Making sourdough at home is easy with this complete guide! It will explain every step, from the necessary ingredients to daily maintenance, to make naturally tasty bread.
Go straight to the section that interests you:
- Where does sourdough come from?
- Sourdough starter ingredients
- Easy sourdough starter recipe
- How to use and maintain your sourdough
- FAQ
- Get the tools!
Where Does Sourdough Come From?
Sourdough, also known as natural leaven, is a fermentation method several thousand years old. Before the use of commercial yeast, all breads and buns were made using sourdough.
This is a simple mixture of flour and water, creating a living ecosystem of good bacteria and wild yeast. This ancestral technique gives the bread a unique flavour and a long shelf life.
The Sourdough Ecosystem
The magic of natural sourdough lies in its ecosystem. Thanks to the flour and water, lactic acid bacteria and yeast develop, producing gas that makes the dough rise. It is this fermentation process that gives the bread its volume, texture, and distinctive aromas. Without fermentation, you’d just get a flat, tasteless loaf.
Sourdough breads are renowned for their digestibility, aromatic complexity, and superior shelf life. Thanks to natural fermentation, homemade bread is also more resistant to mould.
Sourdough Vocabulary
Making sourdough also means acquiring a basic vocabulary to help you better understand the process and the various stages involved. Here are a few essential terms to easily familiarize yourself with the basic principles of how to make sourdough bread starter:
- Sourdough: A naturally fermenting mixture of flour and water used to make bread dough rise.
- Feeding / Refreshing: Feeding the sourdough starter with new flour and water to maintain its activity.
- Fermentation: The process by which yeast and bacteria transform sugar and produce gas, allowing the dough to rise.
- Wild yeast: Yeast naturally present in the air, in flour, on utensils, and different from commercial yeast.
- Hydration: Ratio of water to flour in a sourdough or dough.
- Rise: Term used to define the phase when the sourdough rises.
- Breadmaking: All the operations involved in transforming flour into bread.
- Sourdough Starter / Mother: The basic sourdough that is kept to make a fully active sourdough for each breadmaking process.
- Fully Active Sourdough: Refreshed (fed) sourdough from the sourdough mother used to make bread.
- Sourdough Discard: Part of the sourdough that is removed from the sourdough mother before each feeding.
- Liquid/Hard Sourdough: Different consistencies of sourdough depending on the ratio of water and flour.
Which Ingredients for Making Sourdough?
Making homemade sourdough calls for just two ingredients: flour and water. This simple mixture will nourish the yeast and bacteria needed for fermentation.
Which Flour to Use for Sourdough?
To make sourdough bread starter, opt for nutrient-rich flours such as rye or whole wheat flour. Their high fibre and mineral content promote the development of the yeast and bacteria needed for fermentation. Organic whole-grain flours are particularly recommended for a vigorous sourdough.
You can also use gluten-free flour such as buckwheat or brown rice. This allows you to adapt the recipe for people on a gluten-free diet.
Which Water to Use for Sourdough?
Preferably use filtered or chlorine-free water to avoid contaminants that could affect the development of microorganisms and interfere with fermentation. Tap water, which is often chlorinated, can interfere with fermentation.
To find out more, see our guide ‘Which water for my fermentations?’
Practical tip: Save time by opting for ready-to-use sourdough!
Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe
Equipment
- 1 wide mouth jar (approx. 500 ml)
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 spoon or mixing tool
Ingredients
First day
- 50 g flour (½ cup)
- 50 g water (¼ cup)
Subsequent days
- 25 g flour (¼ cup)
- 25 g water (⅛ cup)
Steps
Day 1
- Pour 50 g of water into the clean glass jar.
- Add 50 g of flour and mix well to obtain a smooth dough.
- Close the jar loosely and let it rest for 24 hours in a warm place out of the sun (ideally between 23 and 30°C).
Day 2
- Remove half the sourdough and put it aside.
- Add 25 g of flour and 25 g of water to the remaining sourdough and mix well. This step is called a feeding.
- Close the jar loosely and let it rest in a warm place for 24 hours.
- Place a rubber band around the jar to mark the height of the mixture and better observe its growth.
Day 3 and more
- Repeat the steps from day 2 every day.
- Monitor the growth of the sourdough. Over the feedings, bubbles will appear, and a tangy smell will develop, the result of the development of the desired yeast and bacteria.
- When the sourdough has doubled in volume over 12 hours for two consecutive days, it is ready to use. The whole process can take up to 7 days.
Video
Notes
And Then… What Do I Do With My Sourdough?
Congratulations, your sourdough is alive!
You can now use it in your bread, brioche, pancakes, pizza, and other recipes.
However, now that your sourdough is active, you need to learn how to look after it and how to use it so that you can enjoy it for as long as possible!
How to Maintain and Preserve Your Sourdough
Feeding the sourdough starter is an essential part of making sourdough. To keep your sourdough vigorous, it’s best to feed it every day if you keep it at room temperature.
If you don’t use it regularly, keep it in the fridge. It will keep for several weeks or even months.
In this case, feed it at least 4 hours before making your bread, until it has doubled in volume.
Depending on how long it has been in the fridge, you may need to feed it several times to fully revive it.
If you want to take a longer break, put your sourdough in the freezer or dehydrate it. To reactivate it, make several feedings until it regains its vitality.
How to Use Sourdough to Make Homemade Bread
The quantity of sourdough required generally varies between 15% and 30% of the weight of the flour. For example, for 500g of flour, you will need 75g to 150g of liquid sourdough. Measure the ingredients with a weighing scale for greater accuracy, as sourdough can contain air, distorting volume measurements.
Important: Always keep some of your sourdough starter to be able to feed it and use it again.
If you have 100g of sourdough, feed it and you’ll have a fully active sourdough, which is the one used to make bread. Take the amount you need for the recipe and keep the rest in a cool place until you need it again. This way, you can use it indefinitely.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sourdough
Why Remove Half the Sourdough When Feeding Sourdough Starter and What Can Be Done With It?
To avoid ending up with several litres of sourdough, we always remove half of it (sourdough discard) and replace it with flour and water. In this way, you always keep the same quantity of sourdough starter.
Sourdough discard is less active than a newly fed sourdough. Nevertheless, you can incorporate it into your recipes for pancakes, crackers, etc.
👉 Discover our Sourdough Discard Pancake recipe.
Why Is My Sourdough Flat After Being Active for 3 Days?
This is perfectly normal!
Sourdough goes through several microbiological stages before stabilizing. The microorganisms responsible for these initial bursts are only transitory and will soon be replaced by other, more stable yeast and bacteria.
It can take up to 2 weeks of daily feedings before it becomes well established. So, keep going until the sourdough regularly doubles in volume.
Why Does My Sourdough Smell of Alcohol or Nail Varnish?
Sourdough naturally has a vinegary smell, souring over time. This smell can intensify, turning to nail varnish or white spirit, which means your sourdough is hungry. Feed it quickly to restore its energy.
Why Has My Sourdough Separated Into 2 Layers?
When stored in the fridge, sourdough can sometimes separate, leaving a layer of water on the surface. This water, which may be grey or brown, is not usually a problem. Drain the water or re-mix it with the sourdough, then feed to revive the activity of the microorganisms.
What Should I Do if There’s Black Mould on My Sourdough?
Although rare, black mould can develop on forgotten or poorly maintained sourdough. It’s a sign that the microorganism colony is weakened and contaminated. In this case, it is unfortunately preferable to throw out all the sourdough and start again from scratch, carefully disinfecting the container to avoid further contamination.
What Is the Ideal Temperature for Fermenting My Sourdough?
To ferment your sourdough, a temperature between 23-30°C (74-86°F) is ideal. Within this range, yeast and bacteria develop in a balanced way, ensuring quality fermentation and producing bread with subtle aromas and a good texture. (ref.)
Above 30°C (86°F), yeast development will stop, unbalancing the sourdough. In addition, lactic acid and acetic bacteria will develop significantly, giving the sourdough a more sour, alcoholic smell and the bread a more pronounced acidity.
Below 23°C (77°F), fermentation slows down: the lactic acid bacteria characteristic of sourdough will develop little or not at all, and the associated qualities such as aroma and texture will be affected, resulting in a less aromatic bread with a less structured crumb.
Aim for a temperature of around 25°C for best results.
For even more details, see Best Temperature for Fermentation?
What Should I Do if My Sourdough Doesn’t Double in Volume After Several Days?
If you’ve just started making your sourdough, it’s normal for it to grow unevenly at first.
Persevere with daily feedings! However, if after 7 days the sourdough still shows no signs of activity, it may be that something harmful has interrupted its development, such as chlorinated water, flour containing pesticides, or the addition of salt. In this case, it’s best to start again with new ingredients and check the temperature and hygiene conditions.
Can I Make My Sourdough With Gluten-Free Flour?
Yes, it’s definitely possible, by following the same protocol as for traditional sourdough. See the homemade sourdough recipe section.
How Do I Adjust My Sourdough if I Want My Bread to Be More or Less Tangy?
The more successive feedings you make, the less acidic your sourdough will be, giving the bread a milder flavour. However, the character of the bread will also be affected. It’s up to you to find the right balance between acidity and flavour.
The temperature at which the sourdough is fermented also influences its acidity and the resulting bread. See our section ‘What’s the ideal temperature for fermenting my sourdough’ for more details.
Using a liquid sourdough will generally produce tangier bread, while a hard sourdough will produce more subtle flavours and less acidity.
Can I Feed My Sourdough With Flour Other Than the One I Started With?
Yes, once your sourdough has stabilized (about 10 days), you can feed it with a different flour. However, avoid highly refined flours, which lack nutrients and could weaken your sourdough.
Can I Make Sourdough With Several Different Flours (e.g. Wheat and Rye)?
Absolutely! Making sourdough with several flours, such as wheat and rye, is possible. Combining different flours enriches the sourdough thanks to their complementary nutrients.
However, if you’re just beginning, it’s best to start with a single flour. This simplifies the process and allows you to master the steps.
Once you’re comfortable, you can experiment by adding other flours and seeing how this affects the taste and texture of your loaves.
Get the Tools!
We recommend the following products for making sourdough starter.
This sourdough recipe is very helpful! It is more informative than an on-line course I just took through Udemy. Thanks!