Simple Sourdough Starter
Basic sourdough starter
Servings Prep Time
1 2hours
Passive Time
7days
Servings Prep Time
1 2hours
Passive Time
7days
Instructions
  1. Day 1 – Take a clean 500 ml jar and mix 40g of dark rye flour and 40g non chlorinated water. I use tap water passed through a Brita filter. Mix it well until a paste-like consistency is achieved. Close the jar lid loosely and let it stand for 24 hours, at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Make a mark with a marker on the side of the jar, indicating the mixture’s level.
  2. Day 2 – If everything goes well, you should see some bubbles forming at this time. Add 30g of dark rye flour and 30g of water and mix well with a clean spoon. Close the jar lid loosely and let it sit on the counter for another 24 hours.
  3. Day 3 – By this time you should see more activity and your mixture could even double, from original volume, as indicated by the mark on the side of the jar. If it did double, discard about 2/3 of the mixture and add 30g of whole grain rye flour and 30g of water. Mix well until the paste- like mixture is formed. Close the jar lid loosely and let it sit for 24 hours. If the mixture does not appear to be active yet /did not increase in volume, discard ½ of the mixture and repeat directions from Day 2.
  4. Day 4 – By now your starter should be active and should have doubled or tripled in volume over the last 24 hours. If that is the case, discard 2/3 of the mixture, adding 30g of whole rye flour, and 30g of water. Mix well to a paste-like consistency. Close the jar lid loosely and let sit for 24 hours.
  5. Day 5 – Your starter has to consistently triple in volume before it is ready for bread baking. If that is not the case, keep repeating the step described under Day 4.
Recipe Notes

It may take another few days of refreshing, but after a week you should have a starter that easy triples in volume over  12-24 hour period, and have a nice fruity smell. At that point, you can use it for baking or store it in the fridge.