How To Make Your Own Sourdough Starter (From Scratch)

A simple, no-fuss way to begin your sourdough journey with a thriving starter.

Meet Ethel. She’s my sourdough starter. I created her back in the first week of the pandemic, during the first quarantine. She became my little buddy, whom I fed each morning before even feeding myself. I made loaf after loaf, giving some to friends and family. It was my way of giving back during a very uncertain time.

When I became pregnant, morning sickness took over and I shoved Ethel into the back of the fridge, unable to think about anything other than crackers and the occasional chicken nugget. After giving birth to my daughter, I tried to revive Ethel again and she had a short comeback for a few months until I realized that I couldn’t keep a human baby alive and a starter alive at the same time. So, back in the fridge she went. Each time I pulled her out, I expected there to be mold that made her impossible to use. But no, she just kept on trudging. She developed a strong layer of hooch but otherwise was in perfect working order. It took her a few days to be revived each time, but then there she’d be, kicking away.

I decided it was finally time to pull her out for more regular sourdough making, now that my toddler is almost two and life is getting into a steady rhythm again. A very different rhythm than before parenthood, but a rhythm nonetheless.

Ethel made her re-appearance this week and to my surprise, yet again, she’s back to work and I’m currently waiting on my first loaf to finish proofing.

I love the art of sourdough. The science of sourdough. The way it can be molded and shaped and formed into all these beautiful, delicious recipes. A starter can be used for everything from bread loaves to muffins to pancakes to scones to biscuits, and don’t even get me started on discard recipes. It’s endless. And I’ve come to learn that having a starter is like having a heartbeat in your kitchen. A little reminder that every day you get to feed something, and it serves you back tenfold.

Now that I’ve been using my starter for a few years off and on, I’ve gotten into this intuitive pattern with reading it. I know how much water and what exact temperature (by sticking my finger under the faucet, of course) needs to be added without weighing the grams, I know how much flour and what kind should be mixed in without measuring perfectly. It’s a dance, between me and Ethel. And one that I’ve come to cherish every day. So, I thought I would share my recipe for making and keeping a starter with you. In case you’d like to start from scratch, make your own, and watch it grow.