Combine ½ cup (2 oz/58 g) of whole wheat flour and ¼ cup +2 tablespoons (3 fl oz/ 90 ml) of water in a large sealable glass jar. Mix with a fork until smooth; the consistency will be thick and pasty. Cover loosely with a small cloth or kitchen paper, and let it rest in at room temperature in a warm spot, for 24 hours.

*Tip: I recommend using an electric scale when making and working with sourdough as precision is important.

On the second day you can see a starter that is dark on top and to be honest doesn't look great. It might even have some liquid (hooch) on top of the surface. this is TOTALLY normal.

Remove and discard approximately half of your starter from the jar. I did this by eyeballing it each time and its works perfectly.

Feed it with a ½ cup (2 oz/58 g) of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup +1 tablespoon (2 fl oz/60 ml) of water. Mix with a fork until smooth. The texture should resemble thick-ish batter at this point. It will not normally have any bubbles at this stage. Scrape down the starter off the sides of the jar, cover loosely, and let rest in your warm spot for another 24 hours.

Repeat the feeding process outlined on Day 2 (remove and discard half of the starter, and feed it with 1/2 cup (2oz/60g) of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup +1 tablespoon (2oz/60g) of water. As the yeast begins to develop, your starter will rise, and bubbles will form on the surface and throughout the culture. During the first week of feeding put starter into a clean jar with when you see fit. Continue to cover with kitchen paper up until day 7.

*Tip: Place a rubber band or piece of masking tape around the jar to measure the starter’s growth as it rises.

By now, your starter should have doubled in size. You should see plenty of bubbles, both large and small. The texture will be spongy, fluffy and a bit strecthy. It should smell boozy, but not like stinky like gym socks. Your starter is now active and ready to use! If you decide not to use it at this point then continue to feed every 24 hours or cover with a lid and refrigerate it until needed and feed before using.

Do the float test: Drop a teaspoon of bubbly starter in a jar of water; if it floats to the top you can use it.

Please keep in mind, if your starter is not ready at this point which is quite common due to temperature issues, timing, and other factors, it is totally fine to continue the feeding process for 1-2 weeks or more. The flavor and texture will just get better with time.

If you are not ready to use your starter that is no problem at all. Simply transfer it to a clean sealable jar and keep it in the fridge to use later. Once in the fridge, you only need to feed your starter once every 7 days. See ‘Storage Options’ below.

If you bake often, store your starter at room temperature (ideally between 78°F/25°C and 82°F/26°C) feeding it once a day to keep it active. If you plan to bake only once in a while, store it in the fridge to preserve its strength and feed it once a week. When ready to bake, store it at room temperature and feed it once/twice a day for 1-3 days or until it can predictably and reliably reach its peak.

Replenish what’s left in the jar with fresh flour (use all unbleached purpose flour) and water.

Feed your starter everyday if it’s stored at room temperature. Feed it 1x a week if you keep it in the fridge.

If you miss a feeding, don’t worry — your starter is not going to die. It might look ugly (and smell horrendous) but it usually just needs a few feedings to perk back up.

If you haven't fed in some time you might see a dark liquid might appear on the surface and throughout the culture. It has a very stinky smell, similar to rubbing alcohol or gym socks. This liquid is called “hooch” and is an indication that your starter needs to be fed. Any time you see this liquid, it’s best to remove it along with any discolored starter present.