Beginner's Guide to Sourdough — The Sourdough Guide

Day-by-Day Starter Tracker

Click each day as you complete it. Your progress is saved automatically.

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Begin

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Watch

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Bubbles

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Rising

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Active

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Test

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Ready!

Day 1 — Mix Your First Starter

You'll need

🧴 Clean jar (at least 500ml)
⚖️ Kitchen scale
🌾 50g whole wheat or all-purpose flour
💧 50g room-temp filtered water
🔡 Rubber band

Weigh 50g flour into your jar

Whole wheat flour gives better results for a new starter — it carries more wild yeast than refined white flour.

Add 50g room-temperature water

Use filtered or bottled water. Chlorine in tap water can inhibit the wild yeast you're trying to cultivate.

Stir until no dry flour remains

Mix thoroughly for about 30 seconds. The mixture will look like thick pancake batter.

Cover loosely and mark the level

Use a rubber band on the outside to mark the starting level. This lets you see exactly how much it rises. Don't seal airtight — the starter needs air.

Leave at room temperature

Place somewhere warm — around 75-80°F. Top of the fridge, near the oven, or in a slightly warmed oven with just the light on.

💡 Pro Tip

Label your jar with the date and time you mixed it. You'll be tracking this for a week and it helps to have a reference point.

👀 What to Expect Today

Nothing exciting yet — that's normal. The first 24 hours are the quiet phase. You might see a few small bubbles by evening, but don't worry if you see nothing at all.

Day 2 — First Feeding

You'll need

🌾 50g flour
💧 50g filtered water
🔡 New rubber band

Discard half the starter

Pour out or scrape out half the mixture. You'll discard half at each feeding — this keeps the acidity in check and concentrates the microbial culture.

Add 50g fresh flour and 50g water

Stir until fully combined. Move the rubber band to mark the new level.

Note any activity from Day 1

Look for: any bubbles (even tiny ones), a slight sour smell developing, or any change in texture. Write it down if you want to track progress.

👀 What to Expect

You might see small bubbles beginning to form, especially toward the bottom or sides of the jar. The smell may start to become slightly sour or tangy — this is good.

Day 3 — Signs of Life

Discard half, feed again (50g flour + 50g water)

Same process as Day 2. Consistency is key — feed at roughly the same time each day.

Check for bubbles and smell

Look for bubbles throughout the mixture, not just on top. A healthy tangy or slightly fruity smell is a great sign.

Watch for any rise above the rubber band

Even a small rise (10-20%) above the mark shows the yeast is starting to produce gas. This is exciting — you're growing something alive.

💡 Pro Tip

If you see no activity at all by Day 3, move the starter somewhere warmer. Temperature is almost always the culprit when starters are slow to develop.

👀 What to Expect

Visible bubbles, a more pronounced sour smell, and possibly some rise between feedings. Things are starting to happen.

Day 4 — Getting Active

Switch to twice-daily feedings

From Day 4 onward, feed morning and evening (every 12 hours). This accelerates development.

Discard half, add 50g flour + 50g water each time

Morning feed and evening feed. Keep the rubber band tracking each one.

Track the peak — when does it dome?

After each feeding, watch when the starter reaches its highest point (domed top, maximum bubbles). Note the time. This is your "peak" and it matters for baking.

✅ Good Signs

Rising noticeably after feedings, lots of bubbles, domed top at peak, tangy pleasant smell. You're on track.

Day 5 — Building Strength

Continue twice-daily feedings

Morning and evening, same as Day 4. You're building a consistent, powerful culture.

Check if it's doubling

After feeding, mark the level and check after 4-8 hours. Is it reaching double the starting amount? This is the goal.

Smell test — it should smell good

Tangy, slightly fruity, yoghurt-like = great. Sharp vinegar or acetone = feed more frequently. Sour but not unpleasant = normal.

💡 Pro Tip

At this stage, you can transition to all-purpose flour if you started with whole wheat. Or keep using whole wheat — it produces a more active, robust starter.

Day 6 — Float Test

Feed as usual

Morning feed, same as always.

At peak: try the float test

When the starter has doubled and looks domed and bubbly — drop a small spoonful into a glass of water. Does it float? Floats = full of gas = ready to bake.

Note your peak timing

How many hours after feeding does it reach peak? Write this down — you'll need to time your future baking sessions around it.

✅ Float Test Passed?

If your starter floats, you're ready to bake! Move on to the First Loaf section. If it sinks, give it one more day of twice-daily feedings.

Day 7 — Ready to Bake! 🎉

Final float test confirmation

Feed your starter, wait until it peaks, and do the float test one more time. If it floats: you're officially ready.

Plan your bake

You need to bake within 1-2 hours of your starter peaking. Plan ahead: if it peaks at 5pm, mix your dough at 4:30-5:00pm.

Head to the First Loaf tab ↗ (click here)

Click "First Loaf" above to get the complete recipe with all the steps. You've earned it.

🎉 Congratulations!

A working sourdough starter is genuinely impressive. Most people who start sourdough never get this far. You did. Now let's bake something.

Your First Sourdough Loaf

Simple, forgiving, and produces a loaf you'll be genuinely proud of.

Classic Beginner Sourdough

450g

Flour

75%

Hydration

24hr

Total Time

Loaf

Ingredients

450gbread flour
325gwater, room temperature
90gactive starter (at peak)
9gfine sea salt

Method Overview

1Autolyse: Mix flour + 300g water, rest 30 min

2Add starter + remaining water + salt, mix well

3Stretch & fold: 4 sets over 2 hours

4Bulk ferment: 4–8 hours (50–75% rise)

5Shape into round, place in floured banneton

6Cold proof: refrigerate overnight (10–16 hours)

7Bake: 500°F Dutch oven, 20 min covered

8Uncover, bake 20–25 min more until deep golden

9Cool 1.5+ hours before cutting

Step-by-Step Checklist

Confirm starter is at peak

It should have doubled, look domed, smell tangy, and pass the float test. Don't skip this check.

Mix flour and 300g water — rest 30 minutes

Just mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and leave it alone. This is autolyse — gluten is developing without any effort from you.

Add starter, remaining water, and salt

Pinch and squeeze with your fingers until fully combined. Don't be gentle — really work it in. Rest 30 minutes.

Set 1: Stretch and fold

Wet hands. Grab one side of the dough, stretch up as high as it'll go without tearing, fold over to the other side. Rotate 90° and repeat. 4 times total. Cover. Wait 30 min.

Sets 2, 3, and 4: Repeat stretch and folds

Three more sets, 30 minutes apart. The dough should feel noticeably stronger and smoother by set 4. If it tears easily, be gentler. This is normal.

Bulk ferment until 50–75% bigger

Leave covered at room temp. Check the side of the bowl — you want it to have grown 50 to 75% from its starting size. Should feel jiggly and show bubbles. This takes 4–8 hours.

Shape into a round (boule)

Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pre-shape into a rough round, rest 20 minutes. Final shape: pull edges underneath, drag toward you on unfloured surface to build tension.

Place in floured banneton, refrigerate overnight

Seam-side up in the banneton. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 10–16 hours. This is where the flavor develops.

Preheat Dutch oven at 500°F for 45–60 minutes

Don't skip this. The Dutch oven must be ripping hot. Set a timer and don't open the oven during preheating.

Score and bake covered 20 minutes

Turn cold dough onto parchment. Score with a sharp blade, one confident slash. Lower into Dutch oven carefully, cover, bake 20 minutes.

Remove lid, bake 20–25 more minutes

Watch it carefully. You want a deep, dark golden brown — not pale, not black. The color is flavor.

Cool for at least 1.5 hours before cutting

The hardest step. The crumb is still setting inside. Cut too soon and it'll be gummy. Wait. It's worth it.

Beginner FAQ

Do I really need to discard half my starter every day? +

Yes — and here's why. Without discarding, you'd need to add more and more flour to feed the growing culture. The discard keeps the quantity manageable. It also removes excess acid that builds up and slows fermentation. The discarded starter isn't wasted — save it in the fridge and use it for pancakes, crackers, or pizza dough.

My starter passed the float test but my bread is still dense. Why? +

The float test tells you the starter has gas, but doesn't guarantee enough strength for good bread. More likely causes of dense bread: insufficient bulk fermentation (the most common reason), Dutch oven not hot enough, or oven temperature inaccurate. Always preheat your Dutch oven for a full 45–60 minutes.

How long does a sourdough starter last? +

Indefinitely, if fed regularly. Starters kept at room temperature need daily feeding. Starters kept in the refrigerator can go 1–2 weeks between feedings. When you're ready to bake, pull it from the fridge, feed it, and let it come back to peak over 4–8 hours. Some bakeries use starters that are decades old.

Can I use regular tap water? +

It depends on your local water. Heavily chlorinated tap water can inhibit wild yeast. If you're having trouble getting a starter going, switch to filtered or bottled water for a week and see if it makes a difference. Leaving tap water in an open container overnight helps dissipate chlorine (though not chloramines).

How do I know when bulk fermentation is done? +

Target a 50–75% volume increase from the start of bulk. Look for: visible bubbles on the surface and sides, a domed top (not flat), jiggly when you shake the container, and the dough feeling lighter and airier than when you started. In warm kitchens (above 78°F), bulk can be done in 4–5 hours. In cool kitchens (below 70°F), it might take 8–10 hours.

My bread cracked on the side instead of the score line. What happened? +

The score was too shallow or the dough was under-proofed with too much internal tension. Gas pressure found the weakest point (the side) instead of your intended opening. Fix: score at least ½ inch deep with one swift motion, and use a sharp blade. Scoring cold dough straight from the fridge also helps — it's firmer and cuts more cleanly.

The Beginner's
Complete Guide

Day-by-Day Starter Tracker

Day 1 — Mix Your First Starter

You'll need

Day 2 — First Feeding

You'll need

Day 3 — Signs of Life

Day 4 — Getting Active

Day 5 — Building Strength

Day 6 — Float Test

Day 7 — Ready to Bake! 🎉

Your First Sourdough Loaf

Step-by-Step Checklist

Reading Your Results

Beginner FAQ

Get better at sourdough,
one email at a time.

Learn

Recipes

Site

The Beginner'sComplete Guide

Day-by-Day Starter Tracker

Day 1 — Mix Your First Starter

You'll need

Day 2 — First Feeding

You'll need

Day 3 — Signs of Life

Day 4 — Getting Active

Day 5 — Building Strength

Day 6 — Float Test

Day 7 — Ready to Bake! 🎉

Your First Sourdough Loaf

Step-by-Step Checklist

Reading Your Results

Beginner FAQ

Get better at sourdough,one email at a time.

Learn

Recipes

Site

The Beginner's
Complete Guide

Get better at sourdough,
one email at a time.