Make your own levain!

Ready to create your own sourdough starter? Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news: you only need two ingredients. The bad news: you’ll need a lot of patience (we’re talking 7 days, folks!). But hang in there—before you know it, you’ll be baking up some delicious bread (or pastry!) with your homemade starter. The best part? Once you’ve got it, you can keep feeding it, and you’ll never have to make it from scratch again. Just don’t forget to feed it... it’s like a kid that way! Good luck on your sourdough journey!

 

What You’ll Need:

  • Measuring scale

  • All-purpose flour

  • Lukewarm water (80-85°F)

  • Spatula or whisk

  • Mason jar

The Process:

Day 1
Weigh your mason jar (without the lid) on your scale in grams and note the weight. Add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of lukewarm water (80-85°F). Mix well to hydrate the flour, making sure no lumps remain. Cover loosely with a lid or plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours. That’s it!

Day 2
Now, either use the same jar or a fresh one. Keep 75 grams of the starter from Day 1 and add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of lukewarm water. Mix well, cover loosely, and let it sit for another 24 hours.

Day 3
Remove all but 100 grams of starter. Feed it with 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of lukewarm water. Cover and rest for 24 hours.

Days 4-7
Repeat the steps from Day 3 for the next 4 days. By the end of Day 7, your starter should be bubbly and active enough to bake with! If it’s not quite there, give it a few more days of feeding.

How to Know When Your Starter is Ready:

There are a couple of ways to check if your starter is ready to bake with. The easiest method? The float test! Take a small blob of your starter and drop it into a glass of water. If it floats, you’re golden! If it sinks, it’s not quite strong enough yet.

You can also watch it rise and fall after each feeding. Your starter should double in size, then fall back down. Use it when it’s at its peak rise!

Tips & Tricks:

  • Big jar, big bubbles! Your starter can get really active, so make sure you’ve got a big enough jar to handle the rise.

  • Keep the ratio of 1:1:1—equal parts starter, flour, and water—for the perfect consistency.

  • To slow down the process, pop your starter in the fridge. Cold temps will slow the rise and fall. When you're actively baking, keep it out at room temperature.

Now you’re all set to get started! If your starter gets a little out of hand, don’t worry—you’ll figure out what works for you. And once you’ve got that bubbly starter, the baking possibilities are endless!