Go Back
fresh milled flour sourdough starter
Fresh Milled Mama

How To Make Your Own Fresh Milled Flour Sourdough Starter

5 from 3 votes
You've fallen down the rabbit hole of milling your own flour, and now you want to make your own fresh milled sourdough starter. This post will walk you through the daily steps to creating your very own fresh milled flour sourdough starter from scratch. With patience, a little flour, water, and time, you’ll have a starter to bake beautiful sourdough bread and more within 7-14 days!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Ready Within (up to 14 days) 7 days
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 50 grams fresh milled hard white wheat flour
  • 50 grams Water (non-chlorinated, room temperature 70-75F)

Equipment

  • Pint Mason Jar
  • Kitchen Scale
  • Spatula or Spurtle

Method
 

Day 1
  1. Set your empty jar on the kitchen scale and tare it so it shows 0 grams. Add 50 grams of fresh milled flour and 50 grams of room temperature water. Stir until thoroughly combined.
  2. Cover loosely with the jar lid and band, but DO NOT tighten the band. let sit for 24 hours. I personally just use the mason jar lid with the band loosely fastened just enough to not fall off. It will need to "breathe" and let out gasses.
    You can use a marker or rubber band to mark the top of your starter. This will come in handy as your starter gets active.
    *Your starter will not show signs of growing or being active days 1-3.
Day 2
  1. Tare out a clean pint glass mason jar on your kitchen scale. Add 20 grams of the starter to the jar. Discard the leftover. To the 20 grams add 50 grams of fresh milled hard white flour and 50 grams of room temperature water.
    Stir until thoroughly combined. Cover loosely with the jar lid and band, but DO NOT tighten the band. Let sit for 24 hours.
Days 3-5
  1. Repeat steps from day 2.
    This is also a good time to jot down notes as you go. Assess the look and smell of your starter. You may see a little bit of a rise starting on days 3/4.
Days 6 and onward
  1. You will now feed your starter 2 times a day! You will feed it about 12 hours apart.
    Tare out a clean pint glass mason jar on your kitchen scale. Add 50 grams of the starter to the jar. Discard the leftover. To the 50 grams of starter add 50 grams of fresh milled hard white flour and 50 grams of room temperature water. (This is a 1:1:1 feeding Ratio)
    Stir until thoroughly combined. Cover loosely with the jar lid and band, but DO NOT tighten the band. Let sit in a warm spot until your next feeding.
  2. By now you should start to see some activity such as bubbles and your starter rising and falling. A healthy sourdough starter should double in 4-6 hours. My starter actually doubled on day 6, but this can vary with the temperature in your home. Taking longer if it's cooler or quicker if it's warmer. Be patient if yours isn't at the same pace.
  3. Once you are getting predictable results a few days in a row with it doubling within 4-6 hours your starter is ready to start baking sourdough bread and other goodies! Your starter is going to keep maturing and getting stronger as time goes.
  4. *Note that in the beginning days of your starter doubling within 4-6 hours after feeding it is still new and your bakes may vary. It could take up to 1-2 months for your starter to be really good and established. Just be patient and consistent with feedings.