Everything Sourdough Recipes for the starter you have

Everything Sourdough One-page recipe

Sourdough Starter

A straightforward flour-and-water culture built day by day, with a clear schedule for feeding, storing, and waking it for baking.

Total time
7 days or longer
Yield
1 starter
Starter
Build from flour + water
Environment
Room temperature; refrigerate once ready

Before You Begin

Ingredients

  • Bread flour
  • Bottled or filtered water

Build Your Starter

Day 1 — Begin

  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) bread flour
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 2 — Feed

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 3 — Feed Again

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 4 — Discard & Feed

  • Half of the starter
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 5 — Feed

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 6 — Discard & Feed

  • Half of the starter
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 8 — Continue if Needed

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Build Your StarterRoom-temperature schedule

  1. Day 1 — Begin — Mix together, place the lid on top without sealing it, and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2 — Feed — Add to the starter, mix well, cover without sealing, and rest on the counter for 24 hours.
  3. Day 3 — Feed Again — Add to the starter, mix well, cover without sealing, and rest on the counter for 24 hours.
  4. Day 4 — Discard & Feed — Discard half, add the flour and water, and mix. Cover without sealing and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  5. Day 5 — Feed — Add to the starter, mix well, cover without sealing, and rest on the counter for 24 hours.
  6. Day 6 — Discard & Feed — Discard half, add the flour and water, and mix. Cover without sealing and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  7. Day 7 — Check for Readiness — If the starter has doubled in size, it is ready to use. If it has not doubled, discard half; add 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour and 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water; mix; cover without sealing; and rest for another 24 hours.
  8. Day 8 — Continue if Needed — Mix, cover without sealing, and leave on the counter for 24 hours.

Store & Wake the StarterBetween bakes

  1. Once the starter is ready, close the lid and refrigerate it when you are not baking.
  2. To reactivate, add 1/4 cup water and 1/3 cup bread flour.
  3. Mix, cover without sealing, and leave on the counter for 3-5 hours, or until doubled.
  4. A gray or black liquid may collect on top in the refrigerator. Pour it off or mix it back in.
  5. Add 1/4 cup water and 1/3 cup bread flour, then mix well.
  6. Leave on the counter for 3-5 hours, or until doubled and ready to use.

Helpful Notes

Ready when: Ready when it reliably doubles in size
Storage: Close the jar and refrigerate the starter when you are not baking.
Reactivate: Feed with 1/4 cup water and 1/3 cup bread flour, then leave at room temperature for 3–5 hours or until doubled.
Everything Sourdough · everysourdough.com Baking Basics · 1 starter
A bubbly, doubled sourdough starter in a glass jar with a rubber band marking its starting level.

Baking Basics - Build from flour + water

Sourdough Starter

A straightforward flour-and-water culture built day by day, with a clear schedule for feeding, storing, and waking it for baking.

By Everything SourdoughUpdated

Total time
7 days or longer
Hands-on
About 5 min daily
Yield
1 starter
Starter
Build from flour + water
Difficulty
Beginner
Environment
Room temperature; refrigerate once ready
Pan or vessel
Glass jar with a loose lid

Gather first

Ingredients

Before You Begin

Ingredients

  • Bread flour
  • Bottled or filtered water

Build Your Starter

Day 1 — Begin

  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) bread flour
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 2 — Feed

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 3 — Feed Again

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 4 — Discard & Feed

  • Half of the starter
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 5 — Feed

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 6 — Discard & Feed

  • Half of the starter
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Day 8 — Continue if Needed

  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water

Method

Step by step

Part 1

Build Your Starter

Room-temperature schedule
  1. Day 1 — Begin — Mix together, place the lid on top without sealing it, and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  2. Day 2 — Feed — Add to the starter, mix well, cover without sealing, and rest on the counter for 24 hours.
  3. Day 3 — Feed Again — Add to the starter, mix well, cover without sealing, and rest on the counter for 24 hours.
  4. Day 4 — Discard & Feed — Discard half, add the flour and water, and mix. Cover without sealing and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  5. Day 5 — Feed — Add to the starter, mix well, cover without sealing, and rest on the counter for 24 hours.
  6. Day 6 — Discard & Feed — Discard half, add the flour and water, and mix. Cover without sealing and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  7. Day 7 — Check for Readiness — If the starter has doubled in size, it is ready to use. If it has not doubled, discard half; add 1/3 cup (80 ml) bread flour and 1/3 cup (80 ml) bottled or filtered water; mix; cover without sealing; and rest for another 24 hours.
  8. Day 8 — Continue if Needed — Mix, cover without sealing, and leave on the counter for 24 hours.

Part 2

Store & Wake the Starter

Between bakes
  1. Once the starter is ready, close the lid and refrigerate it when you are not baking.
  2. To reactivate, add 1/4 cup water and 1/3 cup bread flour.
  3. Mix, cover without sealing, and leave on the counter for 3-5 hours, or until doubled.
    Set a check timer
    Choose when to check; the step's visual cues decide when it is ready.
  4. A gray or black liquid may collect on top in the refrigerator. Pour it off or mix it back in.
  5. Add 1/4 cup water and 1/3 cup bread flour, then mix well.
  6. Leave on the counter for 3-5 hours, or until doubled and ready to use.
    Set a check timer
    Choose when to check; the step's visual cues decide when it is ready.

Part 3

Helpful Notes

For next time

My Kitchen Notes

Keep track of changes, room temperature, proofing cues, or anything you want to repeat next time.

Private to this device.

Finish well

After the build

Readiness, storage, and reactivation notes for your starter.

Ready when

Ready when it reliably doubles in size

Storage

Close the jar and refrigerate the starter when you are not baking.

Reactivate

Feed with 1/4 cup water and 1/3 cup bread flour, then leave at room temperature for 3–5 hours or until doubled.

Keep Baking

Flaky golden sourdough biscuits piled in a handmade ceramic dish.

Baking Basics

Sourdough Biscuits

Tender, flaky biscuits made with sourdough starter and cold grated butter — quick to mix, cut, and bake for a warm, golden batch in under 30 minutes.

Baking BasicsActive or discardBeginnerDiscard friendly
Total time
About 30 min
Yield
10–12 biscuits
Heat
450°F / 232°C
Tall flaky sourdough buttermilk biscuits split open on a baking tray.

Baking Basics

Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits

Cold sourdough discard, buttermilk, and grated frozen butter folded into a flaky biscuit dough, chilled before baking for tall tender layers.

Baking BasicsDiscardIntermediateDiscard friendly
Total time
About 1 hr
Yield
6–7 biscuits
Heat
425°F / 218°C
Fresh flour-dusted sourdough pasta nests beside cut ribbons, bubbly starter, and eggs.

Baking Basics

Sourdough Pasta

A firm, versatile pasta dough made with flour, starter, and eggs-ready to roll now or slowly ferment for deeper sourdough flavor.

Baking BasicsActive or discardIntermediateOvernight
Total time
About 30–45 min, plus an optional 6–12 hr ferment
Yield
About 4 servings
Cooking water
Well-salted boiling water