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How to Make Rye Flour Sourdough Starter

Learn how to make a rye flour sourdough starter. A sourdough rye starter is simple to make, and in just seven days, you’ll have a healthy sourdough starter for baking flavorful, naturally leavened bread!

  • Prep: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 168 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • Organic Sprouted Rye Flour
  • Water

Instructions

  1. The feeding ratio is adjustable in these instructions. I suggest following the 1:2 ratio for the first 7 days; then you can adjust to a thicker starter that holds a “photo-worthy” rise longer. Please read the blog post above this recipe for more on this.
  2. Step One (Day 1) In a bowl combine 50 grams of organic sprouted rye flour and 100 grams of water.
  3. Use a spatula to combine the flour and water. Stir until there are no clumps and the mixture is smooth.
  4. Scoop the mixture into a clean glass jar.
  5. Loosely set a lid on the top or secure a breathable covering to the jar (i.e. cheesecloth) and leave the mixture on the counter for 24 hours.
  6. Step Two (Day 2) Stir sourdough starter mixture.
  7. Add 50 grams of organic sprouted rye flour and 100 grams of water to the starter mixture in the jar. Mix and scrape down the sides.
  8. Replace a breathable lid. Leave the mixture on the counter for 24 hours.
  9. Step Three (Days 3-7, Feeding and Discarding) to a clean bowl add 50 grams sourdough starter mixture from the previous day, 50 grams of organic sprouted rye flour and 100 grams of water
  10. Stir until evenly combined, and scoop into a clean jar.
  11. Replace the breathable lid and allow it to ferment for 24 hours.
  12. Discard any remaining original starter mixture. Or you can find fun ways to use sourdough starter discard here.
  13. Repeat steps 9 through 12 every 24 hours until you reach 7 days. At this point, it should be bubbly.
  14. (The Night Before Baking) Feed your starter 8 hours before you plan to make bread dough. 
  15. To keep your starter active and to make starter suitable for baking, use the following ratios for feeding: 10% starter, 50% flour, 40% water. (example: you need 200 grams of starter for a recipe, so you want to make 250 grams of starter, so you have some left to feed. You will mix 25 grams of starter, 125 grams of flour, and 100 grams water); These amounts work for most flour, but add a little more water if it’s too dry. Starters are forgiving.
  16. (Baking Day) Perform a float test by dropping a teaspoon of starter into a cup of room-temperature water. If it floats, it’s ready for use. If your starter does not float, continue to feed and discard until it passes the float test.
  17. If your starter passed the float test, put some starter aside to continue feeding. Use the rest of the starter for your baking recipe.
  18. Again, to keep your starter active and to make starter suitable for baking, use the following ratios for feeding: 10% starter, 50% flour, 40% water. These amounts work for most flour, but add a little more water if it’s too dry. Starters are forgiving.

Notes

  • This recipe is formulated using organic sprouted rye flour. If you use a different type of flour, your starter will be a different consistency and texture. This recipe should work well with regular rye flour also.
  • The type of flour you use will influence the flour-to-water ratio you should use. Whole grain flour, especially sprouted flour, works well with a 1:2 flour-to-water ratio. White flour like bread flour and all-purpose work best with a ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 flour to water. 
  • You may notice some early watery separation. This is normal and just means you need to adjust the flour-to-water ratio. Add more flour to your feedings to thicken the starter

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Nutrition information is auto-calculated and estimated as close as possible. We are not responsible for any errors. We have tested the recipe for accuracy, but your results may vary.