Using Whole Grain Flours to Make a Starter

This recipe uses regular, everyday all-purpose flour, but you can certainly make sourdough using whole wheat, rye, or any other kind of flour. Wild yeast is everywhere, after all!

If this is your first time making sourdough, I'd recommend starting with all-purpose flour because it tends to behave the most predictably. If you're feeling ready to branch out, just start feeding the starter with whatever whole grain flour you would like to use for baking. Personally, I keep a constant batch of all-purpose sourdough starter in my kitchen, and if I want to make a rye starter or a whole wheat starter, I scoop 1/4 cup from my all-purpose starter and use that as the seed for a new starter with the whole grain flour.

How to Use This Starter in Bread Recipes

This starter uses equal parts flour and water, a 1:1 ratio, which I find to be the most versatile for baking. To use this starter in any recipe, take a look at the ratio of flour and water the recipe is calling for in their starter. Next time you feed your starter, just feed it the ratio of water and flour called for in the recipe. If you want to stick more closely to the recipe's sourdough, just scoop out 1/4 cup of your starter and feed it with the ingredients called for in your recipe's starter.

Once you're done with your recipe, go back to feeding your starter equal parts flour and water.

How To Make Your Own Sourdough Starter

Makes 4 cups.

All-purpose flour (or a mix of all-purpose and whole grain flour)

Water, preferably filtered

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