Healthy Recipes Healthy Lifestyle Diets Healthy Vegan Recipes Healthy Vegan Whole Grain Recipes Whole-Wheat Sourdough Starter 3.5 (4) 4 Reviews This homemade sourdough starter recipe is the jumping-off point to making your own whole-grain sourdough bread (see associated recipe) at home. You need just two ingredients to make this starter--flour and water--but it takes at least 5 days for the starter to develop. Then, once it's ready, it's easy to maintain. Just store it in the refrigerator and feed it according to the directions below. Each time you feed the starter you discard half of it--but don't throw it away! It's perfect for using in pancakes or waffles. By Elisabeth Almekinder Updated on July 9, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 1 hr Additional Time: 4 days 23 hrs Total Time: 5 days Servings: 24 Yield: 12 ounces Nutrition Profile: Dairy-Free Egg-Free Nut-Free Soy-Free Vegan Vegetarian Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 4 ⅓ cups whole-wheat flour (1 pound, 6 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding 2 ½ cups warm water (85 degrees F), divided, plus more as needed for feeding 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (4 ounces), divided, plus more as needed for feeding Directions Day 1: Combine 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water in a 2-quart plastic or glass container. Do not use a metal container. Stir until the flour and water are well mixed. No dry flour should remain. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a loose-fitting lid. If you are using a glass jar, do not tighten the lid. Expanding gasses can break the glass. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours in a warm place, 75-90 degrees F. If the temperature is lower, the starter may take a few days longer to fully develop. Day 2: Discard half the starter, leaving 4 ounces in the container. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water. Stir well and cover loosely. Let the starter sit for 24 hours. Near the end of day 2, the mixture should have expanded a little and some small bubbles should have appeared. Day 3: Repeat the feeding process from Step 2, discarding half the starter and adding 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water. Day 4: The starter should have expanded and should have a distinct, sour odor. More bubbles should be visible on top. Begin a 12-hour feeding schedule: In the morning, repeat the feeding process from Step 2, discarding half the starter and adding 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water. Repeat the feeding process again 12 hours later. Day 5: The starter should have a ripe, sour odor. Small bubbles should be abundant throughout the mixture. Discard half the starter, leaving 4 ounces in the container. This time, feed with 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water. Continue the 12-hour feeding schedule, discarding half the starter and using 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water for each feed until you are ready to bake. Or, store the starter in the refrigerator and feed once per week. Tips It's best to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh all ingredients for accuracy. Flour can settle and cause volume measurements to vary. It may take the sourdough starter 7 to 10 days to fully develop when the room temperature is lower than 70 degrees F. Try storing the starter in a warm spot in your home, such as the top of the hot water heater or in the laundry room. If you have refrigerated your starter, a day or two before you are ready to bake bread, remove 4 ounces of the starter and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Then feed it and wait 12 hours. If growth is strong, feed again and wait 4 to 6 hours before making bread. Otherwise, resume the 12-hour feeding schedule until the starter is at full strength. Use 4 ounces of the whole-wheat starter to seed a new batch of starter that uses 100 percent all-purpose flour if you want to make white sourdough. After a few feedings, the white flour will have replaced the wheat. If 8 ounces of starter is not enough for your recipe, don't discard the starter in excess of 4 ounces for a couple of feedings. Keep adding 4 ounces of flour and 4 ounces of water each cycle. Feed in this manner until you have the amount needed for the recipe. To make ahead Starter will keep, covered, in the refrigerator, but you need to refresh it by discarding half and feeding it at least once per week. Associated Recipe Whole-Wheat Sourdough Bread Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 43 Calories 9g Carbs 1g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 24 Serving Size 4 ounces, to make 2 loaves of bread Calories 43 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 9g 3% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Protein 1g 2% Vitamin A 1IU 0% Folate 21mcg 5% Calcium 3mg 0% Magnesium 10mg 2% Potassium 28mg 1% Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs. Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved