Sourdough Starter Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Peter Reinhart

Adapted by Oliver Strand

Sourdough Starter Recipe (1)

Total Time
4 to 8 days
Rating
4(2,188)
Notes
Read community notes

This is an adaptation of the instructions for making a starter outlined by Peter Reinhart in his “Artisan Breads Every Day.” It takes a little more or less than a week of mixing flour with liquid – Mr. Reinhart starts with unsweetened pineapple juice (though you could also use orange juice or apple cider), then switches to water – to achieve a vigorous, living starter. Once it is bubbling and fragrant, with a light yeasty-boozy scent, you can use it and feed it daily with a cup of flour and a half-cup of water. Or put the starter in the refrigerator and feed it weekly, always discarding (or using!) a cup of the original when you do. (All measurements are by weight.) —Oliver Strand

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Ingredients

Yield:2 pizza recipes and leftover starter

  • 16ounces flour
  • 3ounces pineapple juice
  • 10ounces filtered or spring water

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

424 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 6 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Sourdough Starter Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Make seed culture: Combine 1 ounce of the flour and 2 ounces pineapple juice in a large glass or small nonreactive bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature, stirring with a wet spoon twice a day. Bubbles should appear after 24 to 36 hours. After 48 hours, add 1 ounce flour and remaining pineapple juice, stirring to incorporate. Re-cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature, stirring with a wet spoon twice a day. When it is foamy, in 1 to 4 days, combine 2 ounces flour and 1 ounce filtered or spring water in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add seed culture, stirring to incorporate, and re-cover with plastic wrap. Stir twice a day to aerate.

  2. Step

    2

    When mixture has doubled in bulk, in 1 to 2 days, convert it into a starter: Combine 12 ounces flour and 9 ounces filtered or spring water in bowl. Add 4 ounces of seed culture mixture (discard the rest, or use to make a second starter) and mix until fully incorporated. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. It should have the consistency of bread dough. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl and let rest at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 4 to 8 hours. Knead lightly, then store in container with tight-fitting lid (container must be large enough to let starter triple in bulk). Store in refrigerator.

Tip

  • Every 5 to 10 days the starter will need to be fed with more flour and water. Follow the directions in step 2 above, substituting starter for seed culture.

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Chris

PLEASE... When you cite measurements for both liquids and solids in "ounces" it's ambiguous--are we talking fluid ounces or weights? Please specify grams for each ingredient, as we baker's are being strongly encouraged to measure all ingredients in this more precise way. Thanks!

Mary Laves

See easier to follow recipe in a serires of posts.

Seed Culture:
1.Mix 1 oz. Flour & 2 oz. Unsweetned fruit juice (Stir twice day)
2.48 hours: Add 1 oz. Flour and 1 oz. Juice. ( Stir twice a day)
3.1 to 4 days: When foamy combine 2oz flour and 1 oz. Filtered water. Add seed culture, stir to incorpoate. (Stir twice a day)

DonR9

I'm confused. I now have the completed starter recipe in the fridge and it seems to have tripled in volume. What next? To make bread or pizza dough, do I now use that starter as is, or do I add it to more flour, water and what else; and, if so, in what proportions? Sorry to be so dense about this

SteveB

Just to set the record straight and give credit where credit is due, the use of pineapple juice to inhibit Leuconostoc bacteria growth during the initial phase of sourdough culture creation was discovered by microbiologist Debra Wink and colleagues back in 2002 (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1 and http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2). Perhaps it should be called The Wink Method.

Gemma Seymour @gcvsa

So far as I am aware, any acid will do. I prefer to start mine with actively fermenting apple cider. I buy gallon jugs of local sweet cider that has been lightly pasteurised, fit them with brewer's airlocks, and make hard cider. When it is in the early stages of ferment, I pour some off to make a new starter, if I've let my last one die. Incidentally, a thin sourdough starter can be cooked just like pancakes, with a touch of salt added. Best pancakes/panbreads I've ever tasted.

Paul

I used flour and water, added air and a little time, just like the Tartine recipe, no acid; it's alive and well 8 months later. I refresh it every 10-14 days if not baking (an excellent opportunity, by the way, to see if anything else in the fridge needs refreshing) or daily if I am, by mixing 1/4 cup starter with 1/2 each flour and water, while the French press steeps, the milk heats and the quail forage. It fits easily into the morning routine.

Sam Fromartz

72 F is a bit cool to get a starter going. You will get more activity at a warmer temperature (the sweet spot is 78-80 F). If you kitchen is below <72 F it will be very hard to get this culture going. One tip:mix in warmer water to start (around 90 F, so the starter mixture ends up around 80 F). Or place the starter in a cabinet high up in the kitchen. Or, in an oven next to the oven light.

Anna newton

If the US went metric it would be clear: liters and milliliters for volume and grams for weight.

Lucy

No, the pineapple juice is definitely for acid. See Debra Vink's excellent description of the microbiology that led to the development of the pineapple juice starter, here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1

MP cormier

I thought I understood what this was: instructions for a sourdough starter. But rereading instructions & some comments, it isn't clear to me what part of the instructions are a starter and what part is Pizza dough. Is step 1 the starter and step 2 the pizza dough? Are both steps the starter. And if so, why does the note at the top of the recipe refer to Pizza dough? I hope some can help soon, because at the end of step 1 and I'm not sure where to go next.

George

Silly silly silly...one cup of unbleached flour, one cup of spring water mix in a non reactive bowl, leave in covered on the counter for two days, stirring the mixture occasionally. Add a cup of whole grain flour and a cup of spring water; adding a tablespoon of pineapple juice if you'd like it might speed the process, or 1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast if you don't mind breaking the rules...otherwise just wait for the bubbles.. So simple

Dick Voelkel

Why throw away any excess starter? Use it all to make the bread except 1/4 cup for the next starter! Waste not; want not! Works for me.

Sharala

IMPORTANT: This is VERY forgiving process. Not rocket science. I read a lot of recipes and determined ratio when feeding is one part seed to one part water to 2 parts flour. More or less. Lol. I put back in same jar in fridge. (I keep the empty jar in fridge overnight while feeding the starter.) So far no problems with spoilage. Got this idea from guy in Alaaka on YouTube. Also, brown liquid on top is ok. Byproduct. Just stir it back in.

tom mcmahon

My question also. VERY unclear! I thought 'starter' WAS 'seed culture.' If not, what the heck is the difference? And what yeast beast now lies in my fridge? It's just dough not starter, right? And why aren't there ANY replies to all the confused posts? Makes me want to punch some dough - really hard.

Lilikoi

For pineapple juice, substitute water potatoes were cooked in. Makes a wonderful starter.

Joby

This recipe assumes that the reader already knows all of the terminology. At what point do you have something that you can use as dough? Seed? Starter? Are we using weight or volume in ounces? Lots of undefined terms. This could be a really helpful recipe with a bit of editing and clarification.

Robin Fireman

I’m confused at when it’s a starter? I’m in the 1-4 day period currently.

finoula

I looked up Reinhart and it is flour by wt (28.5 g per oz) and liquid oz for liquids. And there is a reason to use pineapple juice. was shocked to see this kind of carelessness. Why is NA so slow to grams?

Ariel

What is "seed culture mixture"?

Lynne

I am a baker (but not bread) and am confused ... what is "seed culture?"

TJS

adding the pineapple hastens the process of activating starter without adding in sweetness. I use gold yeast, just a pinch to continue the process in the dough. The pinch of gold yeast is to stop the competition for hydration by the added fruit sugar. Works great

Mimi

For seed culture in metric weight: 1. Mix 28g flour & 57g unsweetened fruit juice (Stir twice day)2. After 48 hours: Add 28g flour and 28g unsweetened juice. (Stir twice a day)3. When foamy (between 1 to 4 days): combine 57g flour and 28g of filtered water. Add seed culture, stir to incorporate. (Stir twice a day)To convert it into a starter: Combine 340g flour and 255g filtered water in bowl. Add 113g of seed culture mixture (discard the rest, or use to make a second starter)

Liz in Arizona

My starter is five years old, and I have never used juice. It is simply unbleached flour and dechlorinated water. It is amazingly resilient, forgiving lapses in feeding. It has also survived absences of three weeks, when its babysitter failed to feed it. It makes outstanding pancakes and bread. Read up on the King Arthur website. Wild yeast don't need no stinkin' juice! ;)

Dave M

Will canned pineapple juice work, or should it be "fesh"?

Alan

Since Chris's complaint about "ounces" measurement has 822 thumbs up, evidently quite a few of you are similarly confused. Liquids (juice and water) are in fluid ounces; flour is by weight. But given that "a pint's a pound the world around," it's not gonna make any difference either way.

James

For this recipe: While the recipe is ambiguous in terms which 'ounce' weight OR fluid, you'll only be off 4% which will make no difference whatsoever for a starter. Also hopefully you have a scale with fractional measurements of ounce so, for this recipe, it will be as good as grams.

peter

What is seed culture? Thank you for your help.Peter

Lori Glier

Have made this sourdough starter from scratch. Just love it ! They say if you don't give your starter a name it is bad luck . So I named my starter Doughbalina! I have made waffles from this starter, dill sourdough crackers. Also my English muffins are in the fridge and they will be ready tomorrow!Thanks for this great recipe!

Craig

As to the pineapple juice amount: what you want at the start is a thin slurry. I accomplish this with 60 grams of fresh pineapple juice and 30 grams of King Arthur unbleached white flour. At the next step I use KA whole wheat flour. Then I sort of go my own way after that. My starter is about 5 years old now and it’s never gone funky or let me down.

Noah

my starter always starts to get moldy after about 3 to 4 days. what to do?

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Sourdough Starter Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make your own starter for sourdough? ›

To a clean jar, add 100g whole rye flour and 125g warm water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours. To clean jar, add 75g of the mixture from Day One (discard the rest), 50g whole rye flour, 50g all-purpose flour, and 115g water. Mix ingredients and keep somewhere warm for 24 hours.

What makes the best sourdough starter? ›

There is no single best ratio, but I've found a ratio of 1:5:5 fed twice daily at 12-hour intervals to produce a sourdough starter that's strong and healthy. This ratio corresponds to 20% ripe starter carryover, 100% water, and 100% flour (a mix of whole grain rye and white flour) at each feeding.

What is the best flour for sourdough starter? ›

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour. Why do you need to use these two types of flour?

How long should you have a sourdough starter? ›

If you're really impatient, you could try this easy sourdough discard bread. Once your starter is 14 days old, you can look out for some of the signs of readiness. Your starter may show these signs from 14 days, but it might take 4 or even 6 weeks before your sourdough starter is really ready to bake with.

Is it better to buy sourdough starter or make it? ›

Benefits of making a sourdough starter

The main benefit is the feeling of achievement! Additionally to this, if you can get it going fast enough it can be cheaper making it your own than buying one.

How soon after feeding sourdough starter can I use it? ›

Cover with either a tea towel or a glass lid. I like using a glass lid, because a towel tends to get really messy. Allow to sit of for 4-12 hours before using in a recipe, once it has about doubled in volume. If not using for baking, feed about 12-24 hours after last feeding or place in the fridge.

Do you have to discard every time you feed sourdough starter? ›

With each sourdough starter feeding, you'll be discarding some to avoid it from becoming overly acidic.

Should I stir my sourdough starter between feedings? ›

stir your starter in between feedings - try stirring it twice in between feedings and really give it a chance to get oxygen into the mix. This will help to activate your starter without too much effort.

How to make a very active sourdough starter? ›

10. How do I make my sourdough starter more active?
  1. Keep your starter warm, 74-76°F (23-24°C) or warmer.
  2. Use more whole grains in each feeding.
  3. Feed your starter when it's ripe (not too early, and not too late)
  4. Don't place it into the refrigerator.

What flour do Italians use for sourdough? ›

Grano tenero flours are generally used in Italy to make both bread and pastries.

Can I feed my sourdough starter any kind of flour? ›

You can feed your sourdough starter with any flour you like, as long as it provides the starches the wild yeast in your sourdough starter need to convert to Co2 to rise your dough. The flour you choose should always be unbleached flour.

Can I use all-purpose flour for sourdough? ›

This easy recipe has been developed without using vital wheat gluten, so you can make sourdough bread using just all purpose flour, water and salt ... and of course your active sourdough starter (if you don't have one, you'll find instructions to make your own homemade sourdough starter here).

How to tell if sourdough starter is bad? ›

It's usually pretty obvious when your starter has gone bad. You will either see mold or discoloration (generally pink or orange). If you see either of these things, you will need to toss your starter. The smell is usually a big give away.

Why is my sourdough starter bubbling but not rising? ›

If your starter gets completely covered on top with bubbles but does not rise, it is healthy but may just be a wet mix. Try reducing the water in your next feeding and see if you have different results. Also, the type of flour you are using can impede the rise of your starter.

How many years can a sourdough starter last? ›

As long as your sourdough starter has been well looked after then it can last for years. In fact, it can last indefinitely with proper care! By proper care, I mean how it is maintained, the environment it is stored in, and how often it is used.

What can I use if I don't have a sourdough starter? ›

Rather than using a traditional sourdough starter, Greek yogurt and sour cream are mixed with bread flour, yeast, and a pinch of salt. The active cultures in the Greek yogurt and sour cream ferment the dough and give the bread traditional sourdough flavor.

How do you build up a sourdough starter? ›

Make More Sourdough Starter Using 1:1:1 Ratio

Even if you only had 10g of starter and you wanted 200g of starter, you'd just have to feed it at 1:10:10 which would mean adding 100g of flour and 100g of water to that 10g of sourdough starter.

How do you make a sourdough starter from a dry starter? ›

In a small bowl or jar, mix 5 grams of dehydrated sourdough starter with 15 grams of 80 °F water. Allow the starter and water to sit for about 2 hours, or until the dried starter dissolves. Stir in 15 grams of flour. Cover and put in the Sourdough Home or Proofer at 78 °F overnight, or for 12 - 14 hours.

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