I’ve been asked a few times for my simple sourdough starter recipe and after talking with my Nana recently who is 94 years young and how she used to feed hers with milk and sugar… I know not of that method. But I can say this one hasn’t hurt me and my whole loaf got eat up in that same conversation’s evening, so… I’m just saying… keep reading.

glass quart jar with actively bubbly sourdough starter filled to the top on a marble counter top — *Very active sourdough starter in the summer*

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Sourdough Disclaimer:

I am not a sourdough expert. This is the “Glen Howerton’s Starter” recipe from The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. It’s simplicity resonated with me; however, I didn’t find any feeding instructions to go with it in that book so that was trial and error for me with the help of the internet. I’m sure there are better ways to do sourdough starter.

Also to be noted: I use organic all-purpose flour; not bread flour. I’ve heard of friends have quick success with active starter using non-organic bread flour.

Does Sourdough Scare You?

One thing I want to discuss is how afraid people are of starting sourdough.

There’s nothing to be afraid of, I promise! It’s flour and water. It ferments on the counter for a few days and the end result is fantastic homemade bread without added preservatives and harmful additives. It is not time consuming and the care is easy.

These days I’m more afraid of the long ingredient list on a bag of bread than starting to bake my own at home. The sourdough process has been the way to make bread for hundreds, thousands of years! It’s literally nothing new. What’s to lose just trying this simple sourdough starter recipe?

Trigger Warning?

Also, and this may trigger some of my fellow sourdough veterans but here goes.

I have not mastered the round, scored, stunning artisan sourdough loaf. I’ve only tried it one time so far and it didn’t go well.

UPDATE: I’ve since made 3 other artisan loaves and they have turned out beautifully using a different recipe than my first time. I highly advocate for trial and error and keep trying!

I do not own a weck jar or a bench scraper. Sourdough blasphemy, I know! I don’t even own round wicker baskets. What is wrong with me!? How could I possibly be here on the internet writing a simple sourdough starter recipe?! Yet, here I am.

Here’s Why You Should Keep Reading, Though…

What I have been able to master with my sourdough starter is the sandwich loaf. One so good, I’ve got zero desire to buy store bread ever again. A bread so yummy, we have a hard time not eating half of it warm, fresh from the oven. No harmful, hard to pronounce ingredients. Just simple, wholesome ones.

But, first… we start the starter!

homemade loaf of sourdough bread in a clear glass loaf pan on black glass stovetop — *Beautiful and delicious, easy sourdough sandwich bread*

You Can SOURDOUGH!

My suggestion to you is to give this simple sourdough starter a little more than a week of your time and attention. We’re talking like 5 mins a day, if that! You can do this. Sourdough is completely worth it. I promise.

Simple Sourdough Starter Recipe

Day 1

Start in a quart mason jar: 1 cup of all purpose flour (I prefer an organic kind like Arrowhead Mills) and 1 cup of filtered water.

I have well water with a house filter so I use it right out of the faucet and haven’t had any issues. Mix well. Cover with a light cloth or coffee filter, let sit for 2 days. If it’s fall out and fruit gnat season, secure that cloth or filter with something heavy like a plastic freezer jar lid.

NOTE ABOUT WATER:

If you are on municipal water, use filtered water or bottled water. The added chemicals to county/town water can cause your starter not to do right.

quart mason jar, stainless steel measuring cup with flour in it, clear and red glass measuring cup with water in it, and wooden spoon on a wooden table — *Simple Sourdough Starter materials*

Day 3

Next, take a peek and a sniff. Does it appear to have liquid on top or looser in texture than day 1? Does it smell unpleasant, a little sour? Stir up again. Save 1/2 cup of starter and discard the rest in the trash can (do not use this yet). Feed the starter in a new mason jar with 1/2 cup very warm water and 1 skant cup of flour (skant is just under a whole actual cup measurement- just eyeball it). Mix well and let sit covered for 2 more days.

one large glass jar on the left filled half way with flour and woman's hand with measuring cup scooping out flour. Quart glass jar with black and teal silicone spoon inside it, sitting in mixture of water and starter — *Feeding my starter*

Day 5

Repeat day 3’s instructions.

Day 7

By this time you should be seeing bubbles and your starter may become “hoochy”- develops a terribly sour smell and possibly a light brown liquid juice on top. Do not fear! This is a good thing. Stir it in then continue with your discard and feeding as stated above in Day 3.

top view of sourdough starter with bubbles on the surface in a clear glass jar on a wooden surface — *Top view of 2 day old “mature” starter’s bubbles*

Day 9

Today you should see bubbles in your jar and your starter should almost double in size, 3/4 of the way to the top of the jar or more. This means your starter is active and ready to use! Time to get to baking. Coming soon: the sourdough sandwich loaf I’ve gotten pretty good at. And I’m confident you will too!

More Disclaimer: Yes I use a metal measuring cup to measure out my starter but I haven’t had any issues yet with it. Stir with wooden or silicone utensils is what I’ve always heard. If you see mold or smell is not sour, throw away starter and begin again. THIS MAY HAPPEN AND IT IS OKAY! This is a learning experience! More tips below.

glass jar with active sourdough starter inside bubbling. Brown coffee filter and gray plastic freezer jar lid on top — *Active sourdough starter in the winter*

Simple Sourdough Starter Recipe

Prep Time3

Active Time9

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beginner sourdough, simple, sourdough, sourdough starter, starter

Yield: 1 cup of starter

Equipment

1 glass quart jar such as Ball
2 measuring cups 1 cup and 1/2 cup
1 wooden or silicone spoon

Materials

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup very warm, filtered water

Instructions

Day 1- Start in a quart mason jar: 1 cup of all purpose flour (I prefer an organic kind like Arrowhead Mills, unaffiliated, not an ad) and 1 cup of filtered water.
Mix well and cover with a light cloth or coffee filter.
Let sit for 2 days, checking by sight and smell daily. At some point during this week, your starter may become “hoochy”- develops a terribly sour smell and possibly a light brown liquid juice on top. Do not fear! This is a good thing. Mix it in before feeding.
Day 3- Mix up again (metal utensils not recommended).
Save 1/2 cup of starter and discard the rest (do not use this yet).
Feed the starter in a new mason jar with 1/2 cup very warm water and a skant cup of flour (just under a whole actual cup measurement- just eyeball it).
Mix well and let sit covered 2 more days.
Day 5- Repeat feeding in a new jar: 1/2 cup starter, 1/2 cup very warm water, and 1 skant cup of flour. If you see any mold in starter, discard entire jar's contents and start over. You may see bubbles on top and sides. This is a good thing. Let sit for 2 more days.
Day 7- Check by sight and smell. Look for bubbles and a sour smell. Repeat feeding again. This should be your 3rd feeding.
Day 9- If you are seeing bubbles and the starter has nearly doubled in size or more, it is ready to use for baking!

Notes

See blog post for more tips/troubleshooting your simple sourdough starter recipe at www.johnsonhomenc.com

woman with long blonde hair in a white tee shirt with blue and red stripes and writing holding glass jar with sourdough inside, a brown coffee filter on top with a gray freezer jar lid — *Sourdough kind of becomes your best kitchen friend*

Extra Tips

do not pour discard down the drain! It will become like cement. Make some crackers or look up sourdough discard recipes (see below for DISCARD RECIPES!).
Use filtered water as chemicals added to municipal waters can react with the ferment in a negative way.
There are ways to make gluten free sourdough bread and if you need this recipe, definitely look into it! I have no experience to add here on the topic but I know it exists.
Always feed in a clean glass jar.
If your starter is not smelling sour but more sweet or moldy, discard its entirety and use this recipe to start over.
A mature starter can be left on the counter for up to 2 full days before using and it will be extra sour (great crackers!).
Always look and sniff before using/stirring starter to check for signs of mold.
Dry out and save some active starter discard in case you ever have to start all the way over. It’s way less time to rehydrate starter.

What Now?

Now that your simple sourdough starter is complete and ready to use, here’s how to keep your starter alive.

To Use Your Starter:

Find your desired recipe and use the amount of starter it calls for. Some recipes will call for active starter meaning it’s bubbly. Some will call for discard. This is what is usually not as bubbly. You can store any bubbly starter leftovers in the fridge for a day for the fermenting to slow.
Save 1/2 cup of starter and feed it as per feeding instructions. Cover and let it ferment. You’ll be able to use it in 24 hours. As your starter matures over the weeks and months, you may find it becoming active in less time.
Any starter leftover after your recipe and new jar is started, use it for 3 ingredient sourdough discard crackers! They taste like cheese crackers but with no cheese in them! My kids are still blown away by this. Or any other discard recipe you find.
** REMEMBER NOT TO POUR ANY STARTER DISCARD DOWN THE DRAIN OR YOU WILL HAVE PLUMBING ISSUES!!
If you go on vacation and don’t take your sourdough starter with you (I did this summer to grab some “wild yeast”), just put it as is in the fridge. Feed it on return. It can last a real long time in fridge!

My weekly baking rhythm with Sarah Dough

Here is my weekly baking rhythm with my Sarah Dough sourdough starter. Click HERE for full details and recipes!

inactive starter in a glass jar with gray plastic freezer lid on top sitting on a marble counter top — *Inactive sourdough starter. Take 1/2 for a new jar, use the other for discard crackers*

Do You Need Sourdough Starter?

Don’t have 9 days to start your own sourdough starter? I can help save you about six days by sending you some of my own dried sourdough starter. It takes about 5 mins of your time each day for 3 days to restart it.

Inquire about Sourdough Starter from me by emailing katie@johnsonhomenc.com

SOURDOUGH DISCARD RECIPES:

Check out the entire Sourdough section of my blog to find many discard recipes that I’ll continue to add to as I try and fall in love with them.

Some you’ll find in the link below are pancakes, crackers, sandwich bread (2 different recipes- one slow and one fast!), tortilla wraps, graham crackers, bagels, and more,

SOURDOUGH RECIPES

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How to Make Simple Sourdough Starter in 9 Days

Sourdough Disclaimer:

Does Sourdough Scare You?

Trigger Warning?

Here’s Why You Should Keep Reading, Though…

You Can SOURDOUGH!