Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Flour, water, and a week of small daily rituals. By day seven you'll have a living thing that makes extraordinary bread.
Ingredients
- Whole grain flour (rye or whole wheat kickstarts fastest)
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Water (filtered if your tap is heavily chlorinated)
Steps
- Day 1: Mix 1/2 cup whole grain flour with 1/4 cup water in a jar. Cover loosely.
- Day 2: Stir. That's it — just stir.
- Days 3–7: Each day, discard half and feed with 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup water.
- It's ready when it reliably doubles within 4–8 hours of feeding and smells pleasantly tangy.
- Move to the fridge and feed weekly once established.
Storage
Fridge between bakes; feed weekly. Countertop if you bake daily (feed daily).
⚠️ Safety notes
- Pink or orange streaks mean unwanted microbes — start over.
- A dark liquid (hooch) on top just means it's hungry — stir it in and feed.
Standard kitchen hygiene applies — clean hands, clean equipment, and proper storage for everything you make. If anything looks, smells, or tastes off, don't eat it. Never give honey to children under one year old.
From our shelves
No current Faun & Fern product fits this one — flour and water come from your pantry.