Building a starter from scratch
14 March 2026
A starter is flour, water and patience. I mix 50 g of wholemeal rye with 50 g of lukewarm water in a jar, cover it loosely and leave it on the counter. Rye ferments faster than white flour, which is why I begin with it.
For the first three days very little happens. Then the jar suddenly smells sharp and fills with bubbles, and a day later goes quiet again. That quiet patch is normal. It is the point where most people give up and throw the jar away.
From day four I discard all but a spoonful and feed it 1:5:5 by weight, once a day. By the end of the second week it doubles in about six hours at 24 °C. That is the signal it is ready to raise bread.
I keep mine in the fridge between bakes and feed it the night before. It has survived three weeks of neglect without complaint.