Baking your own sourdough starts with one thing: a healthy starter. If you're new to sourdough, this beginner's guide walks you through creating, feeding and maintaining a starter so you can bake your first loaf with confidence.
What is a sourdough starter?
A starter is a living culture of flour and water, home to wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. It's what makes sourdough rise and gives it that signature tang — no commercial yeast required.
How to make a starter from scratch
Mix equal parts flour and water in a jar, then feed it daily with fresh flour and water. Within 5–7 days it should be bubbly and active. Prefer to skip the wait? A sourdough starter kit gives you everything you need to get going fast.
How to feed and maintain your starter
Feed daily at room temperature, or store it in the fridge and feed weekly if you bake less often. A starter is ready to bake with when it doubles in size within 4–6 hours of feeding.
Tools that make sourdough easier
A Danish dough whisk mixes sticky dough in seconds, a bread lame scores clean patterns, and a good bread knife slices without crushing the crumb. Browse our sourdough baking tools.
Keep your finished loaf fresh
Once you've baked, store your loaf in a breathable beeswax bread bag to keep it fresh for days.
With a healthy starter and a few key tools, homemade sourdough becomes a simple weekly ritual.