Ingredients:

For the Bread- 

Whole Wheat Flour, optional, but it is great to speed up the start of your starter, as whole wheat flour has a higher amount of healthy bacteria already in the flour!

All-Purpose Flour

Filtered Water

Materials-

Jar

Rubber Band

Paper Towel

Baking Scale, optional, but makes measurements easier

1/4 cup and 1/2 cup measuring spoons, only use if not using a scale

Sourdough Feeding Schedule, print my free PDF here! This is optional, but I highly recommend tracking when you feed your sourdough to make it stress-free :) AND, you get to fill in the little hearts for each day you've completed the task <3

Method: 

(see pictures and video tutorial below the steps)

Day 1: Mix  1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup (60 grams) filtered water in a jar. I use a butter knife or a spoon to stir it. It should be a thick, pancake batter-like consistency. You may need to add more flour or water to achieve the right texture if you are not weighing ingredients. Cover with a paper towel, holding it with a rubber band. Let it sit in a warm place for 24 hours. I like to place mine on top of the fridge!

Day 2: Please glance at your starter today and stir it if you like. Then, put it back on top of the fridge. We'll start the more challenging work on Day 3!

Day 3: Discard half the starter (60 grams) into the compost or the trash. Not down the sink, as it can dry and clog. Add 1/2 cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup (60 grams) filtered water. Stir well. Cover with a paper towel and leave to rest for 24 hours. 

Days 4-5: Now, we will start feeding every 12 hours. I fed my starter once right when I woke up and then once right before bed. This is not required, but you feed it twice a day, and your starter is ready in about a week, or you feed it once a day, and your starter is ready in about two weeks! 

Do the same process, discarding half the starter (60 grams) and adding 1/2 cup (60 grams) AP Flour and 1/4 cup (60 grams) filtered water, morning and night.

Day 6: Now, it's time to start looking for signs in your starter. It should be looking a bit more bubbly now, but if not, that's okay too. Starters are products of their environment, and everyone's is a little different, so it may take more or less time. Continue with the feeding schedule from days 4 and 5. Once your starter is doubling in size and getting very bubbly, about 6-8 hours (it may take up to 12 hours) after you feed it, it's ready to use. 

Day 7-14: Continue feeding your starter twice a day. Your starter should double in size and get very bubbly, about 8 hours after you feed it. Once it achieves this, it's ready to use. For long-term storage, keep your starter in the fridge with a sealed jar lid, feeding it the night before you plan to use it. If you plan to use it daily, you can keep it on top of the fridge like we were doing before, and feed it once daily. 

Tips and troubleshooting-

Watch your starter, not the calendar: I made my feeding schedule above two weeks, because it took that long the first time I made a starter from scratch. You'll know it's ready when it develops a tangy smell AND is doubling in size after you feed it. It should be bubbly, too. 

What if I don't have a scale? What texture am I looking for in my sourdough? Make sure your starter is not too thick or too thin. I give weighted measurements to make this easier, so please use a scale. BUT, if you don't have a scale, that's okay. Just make sure your sourdough starter is pancake batter texture, a little clumpy, but still a little runny! This will give you the best result.  

Is your starter not bubbling? Make sure you keep your starter at 70 degrees F. In a sunny window, on top of an appliance (like the fridge, microwave, etc), or in the oven with the light on (1-2 hours). Some people also leave it in the car or the microwave with the light on. 

Covering your jar: Air needs to enter your jar. Use a paper towel to cover the top of the jar, then wrap a rubber band around the top to hold the towel in place. You could also use a regular towel, or loosley place the jar lid on top, but don't screw it in. 

Think your starter is ready? If you don’t plan on baking every day, screw a lid on the jar and leave the starter in your fridge, feeding it 1-2 timesper week. If you want to bake every day, feed your starter every 24 hours.

Discarding: Compost or throw away your starter, but don’t dump it down the sink, as it can clog. OR, look for fun sourdough discard recipes!!! I've linked some of mine below ; )