Easy Sourdough Starter Guide, by Brian Lagerstrom on YouTube. 8 min 16 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 16 s
- Time to do it
- 6 days, about 5 minutes of wor
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
On day 1, add 150 g room temperature water and 100 g whole grain rye flour to a tall container. Stir until combined, then set the lid on loosely.
Leave the container at room temperature for 24 hours.
On day 2, discard about half the mixture. Add 150 g water and 100 g rye flour, stir, and cover loosely.
On day 3, weigh out 75 g of the starter and discard the rest. Add 75 g water, 35 g all purpose flour and 35 g rye flour, then stir and cover loosely.
On days 4 and 5, repeat the day 3 feeding once every 24 hours.
On day 6, your starter is ready to bake with. To keep it going, weigh 25 g starter and discard the rest.
Add 50 g room temperature water and 50 g all purpose flour to the 25 g starter. Stir, cover loosely and leave at room temperature.
Repeat this 25 g starter, 50 g water, 50 g flour feeding every 24 hours to maintain it.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the lid loose so gas can escape and the starter does not build pressure.
Use filtered or distilled water and keep it at room temperature for more consistent results.
Weigh everything on a digital scale instead of using cups for accuracy.
If you bake often, feed the starter more than once a day to keep it strong.
Questions
How do I know my starter is ready to use?
By day 6 it should be active and bubbly after feeding. If it looks flat or smells off, keep feeding it daily until it rises reliably.
Can I use a different flour than rye?
The capture stage uses whole grain rye because it ferments well. Once established, the maintenance feedings use all purpose flour.
What if I forget to feed it one day?
Just resume the daily feeding when you remember. A short gap is usually fine, but keep it at room temperature and watch for mold.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
