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To make sourdough starter from scratch, mix flour and water, then feed the mixture regularly until it bubbles and rises predictably. For an everyday feeding flour, all-purpose is a practical choice; King Arthur Baking’s recipe starts with whole wheat or pumpernickel before switching to all-purpose.
Which flour should you use?
All-purpose flour is a convenient choice for feeding a starter. In Rossi Anastopoulo’s March 12, 2026 guide, King Arthur Baking says, “Our go-to flour for sourdough starter is all-purpose flour.” The guide also allows for other flours, rather than identifying one flour as universally required: King Arthur’s flour guide.
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For its starter recipe, King Arthur begins with whole wheat or pumpernickel flour and switches to all-purpose for subsequent feeds. The recipe says all-purpose can also be used from the beginning if whole wheat is unavailable, though development may take longer. These are recipe options, not a requirement to use whole grain: King Arthur’s sourdough starter recipe.
What you need to begin
- Flour and cool water.
- A clean, non-reactive container made of glass, crockery, stainless steel, or food-grade plastic. Choose one with enough room for the starter to expand.
- A digital scale for weighing ingredients consistently. The method below follows King Arthur Baking’s gram-based recipe.
How to make a starter: a day-by-day method
Use the following as one practical recipe, not a guaranteed timetable. Warm room conditions support faster development; cooler surroundings slow it. King Arthur’s complete recipe gives the method and its preferred environment range.
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- Day 1: In your container, combine 50 g whole wheat or pumpernickel flour with 50 g cool water. Cover loosely and leave at warm room temperature for 24 hours.
- Day 2: Keep 50 g of the mixture and discard the rest. Add 50 g water and 50 g all-purpose flour, then mix. Cover loosely and leave for another 24 hours.
- Day 3 and onward: Begin feeding more frequently as activity develops, following the recipe’s day-by-day instructions. Keep the container loosely covered and observe the starter’s bubbles and expansion after feeds.
A calendar day is not proof that a starter is ready. The recipe is a useful framework, but the rate of development depends in part on the warmth of its surroundings.
How to tell when it is active enough to bake with
Look for a starter that becomes bubbly and roughly doubles in size after feeding. King Arthur’s maintenance recipe describes a typical rise of six to eight hours under its method, but that is an expectation for that recipe, not a deadline that applies to every kitchen or starter. Check for the rise and activity cues rather than relying on elapsed time alone: King Arthur’s feeding and maintenance recipe.
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How to maintain the starter between bakes
Your feeding routine depends on where you keep the starter. King Arthur Baking describes daily feeding for a starter kept at room temperature and about weekly feeding for one stored in the refrigerator. For refrigerated starter, the maintenance recipe advises feeding it at room temperature before baking. Follow the recipe for quantities and handling: Feeding and Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing a routine that works for you
If you want a straightforward flour to keep on hand for regular feeds, all-purpose is supported as a good everyday option by King Arthur’s flour guide. If you follow its starter recipe, begin with whole wheat or pumpernickel and transition to all-purpose. Your choice can come down to what is readily available and which feeding routine you intend to maintain; neither source establishes that one flour is mandatory for every starter.
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