Learn how to make a sourdough starter recipe without yeast.  This is an easy sourdough starter recipe for beginners, and it's a great skill to know when homesteading.  By having a starter ready, you can make a sourdough bread recipe without yeast to feed your family.

How to Make Sourdough Starter at Home

Food and water are perhaps the most important things in an emergency situation.  Although we thankfully haven't had an emergency situation with food, our food supply has been disrupted over the last two years.

When all of this began (I'm purposely not using the word for it due to censorship), I went to the Amish bulk store to get yeast.  Soon, we were facing a national, if not worldwide, shortage of some types of foods and yeast.

I got to work making several loaves of bread at a time and freezing the dough.  I also made this recipe for sourdough starter without yeast so we always had fresh bread.

For more cooking from scratch recipes, check out these posts:

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What is Sourdough Starter?

A sourdough starter recipe for bread is simply a combining flour and water for a natural leavening substance without using additional yeast.

There is some wild yeast in flour, and making sourdough starter recipe easy allows you to use that naturally occuring yeast to make bread.

As long as you feed your sourdough starter recipe from scratch, it will last for years.  It does take a week to fully develop, so keep that in mind.  

We will discuss how to feed your sourdough starter and how to use sourdough starter below.

What is a Sourdough Starter Made Of?

When you learn how to make sourdough starter at home, you may be shocked that it only needs two ingredients.  

You'll use flour and water.  That's it.  You don't need any additional ingredients for this recipe for sourdough starter without yeast.

Can You Buy Sourdough Starter?

Yes, you can buy sourdough starter.  You can find starters with all purpose flour and other flours.

Can I Add a Little Yeast to My Sourdough Starter?

Yes, you can add some yeast to this best sourdough starter recipe.  Your starter takes a week to develop, but adding some yeast can speed it up.

My kitchen gets cold in the winter.  If your kitchen is below 70 degrees, then you may want to add some yeast to give it a boost.

You can add 1/8 teaspoon of instant yeast per cup of flour.

Best Flour to Use for Sourdough Starter

You can use all purpose flour, rye flour, or whole wheat flour to learn how to make sourdough starter recipe at home.  

White flour gives a more mild sourdough, and rye tends to mature quicker.  

You can also mix flours to make your recipe for sourdough starter without yeast.

Should I Add Sugar to My Sourdough Starter?

No, you do not need to add sugar to feed the yeast.  The water and flour are enough.

Best Water for Sourdough Starter Recipe From Scratch

It's best to use spring water or filtered water for this recipe for sourdough starter without yeast.  Chlorine in water and kill yeast, so don't use tap water if yours has chlorine added.

I have well water, so I buy spring water to make my best sourdough starter recipe.  The minerals in the water can prevent a good starter.  Softened water can also affect your starter.

How Often Should You Feed Sourdough Starter?

After the first week, you'll need to feed your sourdough starter recipe easy.  At first, you'll feed it every 24 hours.

However, once your starter is ready, you can store it in the fridge and feed it once a week.  

How Do I Know When My Sourdough Starter is Ready?

When you learn how to make sourdough starter at home, how do you know when it's ready?  The first way is to check the volume.  Sourdough starter will double in volume in about 4 hours after you feed it.  Use a rubber band or tape to mark the outside of the jar to check for an increase in volume.

You can also look for bubbles.  You will see more bubbles each day, and it will have a strong sour odor.  There might also be a clear liquid forming on top.  You'll hear the bubbles pop when you feed the starter and stir it.

Finally, you can check to see if this sourdough starter recipe easy is done by testing it in water.  Fill a bowl with room temperature water.  

Add a teaspoon of starter.  If it floats, then it is done.  If it sinks, then it either needs fed or more time to finish if you just fed it.

How Long Does a Sourdough Starter Last?

When you learn how to make sourdough starter at home, you might be surprised that it can last over 100 years!  You will need to feed it every week and store it in the fridge though.

How Long Does it Take for Sourdough Starter to Mature?

This sourdough starter recipe for bread takes about a week to mature.  Then store it in the fridge and keep feeding it indefinitely.

Why Do You Discard Half of the Sourdough Starter?

The reason that you discard half of your sourdough starter recipe without yeast is that it will quickly grow and take over a lot of room in your fridge.  

Additionally, you will need a lot of flour to maintain your starter when you learn how to feed your sourdough starter.

Your sourdough discard won't have enough yeast to make bread, but you can use it in other ways.

Can You Feed Sourdough Discard?

Yes, you can feed your sourdough discard to make a new recipe for sourdough starter without yeast.  You can keep it yourself or give to a friend.  

How to Use Discarded Sourdough Starter

Sourdough discard doesn't have enough yeast to make bread, but you can still use it.  I like to use it to make sourdough discard pancakes.  You can also use it in one of the following recipes:

• Sourdough Discard Muffins
• Sourdough Discard Pecan Sticky Buns
• Sourdough Discard Crackers
• Sourdough Discard Doughnuts
• Sourdough Discard English Muffins
• Sourdough Discard Soft Pretzels
• 51 Sourdough Discard Recipes
• 15 Sourdough Discard Dessert Recipes
• 25 Sourdough Starter Breakfast Recipes

Sourdough Starter Recipe for Beginners Ingredients

To learn how to make sourdough starter recipe without yeast, you will need:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (can also use whole wheat, rye, or a mix of all purpose and wheat or rye)
• 1 cup spring water or filtered water

How to Make Sourdough Starter at Home

Day 1

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup water.  Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed.  Set on the counter at room temperature and cover with a clean kitchen towel.

Day 2

Exactly 24 hours after you made your sourdough starter recipe from scratch, remove half of the mixture from the bowl and set aside.  This is your sourdough discard.  

Then feed your sourdough starter recipe for bread by adding 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of spring water.  Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.  Cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature.

Day 3-5

Every 24 hours, repeat the instructions from day 2.  Remove half of the mixture and feed your sourdough starter recipe from scratch.

Day 6-7 

Continue to discard half and add a cup of flour and a cup of water every 12 hours.

Day 7

Transfer your sourdough starter to an airtight container and place in the fridge.  Feed it once a week to keep it going.  You'll remove half of it each time you feed it.

As long as you feed your sourdough starter recipe easy once a week, it will last for years.  Some sourdough starters are over 100 years old!

You can give the discard to a friend and teach them how to keep sourdough starter alive or use the discard for other recipes.  

How to Freeze Sourdough Starter Recipe For Bread

You can also freeze some of your discard!  This is helpful if you think you'll forget to keep feeding your starter in the fridge.

Simply spread the discard in a thin layer on a baking sheet.  I line it with parchment paper so it doesn't stick.  Let it dry completely.

Then break up the discard into small pieces and store in a freezer bag.  

You'll need to feed this starter once it thaws, which can take up to a week until it's ready to use to make bread.

Now you know how to feed your sourdough starter, how to use sourdough starter, and how to make sourdough starter at home!  

How to Make Sourdough Starter Recipe Without Yeast was originally published at Homesteading in Ohio.

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