How to Build a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
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This post outlines how to build a sourdough starter from scratch simply and quickly. In less than a week and with minimal effort, you will have on your hands a bubbly, active starter to use in all of your favorite sourdough recipes.
Nearly every week I am asked if I have a tutorial on how to make a sourdough starter, to which I always answer No and then suggest: Save yourself the trouble: buy it!
The truth is that until a few months ago, I never found the exercise of building a sourdough starter from scratch to be worth the effort. Invariably the process would take over two weeks, during which I would waste lots of flour not to mention time. Knowing how little it costs to buy a strong, ready-to-go starter online, I didn’t dare encourage such an undertaking.
Earlier this year, however, I came across a passage in Peter Reinhart’s Perfect Pan Pizza, which outlined his tried-and-true method for making a sourdough starter, one he’s shared in several of his other books as well. Peter’s method calls for starting with pineapple juice as opposed to water because “the acidity in the juice helps shorten the time to get the process started.” I very much liked the sound of this.
Let’s back up: a sourdough starter is a fermented mix of flour and water containing wild yeast and bacteria. It both leavens and flavors sourdough bread.
Curious to learn more, I searched the web, where I discovered the use of pineapple juice for sourdough starters is quite common. Why? In sum, because wild yeast cells prefer a somewhat acidic pH (which pineapple juice is) in which to grow. But also, as Deborah Wink writes on The Fresh Loaf, pineapple juice “insures against unwanted bacteria and the problems they leave in their wake.” Read about this in much more depth here.
At the beginning of August, I tried Peter’s method using all-purpose flour and was shocked to see activity — bubbles and rising — in just four days. Moreover, his process was so simple: mix together flour and pineapple juice, let it sit for two days, add flour and water on the 3rd day, add more flour and water on the 4th day.
A few weeks later, while talking with my friend Christy Alia, an avid bread and pizza maker (@realcleverfood on Instagram), about my experience, she suggested I try the method with whole wheat flour because the added minerals and nutrients would provide even better food for the microbes (the yeast and bacteria) to thrive. And so a few days later, I followed Peter’s method using freshly milled stone-milled flour from Cairnspring Mills.
Friends! Oh my word. On day 4, my starter doubled in volume. While it was not ready to be used in a sourdough bread recipe yet, it was strong and active, and after just a few more feedings, it was ready to go. On day 6, I made a loaf of sourdough focaccia and couldn’t have been more pleased with the light, airy loaf my young starter produced (photos below).
Importantly, I made this starter at the height of a heat wave, which no doubt contributed to its success. I successfully repeated the process again last week during another heat wave. I could sum up the tutorial that follows below as such: pineapple juice + freshly milled flour + heat wave = sourdough starter from scratch success.
Below I’ve outlined how to make a sourdough starter from scratch, with tips for how to set yourself up for success. Let me know if you have any questions along the way. And if you have any tips of your own to add, please share!
Equipment
For best results, I recommend ensuring you have on hand:
- a digital scale — it’s the only way to ensure you are measuring accurately.
- a straight-sided vessel, which will help you more accurately see how much your starter is growing.
Four Tips for Success
- Use a scale to measure to ensure you are measuring accurately.
- Attempt this project while it’s hot outside (or see notes below if attempting in colder months). In his book The Perfect Loaf, Maurizio Leo recommends a temperature range of 80º-86ºF (26º to 30ºC).
- Start with pineapple juice because wild yeast cells prefer a somewhat acidic pH.
- Use freshly milled, stone-milled flour because the added minerals and nutrients provide even better food for the microbes (the yeast and bacteria) to thrive. If you have a source local to you, use it! Health food markets, co-ops, or markets such as Whole Foods often carry freshly milled flour. Here are a few mail-order options:
How to Keep Your Starter Cozy (and Happy!)
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a warm environment for the success of this endeavor. If you are attempting to build your starter when it’s cold outside, here are some suggestions for how to keep it warm:
- Find a warm place in your kitchen (like on top of your refrigerator).
- Try the warm oven trick: turn your oven on for 1 minute (at any temperature) and then turn it off. It likely won’t get above 100ºF — it will just create a cozy spot for your dough to rise. Consider sticking a post-it note to the oven to remind you that you have a starter in there so that you don’t accidentally preheat your oven and kill your starter. (Note: I do not recommend using the oven with the oven light on, because I discovered the hard way that the oven light can actually be too hot and cause your starter or sourdough bread to overferment.)
- Invest in the Brod and Taylor Sourdough Home: I do not own this, but it gets good reviews should you have the space for it.
- Build your own “sourdough home”: See comments below, but one of you ingeniously made a homemade proofing box by placing a seed heating pad in a box and covering it with a towel.
How to Build a Sourdough Starter From Scratch, Step by Step
Day 1: Gather your materials: flour and pineapple juice. (If possible, pick up a bag of freshly milled stone-milled flour; see the recipe box for sources.)
Pour the can of juice into a large bowl or ideally a straight-sided vessel on a tared scale.
Add an equal amount of flour by weight. It should be about 192-193 grams of juice and flour each.
Stir the flour and juice together until the flour is absorbed.
Cover the vessel. Record the date, time, and measurements — you will forget which day you started if you don’t. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Day 2: Uncover the vessel and…
… give it a stir.
Re-cover the vessel, and record your work. Let it sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.
Day 3: Uncover the vessel.
Measure out 128 grams (about 1 cup) of flour and 128 grams (about 1/2 cup) of water:
Add them to the vessel.
Stir to combine.
Cover the vessel and record your work again. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours, stirring once or twice.
Day 4: Uncover the vessel. You should see a little action (bubbles). Measure out 128 grams (about 1 cup) of flour and 128 grams (about 1/2 cup) of water:
Add them to the container.
Stir to combine.
On this day, record your work again, and mark the height of your mixture with tape on the side of your vessel. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours, keeping a closer watch this time around.
You will likely see some action…
The mixture might even double in volume.
And you should see lots of bubbles on the surface.
If your mixture is in fact rising, let it rise until it nearly doubles in volume; then drop a spoonful of it in water. If it floats, you’re in business. Note: Your starter might rise (and maybe fall) while you are sleeping — don’t worry if you don’t “catch” it at its peak. Continue on with the process that follows.
Spoon 128 grams of the starter into a new vessel.
Measure another 128 grams of flour and water each.
Add the flour and water to the starter.
Stir to combine.
Mark the height with a rubber band.
This original vat of sourdough starter is now your discard bucket. Transfer it to the fridge or use it in one of your favorite sourdough discard recipes: tortillas, crackers, pancakes, soda bread.
Day 5: When your starter doubles…
… and floats, you can do one of three things:
- Repeat this process: spoon 128 grams of starter into a new vessel and add 128 grams each flour and water. (Transfer the remaining starter to your bucket of discard.) Let the new starter rise until it doubles. Your starter will get stronger with every feeding.
- Transfer it to the fridge if you need to take a break from the process. You can pick up where you let off when you are ready.
- Test it out…
… in a sourdough bread recipe. I recommend starting with…
… focaccia, one of the easiest breads to make.
More Sourdough Recipes to Try
Here are a few other favorite sourdough bread recipes to make with your new starter.
- Simple Sourdough Bread, Step by Step
- Simple Sourdough Ciabatta
- Simple Sourdough Pizza
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Whole Wheat-ish Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough English Muffins
Next Steps
Although your starter might be doubling in volume and floating, it likely still could use some nurturing to get stronger. Please read this post, which explains in detail how to activate, feed, and maintain a starter.
How to Build a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Total Time: 5 days
- Yield: 3 cups
Description
Adapted from Peter Reinhart’s method outlined in Perfect Pan Pizza (and many of his other books as well). My method differs mostly in that I start with a different amount of pineapple juice — I use the whole can — and I build my starter at 100% hydration (equal parts by weight flour and water) whereas Peter builds his starter at 80% hydration.
This recipe below outlines how to build a sourdough starter from scratch. If you are looking for guidance on how to feed, maintain, and store your already strong starter, see this post: How to Feed, Maintain, and Store a Sourdough Starter.
Four Tips for Success
- Use a scale to measure. It is the only way to measure accurately.
- Attempt this project while it’s hot outside.
- Start with pineapple juice.
- Use freshly milled stone-milled flour. If you have a source local to you, use it! Health food markets, co-ops, or markets such as Whole Foods often carry freshly milled flour. Here are a few mail-order options:
Pineapple Juice: My small cans of pineapple juice are labeled as 6 ounces (177 ml), but when I actually weigh the juice inside, it always weighs around 192 grams. The important thing is to use an equal amount by weight of flour and pineapple juice.
Pineapple Juice Alternatives: Orange Juice or Water
Water: I have no trouble using tap water when building a sourdough starter or when making a sourdough bread recipe. If you have concerns about your water, you can:
- Use water that you’ve left out overnight to ensure any chlorine has evaporated.
- Buy spring water. In some places, letting water sit out overnight will not be effective, and your tap water may kill your starter.
Discard: At the end of the four-day process, you’ll be left with a decent amount of sourdough discard, which you can use in countless recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:
Ingredients
- 1 small can (192 grams) pineapple juice, see notes above for alternatives
- stone-milled flour, see notes above
- Room temperature water, see notes above
Instructions
- Day 1: Pour the can of juice (roughly 192 grams) into a large bowl or ideally a straight-sided vessel on a tared scale. (A straight-sided vessel allows you to truly see how much your starter is growing. I’m using this Cambro.) Add an equal amount of flour (roughly 192 grams) by weight. Stir the flour and juice together until the flour is absorbed. Cover the vessel. Record the date, time, and measurements — you will forget which day you started if you don’t. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Day 2: Uncover the vessel. Stir the mixture. Re-cover the vessel, and record your work. Let it sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.
- Day 3: Uncover the vessel. Add 128 grams (1 cup) flour and 128 grams (about 1/2 cup) water. Stir to combine. Cover the vessel and record your work again. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours, stirring once or twice.
- Day 4: Uncover the vessel. You should see a little action (bubbles) and it should smell pleasant, not unlike a fruity yogurt. Measure out 128 grams (about 1 cup) of flour and 128 grams (about 1/2 cup) of water. Add them to the container. Stir to combine. Cover the vessel. On this day, record your work again, and mark the height of your mixture with tape on the side of your vessel. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours, keeping a closer watch this time around. You may see action — rising and bubble formation — within a few hours. If your mixture is in fact rising, let it rise until it nearly doubles in volume; then drop a spoonful of it in water. If it floats, you’re in business. Note: Your starter might rise (and possibly fall) while you are sleeping — don’t worry if you don’t “catch” it at its peak. Continue on with the process.
- Day 5: At this point, you should be observing some activity in your starter, meaning the starter should have risen slightly (perhaps doubled but perhaps not) and fallen with bubbles transforming from big to small. You’ll now take a small portion of this mixture and build a new starter: Transfer 128 grams of the starter to a new jar or vessel, and add 128 grams (about 1 cup) of flour and 128 grams (about 1/2 cup) of water. Stir well to combine, then cover the jar. Mark the height with a rubber band. Let sit at room temperature. Transfer the remaining starter to the fridge — this original mixture is now your sourdough discard and can be used in all sorts of recipes, see notes above. When your new starter doubles in volume, you can do one of three things:
- Repeat this process: spoon 128 grams of starter into a new vessel and add 128 grams each flour and water. (Transfer the remaining starter to your bucket of discard.) Let the new starter rise until it doubles. Your starter will get stronger with every feeding.
- Transfer it to the fridge if you need to take a break from the process. You can pick up where you let off when you are ready.
- Test it out in a sourdough bread recipe.
- Maintaining your starter: Once you have a strong, active starter on your hands, follow the steps in this post: How to Feed, Store, and Maintain a Sourdough Starter.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
317 Comments on “How to Build a Sourdough Starter from Scratch”
It’s been almost two years since I took on the challenge of making my own starter using your recipe. I did not have quick access to stone milled flour so I took a chance on using the King Arthur whole wheat variety. I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself of making this work but it did the first time! It has remained a strong starter and still using for all my sourdough needs. Thanks for all the suggestions and detailed instructions!
Amazing! So nice to read this, Dana. Great to hear your starter is going strong. I’m so excited the cooler weather has arrived and bread baking season has begun 🙂
So I’m a newbie on Day 1 and I noticed a crust forming on top of thr starter. I decided to close the lid completely and see how that works, but when I go to stir it tomorrow, do I remove that thin “crust” layer first? Thank you!
So I just decided to take the “crust” layer off. The rest looks okay.
You probably could have just stirred it in, but I do recommend using a lidded vessel to avoid the crust from forming. Good luck moving forward! Keep me posted on your progress 🙂
Thanks for the swift response, Ali. I tightly secured the lid and somehow another thin, tan crust formed on top. Perhaps my cambro container is too large. Anyhow, last night I stirred it together instead of removing it. I woke up this morning to no crust. Excited to be feeding it today around noon. It is a pet lol.
I have a question about your pineapple juice quantity. I literally purchased the same exact ingredients as you (cairnspring Mills flour, same exact juice) and yet my scale said 184 g? Anyhow, I fed or the same amount of flour so I assume it’ll be alright. However, does that mean when I go to feed it today I should reduce the amount? I was thinking to just keep the feeding quantity the same as yours, 128 grams each.
Thanks again!
Hi! There’s no right way, but yes, for simplicity, feed it with 128 grams each flour and water.
Okay so I realized the issue. My cambro was wayyyy to large (6 qt) lol. I moved my pet (haven’t named him yet) to a smaller room last night (widemouth Ball Mason 3 c.) and woke up to an almost doubled in size, bubbly starter! It didn’t pass the float test yet so I’ll keep going. It’s almost full to I have to move it to a larger (but not 6 qt! Lol) jar just to be able.to feed it later. At least he smells lovely now. Haha
Okay I just looked at the cup of water and the starter is actually floating now. That’s strange as it didn’t float when I first placed it in the water. I knew my pet would be just as weird as his owner. Lol
I’m still going to proceed with step 4 directions (around noon) today.
So I fed him at noon and he quickly doubled in size and passed the float test. I did the process for a new starter and need to name her. She’s already rising fast and it’s only been a couple of hours. I haven’t made up my mind what to do next. I will be baking the discard w/your cracker recipe. So excited!
Wonderful! So happy to hear this 🙂
My new starter is now in the fridge for a break until Thursday, in which I plan to bake your focaccia. I’m confused, however, as to how far in advance I pull the starter out of the fridge? And do I discard,feed it, wait a few hours for it to double? Or do I just add it directly to the focaccia recipe?
Thanks in advance!
I decided to pull the starter out at 9am and make a “new” once with your discard&feed method. It seems that it’s ready to be used, however I’m worried that starting your focaccia recipe from now would mean that it would over ferment over night (still warm here. So do I leave the stater out for using in the morning or do I need to stick it in the fridge and start the whole process over again?
You can leave it room temperature and feed it once before bed and then again the following morning or whenever it works for your schedule. Know this: once you start the focaccia bread recipe, if you need to go to bed, just stick the entire vessel in the fridge and you can pick up where you left off the following day. Be sure the vessel is tightly sealed so the dough doesn’t dry out.
I like to feed it twice before using. Typically I remove my starter from the fridge in the evening, feed it (meaning discard most of it and feed it with fresh flour and water), and let it rise overnight. The following morning I feed it again (meaning discard most of it and feed it with fresh flour and water). Then I use it at its peak around midday or early evening.
So it finally worked! Day 10 and I have a young, active starter! Thank you!
Hooray 🎉🎉🎉
Hi, Ali! I’ve done a couple of your recipes before and worked wonders, so I decide to try my hand at sourdough starter, after several years without one. Everything went fine and my starter seemed active (had bubbles, smelled ok), but it didn’t rise on day 5. I proceeded anyway to move 128g of starter in a different container, fed it with 128g of flour and water and repeated this process until day 7, without seeing any type of rise, but noticing an increase in bubbles and the smell becoming more yeasty, in a pleasant way. On day 8, I decided to change the feeding ratio to 1:2:2 and noticed a rise of 50% after around 14 hours. I am now on day 9, have repeated the process with the same feeding ratio and waiting patiently to see how it’s gonna work out. I just wanted to ask: am I on the right path? Should I keep this feeding ratio from now on, even after my starter doubles in 5-6 hours? I have to mention that my home temperature is around 76, use filtered water and spelt flour (as no one delievers freshly milled flour in my area). Thank you so much! I’ve noticed you answer questions around here and that is why I dared to bother you with this.
Hi! And yes, I do answer questions here, so don’t hesitate to ask away 🙂
Regarding your question: yes, I think you are on the right path. I firmly believe that there isn’t a “right” way to do it and if you have success doing something a certain way, then stick to it! It sounds as though your feeding ratio is working, so keep at it. Once your starter doubles in 5-6 hours, I would stick to that ratio. When I feed my starter, I never actually way the “starter” amount — I discard everything down to about a tablespoon, then I feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water (75 grams each or so).
Hope that helps! Let me know if there is anything else and good luck 🙂
Hi Alex!
I am so excited to have found your site and SD recipes! I just started my SD journey and working on building my starter, I just have two questions:
1. I had to use bobs artisan bread flour as I couldn’t get freshly milled, is that okay?
2. Once my starter is active and strong, do I keep the feeding measurements 128g OR do I use the measurements in your other post about maintenance? I was a little confused so don’t want to mess up my starter once it’s active.
Thank you tons!!!
Bob’s should be fine, but if you are finding that the process is taking very long — as in after 5 days if you don’t see any activity — you may want to find some other flour. KAF organic is pretty readily available and there are others you can order. But definitely try with Bob’s first.
Once it’s strong, you can switch to the other measurements in the starter maintenance post, so that you’re not using quite as much flour with each feeding.
Good luck!
I am on day 6, continuing to feed daily or after doubling. Should lid by tight or open a bit?
I use a tight-fitting lid.
I don’t have fresh milled flour handy but would regular unbleach and enriched bread flour work for starting my start?
Yes, you can use that flour Lou! It may take a little bit longer to get going, but it will work.
So it’s my first time to attempt this, I am a bit confused, what do you mean by “discard “ like get rid of it or store it in the fridge as a go to to take some and add flour and water whenever I intend to bake sourdough bread?
You can either discard it as in you can throw it in the trash or you can store it in the fridge and use in any of the “discard” recipes suggested in the notes in the recipe box of the post. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
This might be a silly question LOL as I am an ignorant in the world of sourdough but have decided to be brave and attempt it. My question is if I intend to bake more than our sourdough bread loafs at the same time( say 3 loafs) then I can make three of 128s and feed them ( flour and water) separately. Correct? As in the whole starter thing is not only for one loaf and then discard the rest since I am not into the discard recipes. Please advise
Yes, you can do that. Before you use your starter in a recipe, you’ll want to make sure it is doubling in volume within 6 to 8 hours, so before you make the three starters, I would make sure you have one good strong reliable starter. Once you have that one good starter, you can make offshoots from it.
Help…. Just opted in for your sourdough starter videos which start tomorrow and realized it calls for pineapple juice. Im allergic…… canI use a different juice instead?
Darn! I just pulled out my Perfect Pan Pizza book, where I learned this method, and Peter Reinhart suggests using either pineapple juice, orange juice or water as the liquid. So, while I haven’t tried it, I’d say orange juice is safe bet. I just googled the “ph of orange juice” and it is very similar to that of pineapple juice, so it seems like a safe bet. Thanks for joining the challenge 🙂
Just joined your sourdough starter challenge. Does the 2 quart vessel have to seal?
It would be nice if it sealed! but you could cover the vessel with a sheet of plastic wrap and a plate if you don’t have a sealed vessel. The seal helps prevent a crust from forming on the starter as it sits.
What if I want to make a gluten free sourdough starter? Can I use King Auther Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour?
Hi Pamela! I wish it were so simple. I would google “gluten-free sourdough starter”… I have never made a gluten-free starter, and I’d hate to lead you astray. There are gluten-free bakers far more experienced than I am that will be better equipped to help with a gluten-free starter.
Can these steps be used with GF flour? Recommendations for brand?
I don’t think so! I would google “gluten-free sourdough starter”… I have never made a gluten-free starter, and I’d hate to lead you astray. I think there are nuances to the process that an experienced gluten-free baker would be better equipped to handle than I.
Can I use organic spelt flour to create the starter?
Yes, absolutely, go for it 🙂
Hi, Ali! I’m looking forward to starting my sourdough starter class this week! I am leaving on a 2 week vacation 2 weeks from today. Should I go ahead and start it, or if you were me, would you wait till I get back from vacation?
Start it! When you leave for vacation, you’ll store your starter in the fridge. It will be fine for 2 weeks. When you are ready to pick up the process when you return, it will be ready for you 🙂
Hi. I just started the Sourdough Challenge. I’ve been hesitant to start using sourdough because it seems so wasteful–you’re always throwing half of it away. My question: Chilly in my kitchen (I live in VT) so I did as you suggested, warming my oven for one minute. How often should I warm up the oven? And should I do it all week long? Thanks.
Thanks for joining 🙂 I hear you on the waste: it’s hard to get used to, but once you get in the habit of using the discard in various ways (other breads, waffles, tortillas, crackers are favorites for me), the whole process feels more manageable.
I would warm it up once a day, just to give the space that brief blast of heat. That should be enough.
I have a proof setting on my oven. Could I use that to place my container? it is almost always cold in my house.
How warm does it get with the proof setting on?
The manual says between 70 and 90 degrees.
Ok, ideally, you don’t want to go above 86ºF… if you have an oven thermometer that will allow you to monitor the temperature, then go for it. Otherwise, I’d stick to the “warm oven trick” (turning the oven on for one minute; then shutting it off) or just leave it on your countertop.
I am sad because my dough ball was not as sticky as yours. I used whole wheat freshly milled grain. Was that why?
Don’t be sad 🙂
I’m assuming you used a scale, correct? Did you mill the flour yourself? Regardless, don’t worry about the textural differences! You’re using great flour, and the small variance in the texture should not be an issue.
Yes, I used a scale and milled the grain myself.
Ok, freshly milled flour definitely is a little thirstier than commercial flour or than flour purchased from one of the small mills I mentioned — the flour I am using has some of the bran sifted away, so it will behave differently than yours. Do you use exclusively freshly milled flour in your breads?
Can I use King Arthur bread flour if I don’t have any of the ones you mention??
Yes!
Thank you for this amazing opportunity to ask questions.
I started yesterday, and because the weather ouside was so chilly, my oven was being used, and my kitchen was drafty, I put the starter in its plastic bucket on a proofing pad that heats to 70 degrees. This morning, I saw that there were areas of darker color on the top of the starter–along with some bubbles and a great aroma. Is that a problem? And if so, should I start over?
Hi! That’s no problem. 70ºF is a safe temperature. Is the vessel you are using lidded? I would just give the mixture a stir and re-cover the vessel. What type of flour are you using?
I’m using the Trailblazer bread flour you recommended. The pineapple juice, flour, and 70 degree heat underneath seem like they’re creating the most powerful reaction and aroma I’ve seen yet in my admittedly short-lived and highly checkered experience with sourdough.
Thanks so much for the reassurance. It actually looks more uniform (and less alarming) after I stirred it.
Yes, the vessel is lidded!
Wonderful! Pineapple juice + a cozy environment + great flour = prime condition for starter growth, so I’m not surprised you are seeing action so early on. Glad the mixture is looking better 🙂
I’m a day behind on the challenge, however my day two starter looks like your day 3 starter batter-like consistency and bubbles! My kitchen is very warm- 78ish degrees. Do I still wait another day before adding flour and water or should I go ahead and add it since it has already started fermenting?
I would just stick to the timeline. But that’s great news! My guess is that your starter is going to double in volume at day 4, but of course time will tell. Keep me posted!
So I finished day 6 and there are some bubbles and it floats but it’s barely rising. I haven’t tried the oven thing because my kitchen is around 77-78 degrees all the time. I’m using ka bread flour. I have another starter I got from a friend that I’ve been able to maintain without any issues but I
thought I’d just try doing one from scratch. Anything I need to change? Or should I just keep proceeding with daily feelings?
I would just keep proceeding with the daily feedings — it sounds as though it just needs a little bit more time. And try the warm oven trick — the even cozier environment might help 🙂
For the oven trick- heat for one minute, turn off, and put a freshly fed starter in. Leave it in the oven until the next day and then reheat it again right after feeding? Basically it’s heated for 1 minute a day? It’s rising about 20% consistently and floats. Still should be feeding only once daily til it rises more?
Yes, exactly re oven. If your kitchen is very cool, you could try warming your oven 2x a day. What day are you on with your starter. It sounds as though you could potentially move to twice a day feedings.
(there was no reply option on your response from 5/11. See your response below in the thread) This is day 8. Kitchen is 77-78.
Hi! Your kitchen is a great temperature, but if your starter isn’t doubling I would continue to do the warm oven trick, and I would move to feeding it two times a day — when it’s at its peak, discard most of it; then feed it with fresh flour and water.
Does that answer your question?
Yes, your response on 5/12 answers my question. Thanks!
Hi Ali,
Do I stir this starter more than once today or just the one time thank you.
Arlene
Once a day is fine!
Hi, Ali, thanks so much for these great instructions about making a starter! Am on Day 3 with you. I assume that I should keep using the same Cairnspring Mills Bread Flour every time I add flour?
Yes! We’ll switch to bread flour or ap flour in a few days, but the CM flour is great at this stage. And don’t worry: we will put all of it to use 🙂
Thanks!
Day 2. I stirred and put it in the oven (not preheated) instead of in our room because it is often cold. Is that ok? (I am one day behind)
Yes, that’s fine! You may want to do the warm oven trick to keep it cozy: preheat your oven for 1 minute (at any temperature); then shut it off. This brief preheat will just provide an initial blast of heat that will keep your starter cozy.
Hi Ali
I’m following you on day 2. My question is how many times do I stir mixture today? I stirred it right after I watched your video but not since. Thank you.
Arlene Hynes
Once a day is fine!
Hi. My starter looks ok but I wonder if I messed up…..on the first day, I only could find pineapple juice in the large can so I thought that would be ok and I proceeded to measure out 6 oz ( size of the small cans like you used) and then weighed it to find out how much it weighed. It was 172 g, considerably less than what you used (192g). I went ahead and used the juice and equal weight of flour.
Then on the 3rd day today, I wondered if the amount of flour/water that you used would be too much liquid for my 172 g. Does that matter or will I be safe with the 128g? It doesn’t seem too liquid-y but just concerned that maybe I should start over.
TY for your help!
It will be fine! You did the right thing by using an equal amount of flour to your original amount of pineapple juice. And the 128 grams of flour/water you added today is not too much for your original total starting amount… all good… promise!
It looks like my starter is developing hooch. I’m on day 4. Has that happened to anyone?
Just stir it back in! The hooch has lots of good things in it.
You mentioned someone making their own proofing box with a vegetable seed starting heating pad. Do you put the starter directly on the pad? Do you cover the box with anything? Also, what do you store your flour in? Thanks for your help.
Hi Susan,
Yes, if you scroll back to page one of the comments, you will find the women who commented outlining what she did:
She said her husband “got a box, lined it with a towel and brought in our seed heating pad (I live in rural Michigan, of course I have one). Note: A regular heating pad set on low would also work. He put the heating pad in the box, put another towel over that and plugged her in.”
I worry slightly about putting the starter directly on the pad… I think if you were to set it next to the pad with a box turned over it, that might be safer. You don’t want the environment to be much over 85ºF.
Oh, dear, I think. I had mold in my vessel when I looked today, day 3. I’m assuming that is a bad thing. Now what?
Hi! Are you sure its mold?! I’d hate for you to start over unnecessarily. You can email me a photo (alexandra@alexandracooks.com) if that’s helpful. Dried up starter on the inside of the vessel is fine! Mold is not.
Hi! I have a Wolf oven with a “proof” feature. It’s awesome and I use it for regular bread baking to get a nice rise. For the sour dough, I have been keeping it in the oven, with the PROOF feature, which is 85 degrees, 24/7. Am I doing the right thing? You suggested a nice warm kitchen, so I hope this is ok!
That’s great! As long as it doesn’t go above 85ºF. Yay for joining the challenge, Nancy 🙂
Goodmorning, im doing the sourdough challenge with you and im the one who is allergic to pineapple. I used orange juice instead and im working a day behind your posts so I am on day 4 today. I just opened my vessel to add my flour and water and there is a bit of liqueur ( i think thats what the watery stuff is called) on top of mine today. I went ahead and added my flour and water and stirred really well. Now it’s looking quite bubbly. It smells ok, but was just surprised to see so much liqueur on top and wondering if im ok?
That’s OK! That’s what’s called “the hooch” and it’s filled with good things. Stirring it back in was the right thing to do.
I am using the 2-quart vessel that you recommended. Yesterday was Day 4 of the challenge. This morning, I discovered that my sourdough starter rose so much overnight that it completely filled the vessel and dripped down the side. Is my starter in progress still good?
Wow! That is insane but also great news. Progress is definitely good. Today you are creating a smaller offshoot, so just wipe down the sides of your old vessel and give that mixture a stir. It will be headed to the fridge soon, once you complete day 5 tasks.