Want a healthy bread? A “true” sourdough bread is a great healthy bread to consume. You can read my article about all the health benefits in sourdough bread in my article A Healthy Bread That is Good For You. To make your own sourdough bread, you will need a sourdough starter. It is not hard to make a sourdough starter, it just takes a little time. In this post, I will show you how to successfully start your own sourdough starter. Once we master the sourdough starter, I will then show you how to make your own sourdough loaf.
Here is what you need to start your sourdough starter. You will need some whole grain spelt flour and some fresh oranges. Fresh pineapple juice can also be used instead of fresh orange juice. To start your sourdough starter, simply add 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice with 2 tablespoon of spelt flour. Place in a small bowl and mix well. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. We will continue a 7-14 day feeding schedule to make your sourdough starter. Once you have your starter, you won’t have to go through this whole process again, you will just use and save some of this starter for future uses. This recipe was adapted from The Fresh Loaf website.
DAY 1: Add 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and 2 tablespoons whole grain spelt flour to a small bowl. Stir vigorously, cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave on counter for 24 hours.
Here is what your starter will look like after 24 hours at room temperature. I will post a picture daily so you can see how it changes and what you are looking for. If you notice, not much has changed after day one.
Day 2: Add 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and 2 tablespoons whole grain spelt flour to your mixture. Stir vigorously, cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave on counter for 24 hours.
Here is what your starter will look like after 2 days. Not much has changed after day 2 but look for changes coming real soon.
Day 3: Add 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and 2 tablespoons whole grain spelt flour to your mixture. Stir vigorously, cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave on counter for 24 hours.
Here is what your starter will look like after 3 days. Notice all the bubbles starting to appear.
Here is what the starter looked like after 3 days. Little change, as of now. Yours might look different by now and that is fine. Your sourdough starter will grow on its own terms.
Day 4: Stir down your sourdough starter. Measure out 1/4 cup starter and discard the rest. To this starter add 1/4 cup filtered water and 1/4 cup flour. At this point you can add any flour you would like (excluding coconut flour and almond flour). I usually stick with spelt flour because it has a better result. I tried all purpose organic flour and didn’t have the best results. Stir vigorously, cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave out at room temperature.
Repeat day 4. Repeat day 4 for days 4-14, (Stir down sourdough, measure out 1/4 cup and discard the rest, add 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour. Stir vigorously and loosely cover and leave at room temperature) once daily until your sourdough starter starts to expand and smells yeasty. Your sourdough starter might become very bubbly and then go flat. That is ok. If it doesn’t become bubbly again by day 6, add 1/4 tsp of apple cider vinegar with the daily feeding.
Day 6: Here is my sourdough starter on day 6 right before the feeding. You can tell it is time for a feeding because it has deflated. Notice how far it raised up by the lines on the sides of the bowl. When it falls it is ready for a feeding. I needed to feed mine about every 8-12 hours now.
Day 7-14: I finally have my starter. Here is what a healthy starter looks like. Look how high it has risen. It has more than doubled in volume and it has a lot of air bubbles.
I will continue to feed it (the normal feeding: 1/4 cup starter (throw out the rest), 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup flour) and keep it at room temperature for 1 more week (a total of 2 weeks) to make a strong more favorable starter. My sourdough starter is now ready for use. At this point, you can make a fresh loaf of sourdough bread.
After 2 weeks of storing and feeding your starter at room temperature, you will need to now store your sourdough starter in the refrigerator. At this point, you can feed it once a week by using the same method. At the top of the starter will be a liquid called the “hooch” and that is normal. Simply pour the hooch off and discard it and measure out your 1/4 cup starter and add to it 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour. Mix together and store back in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to make a loaf of bread, simply pull the starter out, pour off the hooch and give your starter a feeding (1/4 cup starter (discard the rest), 1/4 cup filtered water, 1/4 cup flour). Leave out at room temperature for 8 hours and give your starter another feeding. This might be enough to activate your starter (remember you are wanting it to almost double in size and you are wanting it to be bubbly, like champagne). If it is not bubbly then you might need to give it one more feeding. You are now ready to use your sourdough starter in your recipe. Remember to save a little for your next recipe and store it in the refrigerator.
I know you all might have questions along the way. Please feel free to leave your comments below in the comment section and I will answer your questions for you.
Liquid hooch picture courtesy of Bradyrevisited.com.
That is very good to know!
Hi there, thanks for the info, I have my own starter which is about 2 years old and I’ve had periods of outstanding success and then periods of no rise at all. So I’m wondering, maybe I lost my way, trying all new methods, could you give me the definitive timing for using starter for spelt bread (I too have been making this recipe and the one from Breadtopia, but I’ve had to add yeast the last couple of times). My starter often looks flat, with no bubbles. So could you tell me in (dumb dumb terms) what I should be doining to my starter before I make bread.
1. I take it out of the fridge and I feed it. What is the definitive sign that it’s ready to add to the bread mix? And if I don’t have that sign then what do I do?
2. Assuming I’ve got the above right, what time of night do I put it all together? And what time of morning do I slip it into the forming mold?
3. And this is where I always strike trouble, how long should it take to rise in the mold to the point that I should bake it? Usually I’m finding I wait like 4 hours with little to no rise, so I add yeast. This seems like a long time to me and I’d really rather not add yeast.
Any help anyone could offer would be most appreciated, my timing is all out, sometimes my bread rises and falls in the night, and seems to have no life left. For me, it’s all about having no rise.
Thanks
Ashlee
@ashlee Hi ashlee, here are the answers to your questions.
1. your starter needs to be super bubbly and active. If it is not then you will have a dense loaf. Keep feeding your starter until you have a bubbly starter.
2. I start mine around 7 pm the night before and then at 3PM the next day it is ready to continue and you will have a perfect loaf for dinner. See instructions inhttps://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/how-to-make-a-real-sourdough-spelt-loaf/ to see when to put it in the form.
3. A sourdough loaf needs 18-19 hours to rise plus 1 1/2 hour right before baking. Again, refer to https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/how-to-make-a-real-sourdough-spelt-loaf/t to learn more.
Hi, I will need a loaf only every 2-3 weeks , do I still need to feed the starter once every week?
Thanks, Stephanie
StephanieSal nope, just pull it out the day before and give it one feeding before you goto bed and then another feeding in the morning and let it get good and bubbly.
hallecottis StephanieSal Thank you, I’ll start my starter tomorrow:)
Hi Halle,
I am on day twelve and my starter is doing nothing and flat as a pancake. I have been feeding it twice a day for a while, I have tried the apple cider vinegar, and even tried putting it in the warm oven like you suggested, and still nothing. It seemed to work at first and bubbled here and there, but it never grew or really looked like it was any different. I followed all the steps exactly, not sure what I did wrong? Is there any hope for my starter or do I have to start over?
Amy Bowen Amy it sounds like you might have to start this over 🙁 Not sure what happened, but make sure dishes are clean of residue and try again. I am sorry this didn’t work. How warm is it in your area?
Hi Halle,
I am on day 7 of my second attempt and and it’s not looking good, I have know idea what I am doing wrong? Mine never gets to the point where it’s really bubbly like your pictures, even after adding apple cider vinager and it doesn’t expand or rise either. I don’t want to give up, but I also don’t want to keep feeding it if it’s never going to do anything. When you first start, do you squeeze fresh oj everyday or do you squeeze enough for a few days and keep in the fridge? I made enough for 3 days and kept in the fridge but I don’t know if it makes a difference if it’s cold or not? Also, used a ceramic bowl and a wire whisk to mix this time, it doesn’t ruin it to use stainless steel, does it? It’s been in the 80s where I live right now and the temp in my house usually ranges from 70-75 degrees. I used organic whole grain spelt flour from the bulk section at whole foods. Any thoughts at why this is not working for me?
Amy Bowen I do not recommend using stainless steel. Use only ceramic and wooden utensil. This will effect the final product. Also you should be fine to squeeze your juice and feed as you go.
I am trying to make the starter like your directions indicate and it starts off great till your day 6, where your picture is all nice and bubbly, mine is not. I discarded the first round as it didn’t do very much at all and am now on my second round but it seems to be going the same way. I second time round I definitely had more bubbles in the beginning and then by day 7, it was barely bubbling. I have added the acv and done the oven idea but it doesn’t respond like you indicate you should. I am using a glass bowl and a metal teaspoon. Does this affect it? I really want this to work but don’t really know what I am doing wrong.
Help please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
ok, I have a question. I am a neophyte to baking bread and I am jumping into the pool with both feet by wanting to strictly use spelt flour. my question concerns the daily feeding for 14 days. In 12 days, i will be gone for the weekend and wonder if all my work will be for naught if I leave it in the fridge while Im gone and not tend to it. Do I need to wait until I am home for two straight weeks before I start this project??
even though I didn’t get a response to my previous question, I decided to start the process as Im excited to try the spelt. Im
on day 8 and mine is no higher than the 1/4 cup starter, 1/4 cup spelt,
1/4 cup filtered water. No rise, no bubbles. Its in a nice warm kitchen
as I live in GA and its summer. I draw out 1/4 C starter each day and add the flour and water to a clean container. Stir and cover loosely. Whats wrong? I even do it at the same time each day. Any advice??
wendyearwood doesn’t sound like your doing anything wrong. Try using a fork to stir, and lift and fold kind of like you would be scrambling an egg for breakfast. This should add some air into your batter. I am from GA so I know how humid it is this time of year so you should be fine with the heat. Are you “loosely” covering it? Do not do it tight, it needs the beneficial bacteria that is in the air to grow and thrive. Try this and let me know how it goes.
im sure someone asked this but there are too many comments to read through!- could i make this using white spelt? also, could i use white spelt for your “real” sourdough spelt loaf recipe? thanks!
This is my first try at a starter. So, for clarification, do I start adding 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 coup water to the ORIGINAL starter on days 7-14? Or, on day 7, do I take 1/4 cup of the starter (if nice and bubbly) and add 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour each day through day 14, at which time I should have a viable starter? Assuming, of course, it looks like your picture.
Hi Janet,
Your second option is correct:on day 7, do I take 1/4 cup of the starter (if nice and bubbly) and add 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour each day through day 14, at which time I should have a viable starter? Assuming, of course, it looks like your picture.
Hello! Quick question.. When you say in the last step,”leave out at room temperature for 8 hours then give it another feeding”, do you then leave it for another 8 hours? In other words, when I’m ready to make bread and I feed it and let it sit for 8 hours, I then feed it again and then when can I take out my 1/4c to start my dough? Thanks!
When you are ready to bake the bread it should be good and bubbly.
Hello again! I am on Day 6 and I’m not sure my starter has ever risen.. when I check it, it usually has a lot of tiny bubbles and some of the water seems to have separated to the top. Is that normal? I just fed it again and added the ACV, but i’m not sure if I need to start over or not. When I fed it, there was a lot of water at the top and minimal bubbles..
Thanks for any help!
Why is it necessary to just keep 1/4 cup and keep discarding the rest? Could what u discard b used to make bread?????
You’re constantly discarding some starter because otherwise you would get more and more of it as you’re feeding it. Until the starter is ready you can’t really use it to make bread effectively, since the dough won’t rise properly (my experience is with rye sourdough but I’m pretty sure the same concept applies here)