Sourdough Starter From Scratch
A bubbly, tangy sourdough starter made from just flour and water, with a simple day by day feeding plan.
- Time7 days (5 minutes a day)
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.20 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Day 1: put 50 g of the wholemeal flour and 50 ml of the water in a clean 1 litre jar. Stir to a thick paste and scrape down the sides. Rest the lid on top without sealing it. Leave somewhere at room temperature, ideally 22 to 26C, for 24 hours.
1440 min - 2
Day 2: you may see a few bubbles or none at all. Stir in another 50 g wholemeal flour and 50 ml water, cover loosely and leave for 24 hours.
1440 min - 3
Day 3: tip away all but 50 g of the mixture. Stir in the last 50 g wholemeal flour and 50 ml water. It should be bubbly by now. A sharp, cheesy or even nail varnish smell around days 3 and 4 is normal and fades.
1440 min - 4
Days 4 to 7: each day, keep only 50 g of the starter and throw the rest away (or save it for pancakes). Feed the 50 g with 50 g strong white flour and 50 ml water. Stir well, cover loosely and leave for 24 hours.
- 5
From day 5, if it rises and bubbles well after each feed, feed it every 12 hours instead of every 24. A rubber band round the jar at the level of the starter shows how far it has risen.
- 6
It is ready when it doubles in 4 to 8 hours after a feed, is full of bubbles, smells tangy like plain yoghurt with a yeasty note, and a spoonful floats in a glass of water. If it is not there by day 7, keep feeding for a few more days.
- 7
To keep it, store the jar in the fridge and feed it once a week. Take it out and feed it twice at room temperature before you bake. If you ever see pink or orange streaks or fuzzy mould, bin it and start again.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
