Miss the sourdough craze of 2020? It’s not too late to jump on the bandwagon. You could get a sourdough starter from a friend, but a homemade starter makes every loaf extra special—and it’s easier than you might think, thanks to this recipe.

Sourdough Starter

½ cup flour of your choice
½ cup tepid water (Water should be no warmer than 100°F. Use well water or bottled spring water. If you use filtered or boiled city water, it’s best to let it sit out for 24 hours before using to evaporate any remaining chlorine.)

  1. Mix flour and water by hand. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Leave on the counter with a loose cover over it. A warmer place in the house where the temperature is 70–75°F is best.
  2. On each of the next 5–6 days, take out half the mixture and throw it away, adding equal amounts of flour and water (½ cup or less), maintaining the batter-like consistency.
  3. Somewhere around day 6–8, bubbles should start to appear, and there should be a yeasty smell. Now it’s time to build up the amount of starter for use in bread recipes. If it looks like the starter is actively working, don’t throw any away. Just add ½ cup each of water and flour as before, and mix well by hand.
  4. The next day: Add ¾ cup each of flour and water.
  5. The next day: Add 1 cup each of flour and water.
  6. Now, there should be enough starter to take out 20–30 grams to start a levain. First, estimate how much starter is left. Then, add enough flour and water to double it in size. (There is not a critical measurement at this point.) Maintain the starter’s quantity in the future based on how often you bake bread. Build up the volume when you plan to bake . If you won’t bake for a while, halve and maintain the starter.
  7. If baking every day or two, leave the starter on the counter and feed it every day. For once-a-week baking, feed it and put in the refrigerator. Take it out the day before you make the levain. The next day, make the levain and feed it again before putting it back in the refrigerator. It should be good until the next week. 

Recipe courtesy of Sunrise Flour Mill. Find recipes to use with your sourdough starter at sunriseflourmill.com.