Sourdough Bread for Beginners: Feeding Your Starter and Baking Your First Loaf

Sourdough bread is one of the oldest ways to make bread. It uses a living culture of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria instead of commercial yeast. The result is bread with a tangy flavor, chewy texture, and long shelf life.

The secret is your starter—the living culture you feed regularly to keep it active and ready to leaven your dough.

What Is a Sourdough Starter?

A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and lactobacillus bacteria from the air and flour. Over time, these microorganisms multiply and create a stable culture that can leaven bread.

Your starter needs:

• Flour (for food)
• Water (for activation)
• Time (for the culture to develop)
• Regular feeding (to keep it alive)

Creating Your Starter

You can start a sourdough culture in about 5-7 days with just flour and water.

Days 1-7: The Initial Build

Day 1:

• Mix 50g whole wheat flour with 50g water in a jar
• Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature (70-75°F)
• You'll see bubbles form over the next few days

Days 2-6:

• Each day, discard half the starter
• Feed the remaining starter with equal parts flour and water (50g each)
• Mix well and return to room temperature
• The starter should become more bubbly and active

Day 7:

• If your starter doubles in size within 4-8 hours of feeding and has a pleasant, slightly tangy smell, it's ready
• If not, continue feeding for another day or two

Feeding Schedule

How often you feed your starter depends on how you store it.

Room Temperature Feeding

If you bake often (several times per week):

• Keep your starter at room temperature
• Feed it every 12-24 hours
• Use a 1:1:1 ratio (starter:flour:water by weight)
• Example: 25g starter + 25g flour + 25g water

Refrigerator Storage

If you bake less frequently:

• Feed your starter normally
• Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours
• Cover and refrigerate
• Feed once per week when you remember

Before baking from the fridge:

• Remove starter from the refrigerator
• Feed it 2-3 times on room temperature before using
• This revives the culture and ensures good rise

Signs Your Starter Is Ready

Your starter is active and ready to use when:

• It doubles in size within 4-8 hours of feeding
• It has bubbles throughout and on top
• It smells pleasant and slightly tangy (not just sour or acidic)
• A spoonful floats in water (the float test)

Your First Sourdough Loaf

Ingredients

• 100g active, fed sourdough starter
• 300g warm water (about 100°F)
• 400g bread flour (or all-purpose flour works too)
• 10g fine sea salt
• Olive oil or butter for the bowl

Steps

1. Mix the dough

• Combine starter and warm water in a large bowl
• Stir in flour until no dry spots remain
• Cover and let sit for 30 minutes (autolyse)
• Add salt and knead until the dough is smooth

2. First rise

• Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours
• The dough should look puffy and doubled

3. Shape the loaf

• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface
• Fold the edges toward the center to create tension
• Flip the loaf so the smooth side is down
• Let rest 15 minutes
• Shape into a round or oval

4. Second rise

• Place the shaped loaf in a floured banneton or bowl lined with parchment
• Cover and let rise for 2-4 hours until puffy
• Or refrigerate overnight for better flavor

5. Bake

• Preheat your oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside
• Carefully turn the loaf into the hot Dutch oven
• Cover and bake 20 minutes
• Remove the lid and bake 20-25 more minutes until golden brown
• The loaf should sound hollow when tapped
• Cool completely before slicing

Troubleshooting

Starter won't activate:

• Try a warmer location (75°F is ideal)
• Use warmer water when feeding
• Be patient—some cultures take longer

Dense bread:

• Make sure your starter was truly active before using
• Let your dough rise fully before shaping
• Check oven temperature accuracy

Too sour:

• Feed your starter more frequently
• Use slightly less starter in the dough
• Bake for less time

Why Make Sourdough?

Sourdough bread has real benefits:

• Better digestion: The fermentation process breaks down compounds that can be hard to digest
• Longer shelf life: Sourdough stays fresh longer than yeast bread
• No additives: Just flour, water, salt, and time
• Community skill: Sharing starters connects you with other bakers
• Self-reliance: You control what goes into your bread

Getting Started

Start simple. Make a starter, learn to keep it fed, and bake one loaf. You don't need fancy equipment or perfect conditions. You need patience and practice.

Your starter will teach you its rhythms. Some days it will be more active than others. That's normal. The key is consistency—feed it when you need it, and don't let it go too long without attention.

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— C. Steward 🥖