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bubbly rye sourdough starter in a glass jar with a white plastic lid to the left
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Rye Sourdough Starter

Learn how to make a rye sourdough starter. All you need is a combination of rye flour, water, and a little time.
Course Sourdough
Cuisine American
Keyword sourdough starter
Prep Time 1 hour
Additional Time 7 days
Total Time 7 days 1 hour
Servings 1 starter
Author Lisa

Equipment

  • Glass bowl
  • Spoon
  • Measuring cups

Ingredients

  • rye flower Whole grain wheat, unbleached all purpose, and einkorn are all great choices.
  • Filtered Water

Instructions

  • The first step is to combine one cup of rye flour with one cup of filtered water in your glass bowl. Give it a good stir, scraping the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate the flour and water. Cover with a clean tea towel and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. I like to keep mine in a warm spot in the kitchen, such as next to the stove. Starters are happiest when warm and fed.
  • Discard half of the mixture, then repeat the feeding from the day before. Stir and cover.
  • Day 3-5: Repeat instructions from Day 2. Discard, feed, stir, and cover, waiting 24 hours for feedings.
  • On days six and seven, repeat instructions from Days 3-5, but reduce the wait time to 12 hours between feedings.
  • Day 7: By the end of the week, you should be seeing signs of activity in your starter. Look for foaminess, bubbles or doubling in size. Really, all three should be present, with the emphasis on the bubbles throughout. 

Notes

  • Don't actually discard your sourdough discard - use it in a discard-specific recipe! Check out my list of 35+ Sourdough Discard Recipes ranging from dinner to breakfast, snacks to desserts - it is a great way to reduce waste and add some signature sourdough tang.
  • If you don't have access to a filter and need to use tap water, just leave the water uncovered on the countertop overnight to allow any chlorine time to evaporate. You can also boil and cool tap water before using in sourdough starter.  
  • Aim for a pancake batter consistency. You may need to adjust your flour or water to achieve this.
  • Don't use an airtight container for your sourdough starter - just a loose covering to keep stuff out while allowing it to breathe.
  • The fermentation process is greatly affected by the temperature of your home. Warmer temperatures lend to a quicker rise, while cooler temperatures slow fermentation down significantly. If you need to speed things up, leave your starter in a warm place, like near a heat source, on top of the fridge or cabinet, or in a pantry or small room that traps warm air. 
  • You can also feed your starter with mildly warm water rather than cool, as this will encourage quicker activation.