluggish: This dip is common in the early days. It may have burned through its initial burst of wild yeast and needs more consistent feeding to build strength. Be patient and stick with a feeding schedule.
The Final Bite
There’s something special about nurturing a sourdough starter—it’s like keeping a pet that rewards you with incredible bread. Whether you’re just beginning your sourdough journey or reviving a sleepy starter, this process sets you up for delicious success. Stick with it, feed it love (and flour), and soon you’ll be baking with wild yeast like a pro. You can try to use your starter in my sourdough loaf or French Country Bread. Have you tried making this Sourdough Starter before? Let me know how you customize it in the comments below!
Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- Glass Jar
- Kitchen Scale Optional
Ingredients
- Bread Flour Measurements below, it will depend on the day
- Whole Wheat Flour Measurements below, it will depend on the day
- Warm Water around 70 to 80℉ Measurements below, it will depend on the day
Instructions
Day 1
- Combine 60 g or 1⁄2 cup of whole wheat flour and 60 g or 1⁄4 cup of warm water in a large jar. Mix until smooth, note the consistency will be thick and pasty.
- Cover with plastic wrap, reusable wax wrap, or a lid and let rest in a warm spot, about 70 to 75 F for 24 hours. If your house is too cold, place it in the oven with the oven light on, this should keep the starter around the right temperature. Another option is to put it in a sunny window.
Day 2
- Check to see if any bubbles have appeared on the surface. If you don’t see anything, it’s okay. The bubbles might have appeared and dissolved overnight while you were sleeping. Feel free to stir once or twice to oxygenate the mixture. Otherwise, you don’t have to do anything else now. Rest the starter for another 24 hours.
Day 3
- Remove and discard half, approximately, 60g or about ¼ cup 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, or you can also just eyeball the amount- it doesn’t have to be exact. The texture will be very stretchy.
- Now with your leftover starter in the jar, add 60 g or ½ cup of bread flour and 60 g or ¼ cup of water. Mix until smooth and scrape down the sides of the jar. The texture should resemble thick pancake batter or plain yogurt at this point.
- Cover and let rest in a warm spot, 70 to 75℉ for 24 hours.
Day 4
- Remove and discard half 90 g or about ⅓ cup of the sourdough starter.
- Now with your leftover starter in the jar, add 60 g or 1⁄2 cup of bread flour and 60 g or ¼ cup of water. Mix until smooth and scrape down the sides of the jar.
- Cover and let rest in a warm spot, 70 to 75℉ for 24 hours.
Day 5
- Remove and discard half 105 g or about ½ cup of the sourdough starter.
- Now with your leftover starter in the jar, add 60 g or 1⁄2 cup of bread flour and 60 g or ¼ cup of water. Mix until smooth and scrape down the sides of the jar.
- Cover and let rest in a warm spot, 70 to 75℉ for 24 hours.
Day 6
- Remove and discard half 112 g or about ½ cup of the sourdough starter.
- Now with your leftover starter in the jar, add 60 g or 1⁄2 cup of bread flour and 60 g or ¼ cup of water. Mix until smooth and scrape down the sides of the jar.
- Cover and let rest in a warm spot, 70 to 75℉ for 24 hours.
Day 7
- Remove and discard half 116.25 g about ½ cup of the sourdough starter.
- Now with your leftover starter in the jar, add 60 g or 1⁄2 cup of bread flour and 60 g or ¼ cup of water. Mix until smooth and scrape down the sides of the jar.
- Cover and let rest in a warm spot, 70 to 75℉ for 24 hours.
Day 8
- By now, your starter should have doubled in size. You should see plenty of bubbles, both large and small. The texture will be spongy and fluffy. It should smell pleasant, and not link stinky like gym socks. If so, your starter is now active and ready to use!
- Please keep in mind, that if your starter is not ready at this point, which is quite common due to temperature issues, generally it is too cold, timing, and other factors, continue feeding it for 1 to 2 weeks or more. Be patient!
- The very last step is to transfer your starter to a nice, clean jar. You only need to do this if your jar is crusty looking and needs a good wash. Then, in keeping with tradition, name your starter. My starter is called Betty!
Starter Ready to Use?
- When your starter is fully active, do the float test. Feed your starter, wait for it to double in size, and then drop a teaspoon of bubbly starter into a jar of water. If the starter floats to the top it’s ready to use.
Storing your Sourdough Starter
- If you bake often, store your starter at room temperature, feeding it once a day to keep it active. If you plan to bake it only once in a while, store it in the fridge to preserve its strength. When you are ready to bake, take your starter out and feed it, according to my recipe for Waking Up Your Sourdough Starter (you can find this below), 1 to 2 days before you plan on baking. Your starter will wake up with no problems and be ready to bake!
- When storing your starter in the fridge a dark liquid might appear on the surface and throughout the culture. This liquid is called “hooch” and is totally normal. Any time you see this liquid, just pour it off the top of your starter.
Notes
Waking Up Your Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- Glass Jar
- Kitchen Scale Optional
Ingredients
- Bread Flour Measurements below, it will depend on the day
- Warm Water around 70 to 80℉ Measurements below, it will depend on the day
Instructions
- For feeding your sourdough starter, I HIGHLY recommend using a kitchen scale rather than measuring cups. The ratios are much easier with grams vs. cups.
- I use a 3 to 1 ratio when waking up my sourdough starter after being in the fridge. For example: 1 part starter, typically 50 g or ¼ cup, then 3 parts flour, 150 g or 1½ cups, and 3 parts water, 150 g or ¾ cup. Note the ratios do not work as well with cups because water and flour weigh different amounts. Then mix until combined. It should have a pancake batter consistency. You can adjust with more flour or water to get the desired consistency. Cover your jar and place it in a warm spot in your kitchen and let the starter rest! Think about placing it in a window that gets a lot of sun or in the oven with the oven light on. When the starter is bubbly and has reached its peak, it is ready to bake
- If you are not going to use your start the day you “wake it up”, rather will be using it the next day, move to a 1 to 2 ratio on the second day. So, the day you first feed it, use the 3 to 1 ratio, then the day you plan to use the starter move to a 2 to 1 ratio. For example, 50 g or ¼ cup of starter, 100 g or 1 cup of flour, and 100 g or ½ cup of water. Note the ratios do not work as well with cups because water and flour weigh different amounts. Then mix until combined, place in a warm place in your kitchen and it is ready to use when it is bubbly and has reached its peak.
Notes
[…] sure your sourdough starter is bubbly and active before mixing your dough. If you need to create a sourdough starter or revive your existing starter, follow my […]