How To Easily Make A Sourdough Starter Without A Scale || Fool Proof Recipe || Printable Recipe

This tutorial will show you how to easily make a sourdough starter from scratch in your own kitchen using just a mixture of flour and water. No fancy equipment like a kitchen scale is needed. If you’ve tried to make a starter before and been unsuccessful, follow these tips and you will be baking with sourdough in no time.
On our blog wagonwheelhomestead.com we have a "how to easily start a sourdough starter" post with a printable recipe that has all the information you will need to be successful at making your own sourdough starter. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if we can help you with your sourdough in any way, and also please let us know when you get your starters made and start baking!
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[@amybrown9360]

This recipe and instructions are so easy to follow. I was able get mine started and have made several loaves of bread, pancakes, and banana bread. Thank you for sharing and all your help.

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

You’re welcome!

[@stormjanaszak7406]

Thank you for the clear instructions. I had a completely different recipe and bombed out! I'm starting again with your recipe!

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

You're welcome! You will be successful, I promise. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@sheilamurphy9134]

Been looking for a starter recipe just found yours thanks 😊

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

You’re welcome 😊

[@LMGM5]

Hi, just found your channel, thank you, for sharing your pantry. Awesome. I heard you say you do not like beans that much or rice. Sometimes when we do not know what seasonings to use we miss out in good and healthy things. I be more than happy to share this info for your use. Blessings. Laura M

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

I can make some really good beans and rice, and yes they are healthy, but they still aren't my families favorites. My point in the video was just as an example that you want to try to make your long term food storage out of things that your family is used to eating.:-)

[@wellheynicolemarie]

I will definitely be doing this. I spaced out and poured all my remaining gifted starter into my bread this week and need to make one now. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

Bummer! Thankfully, it’s easy to start a new one

[@southwesthomestead1234]

Joining you from You Tube Success Academy. My kind of content ! Nice video. So many people over complicate Sourdough.

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

@@southwesthomestead1234 thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I followed you as well

[@southwesthomestead1234]

@@WagonWheelHomestead21 Thank you I’m so thankful for new you tube friends!

[@sarahmccormick3405]

I just want to thank you for this video and your recipe. I have never made sourdough, and yours is the only recipe I've tried that's actually working! I'm on day 6 and it's risen to the top of the jar and run over. I did feed it again for good measure, but I assume it's probably ready to go. It's full of bubbles and it's stringy when I tap the jar on the counter, but it's not quite as thick as yours - almost. Should I try to thicken it with more flour or just use it as is? I wish there was a way to show you a photo so you could tell me - but I am just so thankful to you!

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

This makes me so happy! I would just use it as is. Sourdough is more flexible than most people think. If you follow me on Instagram or facebook you could send me pictures there. And feel free to tag me anytime you make something. I love to follow along with peoples journey and will help you anyway I can. I just put a sourdough pancake recipe on the blog wagonwheelhomestead.com today, and I’m getting ready to post a sourdough chocolate chip banana muffin recipe as well. Those might be good ones for you to start with. You can find me on Facebook or Instagram by searching @wagonwheelhomestead21

[@acceptingWhatIS]

not sure i understand what the dis guard is and what it does? but the info on the starter was very helpful thanks

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

I go into a lot more detail on why you get sourdough discard when feeding a starter and what to do with it in this blog post: wagonwheelhomestead.com/easily-make-a-sourdough-starter/

[@annaamato8938]

♥♥♥

[@sandybunn7924]

After using my gifted sourdough starter for several months--I killed it. So starting over, thanks for your tutorial. Do you use your discard started for biscuits or pancakes?

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

Thankfully it's not hard to start a new starter if needed :-) Yes, I use the discard for all kinds of recipes and I'll be sharing them on the channel soon.

[@donnarichey144]

I just found you and I think will make a good sour dough. I have some and it doesn't seem to raise. Just tiny bubbles. What do you do with all the discard. I worry not to let this go down my sink and pipes will get like concrete. I saw from another lady telling us this. Thank you.

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

HI! If you start feeding your starter more thickly, it will be happier since it has more "food" and will raise better. I make all kinds of sourdough discard recipes like pancakes, muffins, waffles, cinnamon rolls and more. Discard is so useful and healthy for you because when you include it in a recipe you are getting all the probiotics that make baked goods easier for your body to digest. I've never had any trouble with sourdough building up in my pipes. The only sourdough that ends up going down my drain is the little bit of batter left in a mixing bowl or on a spoon and of course its highly diluted in water so it doesn't plug up the drain. Hope that helps.

[@kathyerb3134]

Bleached or unbleached flour? Does it make a difference?

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

It doesn't make any difference. Unbleached is better for you of course, but bleached flour works just fine for creating a starter.

[@mrgreenbudz37]

Hi, I am about to make my first starter. So basically you are feeding every 12 hrs to get such a happy bubbling starter. With all the discarding how so you have enough of a starter to make bread? I am brand new and trying to learn a somewhat easy method of making a starter and keeping it healthy and alive and making sourdough. I hope you don't mind some of the questions Thank you.

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

HI, I don't mind the questions at all. So yes you discard and feed every 12 hours approximately for 6-7 days until you get a really healthy bubbly starter. Then you can store your starter in the fridge if need be. Once you are ready to make bread, take a small amount of the starter and put it in a jar, feed it with flour and water, and that little bit of starter will turn all the flour and water you feed it into more starter, which you can then use to make bread. I will show my full bread making process on my channel soon. I explain in a lot more detail here: wagonwheelhomestead.com/easily-make-a-sourdough-starter/

[@1Sallybob]

How long does the discard keep in the refrigerator?

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

@@1Sallybob It should keep for 2-3 weeks. You can actually leave discard in your fridge for months, and if you take it out and feed it several times, it will come back to life. So it doesn't every really go bad, it just gets so sour that you might not want to bake with it after 2-3 weeks.

[@carolhinson8779]

What do you do with all the discord ?

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

I make all kinds of sourdough discard recipes including pancakes, muffins, waffles, pasta and many other things. I'll be sharing these recipes soon!

[@fideliaanderson5268]

Great question for viewer and I can't wait to see your recipes with discarded dough. Thank you. So glad I found your channel.

[@barbaracluse5874]

Will you be putting up some recipes with your starter?

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

Thank you for asking! Yes, I have several that I'm working on, and a big list of more that I plan to do. I should have sourdough pancakes, sourdough pasta, and sourdough chocolate chip muffins up by the first of next week.

[@barbaracluse5874]

@@WagonWheelHomestead21 thank you for your prompt reply. I will be looking forward to those recipes. I have a sourdough starter and like to make it using measuring cups. Thank you for putting out your starter recipe.

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

@@barbaracluse5874 You're welcome

[@shandysgarden]

I usually mix my starter in a bowl with a spoon or fork and then put it in the jar. Is that a problem doing that? Should I be mixing it in the jar right from the start? Seems like all the working in the jars and switching jars, and using wood utensils that stick to the starter is just wasting starter. I never see anybody using metal utensils or rubber spatulas but I totally do. Do you recommend against that? Also I thought this was going to be simple and then all the sudden I'm seeing you have three jars here. Sorry, I need more explanation of what is actually happening. What jar is for what and why are we feeding it and moving it around??? Oh my God now we have four jars. Are you using whole wheat on all of them??? and what are the strings for? How warm does the water need to be because it can't be too hot... Now I'm seeing five jars? I'm out. There are a ton of videos out there where you only have to work with it a day or so and then you can start baking with it. You haven't touched on what to do with the discard and what I'm also supposed to be expecting with the rise. Is it supposed to double overnight? I'm sorry my questions are all over the place but I'm asking questions while I'm watching. But it sort of matches how the video is all over the place. You are on day four and you're not making bread?? I've heard from everybody else that when your starter has doubled you can go ahead and make bread. Now you're on day 6 and it's finally stringy and now we can make bread! Seems like it has flattened and I guess I don't understand because I didn't think you made bread with fallen starter. And you did say this was easy in the title! It does look like you have touched this starter 12 times now, right? In the fridge out the fridge add or not depending on this or depending on that? No explanation as to what you meant by switching the size of the jar because it's best for your family. It does seem like you're having to touch it all the time so to me that is being a prisoner to the starter and how it's doing all the time. I guess I really don't have a question. I wouldn't understand the answer anyway, clearly. I'm glad you got your system down and you understand it and I hope everyone else does, too.

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

Sorry if this was confusing to you, I’m happy to explain. You can stir your starter with whatever you want. I use a wooden stirrer because it’s what fits in my jar but you can totally use metal or a rubber spatula if you choose. You can also mix it up in a bowl first if you would like, but then you would have a dirty bowl and a dirty jar. I choose to just mix it in the jar and leave it in the jar. If the jar starts to get a little nasty on the sides after a couple of days, I will just pour some starter into a new jar just so that it’s cleaner, but you certainly would not have to do that. You would never want to try to make bread with a starter that is only four days old because it would not be strong enough to effectively raise your bread. Even if it doubles in size, it’s still best to give it a couple more days to strengthen it and give it a good start. The only reason I am touching this twice a day is because we are starting a brand new starter. Once this starter is established after about six or seven days of feeding it twice twice a day as I show, then you can put it in the fridge and anytime you want to bake with it you can take it out, feed it, and after it has risen, you can bake with it. I do not touch my starter more than once or twice a week once it is established. Hope that helps.

[@carolnightingale8]

So … to be clear…with your above reply…when you want to finally bake with your starter, you take it out of the fridge…and feed it…ONCE…and after it rises , then bake with it?

[@WagonWheelHomestead21]

@@carolnightingale8 Yes. If your starter has been in the fridge for more than a week, you may have to feed it twice depending on how warm your house is, etc. If you take it out, feed it and it looks happy within 12 hours hours, bake with it. If after 12 hours it still looks sad, discard and feed it a second time. and then bake. If you're using it regularly, then one feeding after being in the refrigerator should be sufficient.

[@PDXTundra]

Is it because you have a disdain for digital scales? A good one is $25. Every decent recipe available for sourdough bread is 9 times out of 10 given in grams. The beginner would do best with easy to follow ratios. Also, I never keep more than 70 grams of starter on hand and I never run out. You would be doing yourself a favor by purchasing a silicone spatula. You know your starter is ready when it passes the float test. Saving discard earlier than 5 days is pointless and generally not recommended. Save it after 5 days.

[@debbiemurphy5050]

Well bless your heart. I think your comment is very rude.

[@melindahester7715]

Somebody pissed in their cheerios