Making a sourdough starter from scratch is easier than you think. All you need is flour and water to get it started, then you can make all the delicious sourdough treats - breads, cookies, pizza, and even cinnamon rolls!
DAY ONE: Put one cup of flour and one cup of water into a large bowl and stir vigorously. Make sure you stir in all the flour, not letting any dry flour get stuck on the sides of the bowl or clump together in dry balls. Set bowl on the counter, covering with a tea towel or partially cover it with a lid (do not seal shut).Let it sit for 24-hours.
flour,, water
DAY TWO: After 24-hours, take half of the contents in the bowl and throw it away. Add one cup of flour and one cup of water again, and stir vigorously. Cover and let sit for another 24-hours.
flour,, water
DAY THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE: Repeat instructions from day two on day three, day four, and again on day five.
flour,, water
DAY SIX: After 24-hours, take half of the contents in the bowl and throw it away. Add one cup of flour and one cup of water again, and stir vigorously. Cover and let sit for only 12-hours this time.
flour,, water
DAY SEVEN: Repeat instructions from day six. After 12-hours of sitting, your sourdough starter should be complete. You can know your starter is ready if it's bubbly and has doubled in size. You can also do the float test (see notes) to be sure. Now you're ready to start making your favorite bready treats! See recipe ideas in the notes below.