Getting Started with Your New Sourdough Starter
Wondering what to do with your brand new sourdough starter that a friend gave you? Or maybe you're looking for easy printable instructions to include with some starter as a gift for a friend. Either way, I've got you covered!
Here's the thing about baking with sourdough starter, it's totally contagious. Once you've learned to enjoy the smell of fresh baked sourdough bread, warm sourdough waffles, and crispy sourdough crackers, you'll find you're obsessed with sharing this treat with your friends.
For newbie sourdough bakers, receiving a starter batch of sourdough starter can be overwhelming. It feels like there are so many rules and steps.
I've outlined everything you need to know to give sourdough to your friends along with everything they need to know to get started once they've received your gift.
Don't miss my printable instructions at the bottom, it would be a perfect thing to include with that jar of starter!
For the Giver
If you want to share some of your sourdough starter with a friend, the best time to do this is when you are feeding your own starter.
Measure out the starter you plan to feed and keep and set aside. The remaining starter in your original container is now called "sourdough discard." You'll use this to share with your friend.
If you will see your friend today, you can simply add the discard to a small lidded container. Keep it in the fridge until you give it to them. They will need to feed their new starter within the next 24 hours.
If you will see your friend in the next 7 days, you should feed your discard and store it in the fridge. When you give the starter to them, they should still feed it within the first 24 hours.
If you want to be extra thoughtful, you could feed the discard and store it in the fridge. This way it won't be so "hungry" and there will be less pressure on your friend to feed it right away. Just be sure to let them know!
Then jump to the bottom of this post and print off the instructions or just send the link to this post to your friend so they know what to do with it!
For the Receiver
Congratulations, you're the new owner of some sourdough starter! You've just received some sourdough starter from a friend and now you're wondering what to do with it.
Give It a Name
Sourdough starter is a living thing that needs to be fed and watered, just like a pet. Why not start by giving it a name??
We nicknamed our starter "Betty." It seems silly, but this whimsical detail has made baking with the starter a lot more fun.
When we feed the starter and let it bubble away on the counter, we'll cheer her on: "Go, Betty, Go! Look at that rise!"
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Choose the Right Storage Containers
Your friend has likely given you some starter in a small container for easy transportation. If the starter came to you in a small mason jar or plastic storage bag, these are not ideal containers for using long term.
You will need two containers for baking with sourdough starter:
- Active Starter Jar: This is where your active starter that you continue to feed over time will be stored in between feedings.
- Long-Term Discard Storage Tub: This is where you'll keep the sourdough discard after each feeding. The "discard" is any starter excess you have leftover after you've fed your active starter. You can collect it over a period of two weeks to make big batches of sourdough discard recipes like sourdough discard waffles and sourdough discard crackers our favorite rich sourdough discard brownies.
Choosing an Active Starter Jar
You will want to use a glass or ceramic container that has at least a 3-cup capacity and a loose-fitting lid.
I prefer a clear, see-through container so I can see the starter rise and gauge how active it is.
Do not use a screw-on lid like a mason jar, as the starter rises it will create pressure and your container could explode.
Choose a container that has a lid that simply rests on the top without tightly sealing. After testing several containers over the last couple of years, I think that this sourdough starter jar is the best but workable containers can be found at Target, Amazon, or other major homegoods retailers.
If you are waiting for your container to arrive after online ordering, just keep the starter in an open mason jar covered with a tea towel. Don't cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, the starter needs to "breathe."
Choosing a Long-Term Discard Storage Tub
My favorite part about maintaining a sourdough starter is the baking I can do with the discard. I'm not always ready to bake with it after a feeding, so I store it for up to 2 weeks in the fridge in my long-term discard tub.
After every feeding, I'll add more discard to the tub until I've collected enough to make my discard recipes.
The discard is not active and should not be used for baking bread but you can make tons of delicious sour-tasting sourdough recipes with discard like my sourdough discard waffles or sourdough discard crackers.
To store the discard, you can keep it in a tight-fitting lidded container of your choosing. I keep a large plastic baking tub in my fridge, it looks just like this one.
The First Feeding
Your friend has hopefully told you whether your new starter has recently been fed or not, but when in doubt be sure to feed your starter within the first 24 hours to be safe.
Keep your starter in the fridge until you feed it to help it survive until your feeding.
To feed starter, you'll follow a 1:1:1 ratio every single time.
1 part starter : 1 part all-purpose flour : 1 part water
A typical feeding uses anywhere from 90 - 120 grams of starter, or about 1/2 cup. You'll likely have more starter than you need for the feeding, you'll simply "discard" the remaining portion that isn't fed into your long-term storage tub.
For very detailed instructions on the process of feeding starter using a food scale, you can read my post on how to feed sourdough starter here.
How to Store Your New Starter
You have two elements that will need to be stored:
- Active Starter
- Sourdough Discard
How to Store Active Starter
First you need to decide:
- Am I baking with my active starter in the next 2 - 3 days?
- Am I busy this week and I don't plan to bake in the next 6 - 7 days?
If you're baking in the next 2 - 3 days, store your active starter on the counter at room temperature. You will need to feed it 1 - 2 times per day to keep it active.
If you aren't baking soon, you'll want to feed your starter and then put it immediately in the fridge for up to 7 days. Do not let it rise on the counter or it will get hungry again. Always store it in the fridge directly after a feeding to give yourself the longest storage window.
NOTE: If you want to build up your sourdough discard stash for baking, you can always leave your active starter on the counter and feed it 1 - 2 times per day and collect the discard for your tub. I frequently choose this route even though I'm not baking with my active starter during that time period.
How to Store Sourdough Discard
Sourdough discard should always be kept in the fridge. It must be used within 2 weeks.
So I mark the date of the first batch of discard I put into the storage tub and use that as my guide.
Anything that gets collected within the two week period is safe to use in baking. If I don't bake within two weeks, I empty the tub into the trash, wash the container, and start again.
How to Bake with Sourdough Starter
Now that you've got your feeding routine and storage system down pat, you're finally ready for some sourdough baking!
There are many sourdough baking blogs and bread baking books with dozens upon dozens of authentic sourdough bread recipes for you to play with.
Our family chooses to use sourdough starter in our bread machine for a much easier baking experience. We make bread machine sourdough loaves and use the bread machine for making the dough for sourdough dinner rolls. You can find both of our very-favorite recipes in The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook.
Because our family is super-busy and we don't always have time for baking artisanal bread, I've discovered the joy of baking with sourdough discard. Even if you never make anything other than sourdough waffles and sourdough crackers, I think you'll find that feeding your starter is totally worth it!
I'm currently working on additional sourdough discard recipes that I'll be sure to share with you as soon as they're ready.
Print This for New Sourdough Bakers
If you're giving sourdough starter to a friend, be sure to print the instructions below to help get them started!
If your friend didn't give you instructions, that's ok. You can print this off for yourself.
📖 Recipe
Getting Started with Your New Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
Your First Sourdough Starter
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter quantity may vary depending on your source
For Your First Feeding
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup water not hot, cold or room temperature is ok
Instructions
- Your starter has likely arrived in a transportation container, not a long-term storage container. Place it in your fridge to keep it safe until you are able to do the first feeding within the next 24 hours.
- Feed your starter: Use a 1:1:1 ratio for every feeding. Measure your starter and then use equal parts flour and water to feed it. Stir it all together. I recommend using 1/2 cup or approximately 90 - 120 grams of starter to start. Anything you have remaining from your original container of starter over the amount you fed will become your "sourdough discard."
- Store your active starter: Place the just-fed active starter in your active starter jar. Choose a clear glass container with a loose fitting lid. Do not cover the jar with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, the starter needs to breathe. If you plan to bake in the next 2 - 3 days, keep the starter on the counter and feed it 1-2 times per day to keep it active. If you don't plan to bake soon, feed it and then store it directly in the fridge for up to 7 days. Do not let it rise on your counter before putting in the fridge, always chill it directly after feeding.
- Store your sourdough discard: Don't throw away the excess sourdough starter after a feeding, it can be used to make delicious things like sourdough waffles and sourdough crackers. Store your discard in a plastic storage tub with a tight fitting lid for up to 2 weeks. Mark the tub with the date of the first addition of discard. Then continue to collect discard from additional feedings in the tub. No need to feed the discard. You can use it directly in discard recipes as long as you use it up before the two week deadline.
Recipe Notes
For More Information:
For very detailed instructions on feeding your starter, please reference How to Feed Sourdough Starter which has step-by-step photos and instructions on using a food scale.HELPFUL TOOLS
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