Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter

With only water, whole wheat flour, and a little work. You can easily make this Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter right in your own kitchen!

A few years ago, I was very intimidated by the methods of making sourdough starter. After reading a few recipes on how to make it online, I got so confused and afraid to even start. I decided to buy it instead, and that was one of the silliest things I ever bought.

Sourdough starter is so easy to make, especially when using white flour. As I use mostly whole grains and whole flour in my cooking. I started to experiment how to use whole wheat to make Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter too. I’m so happy to tell you that it works very well.

Ever since, I only use whole wheat flour that has been fermented (sourdough) with any recipe that requires flour. Sourdough gives a special tangy flavor that I can’t get from regular flour, and the best thing about it is that it’s easier to digest.

Let’s jump to the recipe!

Ingredients for making Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter:

Whole wheat flour
Filtered water

Note: feel free to make any amount you like, but I like to start with a small amount as it will add up by the time it’s ready.

Instructions:

Day 1: in a glass jar, put 40 g (about ⅓ cup) of whole wheat flour and 40 g (about 2 ¾ TBSP) of filtered water in and mix well. Cover it loosely with a lid and let it ferment at room temperature for 24 hours. Note: don’t worry if you can’t get the exact same amount in weight, just try to keep it as close as you can.
Day 2-7: feed the same amount of whole wheat flour and water in weight and mix well. Put it back to ferment.

Day 3: you should see some bubbles, repeat the feeding.
Day 4: it begins to smell sour with more bubbles, repeat the feeding.
Day 5: the dough is softer and the sour smell is strong, repeat the feeding.
Day 6: it’s almost done, you can start using it now if you need to. However, I find it better to let it ferment for another day. If you prefer, repeat the feeding.
Day 7: It should smell very sour. Feed it again and it will be ready to use in a few hours.

Note: if you plan to use it often, you can leave the jar at room temperature, take the amount you need and repeat the feeding. If you don’t use it often, put the jar in the fridge and feed it at least once a week.