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whole wheat sourdough starter

Basic Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter

Callie Morgan
A wild yeast fermentation "starter" of whole wheat flour and pure water that is the essential ingredient in all Sourdough recipes.
5 from 16 votes
Prep Time 15 days
Total Time 15 days
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 1 starter

Equipment

  • 1 mason jar with lid OR Crock with lid
  • 1 1 Cup measuring cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup pure water Bottled or filtered water works best. You can use regular tap water as long as it is not heavily treated with chlorine.
  • 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour Organic is helpful but not necessary. You will be feeding it A LOT at first, and it is important to feed it the same flour at each feeding

Instructions
 

  • Day 1: Mix together 1 Cup of whole grain flour and 1 Cup of lukewarm water. Stir vigorously and store in a clean, sanitized mason jar. You now have a starter! Allow to sit in a warm area of your home for 24 hours.
    1 Cup pure water, 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • Day 2: Measure out 1 Cup starter (that you made yesterday) + 1 Cup lukewarm water + 1 Cup whole grain flour. Mix vigorously. Let sit for 24 hours. Discard the extra starter.
  • Days 3: Repeat 1-1-1 feeding (1 Cup Water, 1 Cup Flour, 1 Cup Starter) with a 24 hour rest. Discard the extra starter.
  • Days 4: Repeat 1-1-1 feeding (1 Cup Water, 1 Cup Flour, 1 Cup Starter) with a 24 hour rest. Discard the extra starter.
  • Day 5: Feed it once in the morning. Wait 12 hours. Feed it again. Repeat feeding twice a day until day 15- or until it consistently doubles in size after feedings. Discard the extra starter until day 7. THEN, use your extra starter for baked goods. You can find some of my favorite recipes in the post below!

Notes

  • It's important to make sure that your storage jar is sanitized before using to deter the growth of any harmful bacteria. 
  • Make sure that you do not store your starter near any other ferments (think cheese, kombucha, kefir, or vinegar- to prevent cross-contamination of cultures.
Keyword sourdough, sourdough starter, whole wheat