Sourdough Made Easy – How to Begin Baking Naturally

Sourdough is where the magic begins.

Whether you're dreaming of pulling a crusty, golden loaf from the oven or just want to try something soulful and new in the kitchen, sourdough has a way of drawing you in. It’s more than bread—it’s a living tradition, a little bit wild, and incredibly rewarding.

But before you can start baking those perfect loaves, soft tortillas, fluffy pancakes, or cinnamon rolls, there's one thing you’ll need: a sourdough starter.

And the best part? You can either make your own from scratch or purchase a starter to get going right away.

Making Your Own Starter From Scratch

Creating a starter is like inviting a bit of nature into your kitchen. Inspired by the method in Tartine Bread, here's a simplified version that’s beginner-friendly and still honors the heart of the craft.

Start by premixing your flour blend so feeding is easy and low-stress. In a jar, mix 500g of bread flour (we use King Arthur) with 50g of dark rye flour (we love Bob's Red Mill Organic Dark Rye). Shake or stir thoroughly and set it aside—it’ll be your go-to mix for daily feeds.

To begin, combine 100g of bread flour and 100g of warm water in a clean jar. Stir until smooth and thick, like pancake batter. Loosely cover the jar with a cloth or lid and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours.

Each day after, discard about half the mixture and feed it again with 100g water and 100g of your flour blend. Stick to bread flour for the first few days, then you can shift to all-purpose once the activity picks up.

In about 10-14 days, your starter will begin to smell pleasantly tangy and double in size between feedings. At that point, it’s alive—and more importantly, ready to bake with.

Buying a Starter and Getting Baking Sooner

If you're eager to get baking without waiting the full 2 weeks, a dehydrated sourdough starter is the perfect shortcut. It’s shelf-stable, beginner-friendly, and super easy to bring to life.

All it takes is a little water and flour, and in just a few days, you’ll have an active starter ready to use for everything from sourdough bread to pancakes, tortillas, and more. You can find our hand-packaged starter right here, shipped with love and full of wild yeast goodness. It’s the same culture we use in all of our own bakes—resilient, flavorful, and reliable.

Feeding and Caring for Your Starter

Whether you’ve built your own or revived a dried one, caring for your starter is simple. Think of it like a houseplant—it just needs food, warmth, and a bit of consistency.

Keep your starter in a clean glass jar. If you’re baking often, store it at room temp and feed it daily. If you’re baking less frequently, keep it in the fridge and feed it once a week.

Use equal parts water and flour by weight when feeding (a kitchen scale helps here). Your starter should be doubling in size between feeds before you bake with it.

Temperature matters too. Your starter is happiest around 70–75°F. If your kitchen runs cool, try placing the jar in the oven with just the light on, or tuck it near a warm appliance. For a more in depth look at how to feed your starter, check out my simple tips for easy feeding. 

What You Can Make (It's So Much More Than Bread)

Once your starter is thriving, the possibilities open wide. You can make the signature artisan loaf, of course, but also:

• Soft sourdough tortillas
• Fluffy discard pancakes and waffles
• Thin, crispy crackers
• Rustic pizza crusts
• Homemade bagels and English muffins
• Cinnamon rolls with a subtle tang and soft texture

And that’s just the beginning.

A Few Tools That Make Life Easier

You don’t need fancy gear, but a few basics make the sourdough process smoother. A good glass jar, a kitchen scale, a Dutch oven, and a bench scraper go a long way. 

You've Got This

Whether you’re stirring together flour and water for the first time or opening a packet of dehydrated starter, this is where the journey begins. There’s no perfect way—just your way.

Each bubbling jar, each golden loaf, each flour-covered counter is part of something bigger. Sourdough brings a rhythm to your kitchen and a little joy to your day. So grab a jar and trust the process, you're about to bake something heavenly.

Got questions or want to share how your starter’s coming along? I’d love to hear from you—drop a comment below and let’s talk sourdough.