Making my own bread is my favorite way to save money on groceries. Here are my top 8 sourdough tips for beginners.

It can take between one and two weeks for a new sourdough starter to become strong enough to use in a recipe. Luckily, the actual process of making one is pretty easy.

I like to start by mixing ¼ cup warm water and ½ cup whole-wheat flour in a large jar. Cover the mix with plastic wrap and let it rest for one day in an environment between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

On day two, uncover and stir your mix. Cover it for another day.

On day three, discard half of the contents of your jar. Then, “feed” the starter by adding ½ cup of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of water back and mixing it together.

Cover the mixture, and let it rest for another day.

Repeat this every day until your starter has essentially doubled in size from day one. You can measure this by placing a rubber band around the starter’s initial level.

You’ll know it’s strong if it’s fluffy and full of bubbles with a nice scent.

Every time you feed your sourdough starter, you have to discard some of the mixture to make space in your container.

Some people choose to feed their refrigerated starter once a week, while others will feed it once or even twice a day. It just depends on your needs.

If throwing away this flour-water mix feels too wasteful to you, you can use the discard to make something else. There are so many great discard recipes for crackers, granola, cinnamon rolls, cookies, flatbread, biscuits, bagels, and pancakes.

If you don’t have time, though, you can also compost the discard.

There’s much debate in the sourdough community about whether it’s safe to use metal bowls and utensils while making the bread. In some instances, such as with aluminum, the metal can be corrosive, which doesn’t mix well with the acidic starter.

But for the most part, 100% stainless steel won’t impact your dough.

That said, stainless steel can be expensive, especially if you don’t already have a good collection in your kitchen. I prefer to bypass metal entirely and use a glass or ceramic bowl, wooden spoon, and silicone spatula to mix my ingredients.

If you’re trying to achieve a fluffy, airy texture with many holes throughout your loaf — a big draw of sourdough bread — sift your flour before mixing it with the other ingredients.

This essentially aerates it and helps to create a fluffier texture in your bread. If you don’t have a fine mesh strainer or sieve, you can use a whisk or fork to toss the dry flour around.

I also like to sift the flour I add to my sourdough starter each time I feed it to enhance its texture.

A stand or handheld mixer can be really helpful while making sourdough.

Mixing everything by hand requires a lot of effort, and my KitchenAid mixer helps me avoid having messy, sticky hands. I’m especially grateful for it on high-volume baking days.

I highly recommend investing in one if you’re making sourdough as your main source of bread.

I’m not an expert at scoring my loaves or making fancy designs on top, but I do strongly believe you should season sourdough.

I simply scatter a seasoning blend across the top of the loaf before baking to add style and flavor.

My favorite blend to use right now is an Asiago-flavored everything-bagel seasoning, but sprigs of rosemary and fancy salts are just as attractive, tasty, and fun.

If you’re adding loose seasonings or herbs to your loaf, use an egg wash to help them stick. It’s also a great way to create a beautiful outer crust.

If you want your crust to be browner, mix an egg with water — the less water you use, the darker your crust will be.

If you’d like a shinier, lighter crust, though, mix your egg with a splash of milk or heavy cream instead.

Water helps keep the bread’s surface flexible. The more water you add to your recipe, the more porous and fluffy your bread should turn out.

I like to spray my loaf with a good amount of water right before throwing it in the oven to help it rise better.

This story was originally published on March 1, 2025, and most recently updated on April 2, 2026.