Starting a Sourdough Starter From Scratch

Day 1: Mix 50g whole wheat flour with 50g water. Cover loosely. Day 2: Discard half. Feed 25g flour + 25g water. Day 3-7: Repeat. The smell will shift from sweet to acidic and back. Do not panic. Day 8-14: Transition to bread flour. Feed twice a day. Track rise time. When you see consistent doubling within 4-6 hours, you're done. The most common mistake: giving up on day 4. Day 4-5 is when many starters go quiet: that's not death, that's a microbial population shift. Keep feeding.