Here are the best tips for getting a sourdough starter going. Start with an organic, preferably stone-ground, rye flour and check that it’s not too old. During summer, temperature is rarely a problem, but during colder seasons you should make sure to find a spot that’s a bit warmer than normal room temperature, ideally up to 25°C (77°F). Check, for example, in the cabinet above the fridge - it’s usually warmer there. And finally - have patience. Even though on paper it should only take 4-5 days, it can take up to a week before your sourdough starter is ready.
Starting a Rye Sourdough Starter (Rågsurdegsgrund)
What You Need
- Organic rye flour (preferably stone-ground)
- Lukewarm water (about 25°C / 77°F)
- A clean jar with a lid (doesn’t need to hold more than a couple deciliters)
- A warm spot (22-25°C / 72-77°F)
Instructions
Day 1: Start
Mix 2 tbsp rye flour and 2 tbsp lukewarm water in a jar. Stir and put the lid on loosely. Let stand at room temperature or slightly warmer.
Day 2: Observe
Nothing to do, but it doesn’t hurt to take a look and smell a bit. At this stage it can smell a bit sweet, almost like honey.
Day 3: First Feeding
Add 1 tbsp rye flour, stir, put the lid back on and let stand.
Day 4: Second Feeding
Add 2 tbsp lukewarm water and 2 tbsp rye flour and keep your fingers crossed. If all goes well, the sourdough starter should bubble up after 8-12 hours.
Day 4½: Check
Now the sourdough starter should be a bit bubbly and foamy and smell sour. If it is, you can start your first bread baking. If you’re not going to bake with it right away, it doesn’t hurt to refresh it one or a couple more times.
If the sourdough hasn’t started bubbling - let it stand for another 12 hours and then refresh it by feeding it again.
Starting a Wheat Sourdough Starter (Vetesurdegsgrund)
It can be harder to start a sourdough starter solely on wheat flour. Therefore, I usually get help from a dollop of rye sourdough starter.
Instructions
Mix 1 tsp rye sourdough starter with 1½ tbsp lukewarm water and 2 tbsp wheat flour in a jar with a loosely placed lid. Let stand at room temperature, or slightly warmer, until the mixture has bubbled up, which can take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. Then your wheat sourdough starter is ready.
How to Bake with Your Starter
When you’ve successfully completed the startup process, you have what I call a sourdough starter (surdegsgrund). Before bread baking, you mix your dollop of sourdough starter with flour and water, often around 1 deciliter (about 100g) of each. When that mixture has bubbled up (after between 6 and 10 hours depending on temperature and the sourdough’s mood), you have a sourdough levain to bake with. Then save a dollop in the refrigerator for future baking before you start making your bread dough. If you’re not baking very large batches, there’s no reason to save more than about 25 grams (2 tablespoons).
Step by Step Process:
Build the levain: Mix your sourdough starter (25g / 2 tbsp) with flour and lukewarm water (usually about 1 deciliter / 100g of each) in a bowl. Stir and cover with a loose lid or plastic wrap.
Let it ferment: Let the mixture stand for 6-10 hours at room temperature.
Save some for next time: Save a dollop (25g / 2 tbsp) in a jar with a loosely placed lid in the refrigerator for future baking. Use the remaining levain to make a bread dough according to your recipe.
Maintenance and Storage
Weekly Maintenance (Recommended)
If you store the sourdough starter in the refrigerator, it will keep for a week without problems, then it should be fed. If you haven’t used much since last time, you can pour out everything except a little at the bottom before feeding it again, otherwise it needs so much food (that is, flour and water).
Feeding amounts: 2 tbsp water and 2 tbsp rye flour (30g water, 20g rye flour) - that’s enough for a couple of rounds of bread. If you bake a lot or large batches, just mix a bit more.
Feeding proportions:
- Volume measurements: 1 part water to 1 part flour
- Weight measurements: 3 parts water to 2 parts flour (for rye flour)
After feeding: Let it bubble up before putting the jar back in the fridge - then you know it’s lively.
Reviving a Neglected Starter
It takes quite a lot to kill a sourdough and it survives significantly longer than a week, even if it might get a bit out of shape. If it’s been standing for a very long time without food, you can save a dollop the size of a teaspoon, wash out the jar, and feed the small dollop anew. Nine times out of ten it works great and the sourdough is soon itself again.
Different Baking Schedules
Regular baking (once a week or more):
- Keep starter at room temperature
- Feed daily with equal parts flour and water
- Always save a dollop (about 25g / 2 tbsp) before using in bread
- The starter is renewed at each baking occasion
Occasional baking (less than once a week):
- Store in the refrigerator
- Feed once a week with 2 tbsp water and 2 tbsp rye flour
- Take out and refresh 8-12 hours before baking
- Let it bubble up after feeding before returning to fridge
Long-term storage (rare baking):
If you bake very rarely, you can freeze or dry some sourdough starter, but then you have to count on it taking a couple of days before the sourdough wakes to life again.
Freezing: Easiest done in ice cube trays. When a frozen cube has thawed, feed it with 1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp lukewarm water. Let stand 10-20 hours until bubbly before using.
Drying: Add flour until you have a firm dough, flatten out and let dry on newspaper. Break into pieces and store in a jar. To rehydrate, dissolve a piece (coin-sized) in lukewarm water and add 1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp water. Should bubble up after 10-20 hours.
Traveling with Your Starter
If you’re planning to travel, you can freeze or dry some sourdough starter as backup. But whatever you do, don’t forget to bring a dollop on the trip if you want to bake!
Troubleshooting
Starter won’t bubble: If after several attempts you can’t get the starter going, you can suspect that the flour doesn’t have what it takes. Then it might be worth testing another variety. If it still doesn’t work, you can always go to your local bakery and ask if you can have a dollop.
Temperature too cold: Find a warmer spot - above the fridge, near (not on) a radiator, or in an oven with just the light on.
Takes longer than expected: Be patient. Some starters take up to a week, especially in colder months.
Separated with liquid on top (hooch): That’s alcohol from fermentation. Either stir it back in or pour it off before feeding. Not a problem - just feed it.
Smells sharp or funky: Feed it a few times and it will likely come into shape. Pour out everything except a little at the bottom, feed with flour and water until it’s as thick as waffle batter and let stand until it has bubbled up. Repeat if needed.
Smells rotten or like nail polish remover: Discard and start over. This indicates bad bacteria.
Understanding Your Starter
Consistency: A healthy starter should be thick but pourable, like thick pancake batter. Adjust water/flour ratio if needed.
Smell: Should smell pleasantly sour, like yogurt or mild vinegar.
Color: Rye starter will be darker (gray-brown), wheat starter lighter (cream-colored). Both are normal.
Peak activity: Use starter when it’s bubbly, doubled in size, and has a dome on top - this is peak activity, usually 8-12 hours after feeding.
Volume needed: Most recipes call for about 25-30g (2 tbsp) of starter to build a levain, not the entire jar.
Discard: The portion you pour out before feeding can be used in pancakes, crackers, or other recipes. Search for “sourdough discard recipes.”
Lid tightness: Keep the lid on loosely. If you screw it tight, nothing much happens other than it says “poof” when you open it.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I double the recipe, do I need twice as much sourdough starter?
No. Almost regardless of how much sourdough you plan to mix, a small dollop of sourdough starter is enough. If you make a very large batch of dough, it will just take a bit longer.
How do you know if the sourdough is in good shape?
Mix a small amount of sourdough with flour and water, let it stand somewhere moderately warm (preferably a bit warmer than room temperature) and see if it bubbles up and gets a fresh sour smell. The proportions aren’t that critical, but roughly speaking, a couple of tablespoons of sourdough starter can be mixed with about 1 deciliter lukewarm water and the same amount of flour.
Can I use different types of flour for the sourdough?
Absolutely, you can make sourdough with most types of flour. It’s often easier to get a sourdough going if you use some type of whole grain flour, but once you’ve got it going, it works fine even with different types of sifted flour.
Can I use rye sourdough instead of wheat sourdough and vice versa?
It usually works great. Rye sourdough generally gives a slightly more sour taste than wheat sourdough. It also works fine to use a rye sourdough starter to start a light wheat sourdough or vice versa.
What temperature should the water be when baking with sourdough?
It depends. In autumn, winter, and chilly spring, it’s best to use lukewarm water, from 25 to up to 37°C (77-99°F). Warmer seasons, or if you have over 20°C (68°F) indoors, you can easily use cold water. You have to feel your way through it.
Can you save a larger amount of sourdough so you don’t have to feed it before every bake?
You can, of course. However, there’s a risk that the sourdough becomes a bit too sour between baking occasions, which gives poor fermentation and an overly sour bread. The point of feeding the sourdough 6-10 hours before making the dough, as in the recipes in this book, is that you always have a lively and fresh sourdough to bake with.
My sourdough breads don’t rise but collapse into flat and sour breads. What went wrong?
A likely cause is that the dough is over-fermented and had no leavening power left when it went into the oven. The solution is to shorten the fermentation time or let the dough ferment in a cooler environment next time. It could also be because the sourdough has become too sour, which in turn leads to the gluten that holds the dough together breaking down during fermentation. You can get a more vigorous and stable sourdough by refreshing it one extra time. Do this: pour out everything except a little at the bottom of the jar and add 2 tbsp rye flour and 2 tbsp lukewarm water. Let stand until it has bubbled up, 6-10 hours. Store in the refrigerator if you’re not baking immediately.
The dough ferments well, but the bread doesn’t get much sourdough character. What should I do?
You can get a more sour bread by letting the dough ferment for a longer time at a cooler temperature. You could say that a fast and warm fermentation gives a bread with mild flavor, while a long and cold fermentation gives a bread with more acidity.
Sources: Bröd, bröd, bröd: recept, råd och genvägar by Martin Johansson and Enklare bröd: recept på knådfria bröd med och utan surdeg by Martin Johansson