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A close-up of a freshly baked sourdough bread with a crispy crust.

How to grow sourdough bread Sourdough Bread

This recipe outlines the simple steps to cultivate your own sourdough starter, the base for delicious homemade sourdough bread. It involves regular feeding and maintenance to ensure a robust and active starter.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 1 starter
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sourdough Starter
  • 50 g all-purpose flour
  • 50 g warm water

Equipment

  • small, clear jar
  • lid or plastic wrap

Method
 

Growing the Starter
  1. On day 1, combine 50g all-purpose flour and 50g warm water in a small, clear jar, mixing well to create a thick batter.
  2. Cover the jar loosely with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature (around 70-75°F / 21-24°C) for 24 hours.
  3. On day 2, add another 50g flour and 50g warm water to the jar, stir, cover, and let rest for 24 hours.
  4. Repeat this feeding process on day 3, adding 50g flour and 50g warm water, stirring, covering, and letting it rest.
  5. From day 4 onward, discard half of the starter before each feeding, then add 50g flour and 50g warm water, ensuring a consistent feeding schedule.
  6. Continue feeding daily until your starter is consistently active, bubbly, and doubles in size within 4-8 hours after feeding, which usually takes about 7-10 days.

Notes

The ideal temperature for sourdough starter activity is around 70-75°F (21-24°C). If your home is cooler, it might take longer for the starter to become active. If you see mold at any point, discard the starter and start over. A healthy starter should smell tangy and yeasty, never foul.