Sourdough Rye Starter - Complete Guide + Video

Published: Oct 31, 2021 by Charlé Visser · This post may contain affiliate links · 64 Comments · 1237 words. · About 7 minutes to read this article.

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Making a sourdough rye starter is as simple as mixing water and flour. Using rye flour guarantees a happy, healthy starter.

The resulting starter is better than a regular sourdough starter for various reasons, and you can bake amazing homemade sourdough bread like this flaxseed meal sourdough loaf or these amazing crunchy sourdough baguettes.

This complete sourdough guide covers everything from making and maintaining a sourdough starter to troubleshooting common issues with detailed answers.

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What is a sourdough starter?
Why Use a Rye Sourdough Starter?
Ingredients
Instructions
Watch how to make it
Tips for success
Storage instructions
How to Maintain a Sourdough Starter
Frequently asked questions
Useful equipment
Related recipes
Recipe
Comments

What is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a natural ferment made from flour and water, containing wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. This live culture helps leaven bread and gives sourdough its signature tangy flavor.

When flour and water mix, natural enzymes break down starches into sugars. Yeast feeds on these sugars, producing carbon dioxide, which makes the bread rise. Meanwhile, lactobacillus bacteria create lactic acid, giving sourdough its slightly sour taste.

This fermentation process creates a strong, active starter—essential for baking real sourdough bread without commercial yeast.

Why Use a Rye Sourdough Starter?

A rye sourdough starter is more stable, nutrient-rich, and easier to maintain than a white flour starter.

Lower gluten makes the starter more fluid and less elastic.
More nutrients in rye flour feed yeast and bacteria more effectively, leading to faster fermentation.
Better microbial balance depends on flour, water, temperature, pH, and minerals. Rye naturally supports a strong, active culture.

Because of this, a rye starter develops faster, stays more stable, and is easier to work with, making it ideal for beginners and experienced bakers alike.

Ingredients

Water — Filtered water works best. Some tap water contains chlorine or other chemicals that can slow or hinder fermentation.
Rye Flour — Regular rye flour works best. Avoid malted rye flour, as it requires a different feeding schedule.
White Flour — Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour works well. Some bakers have successfully used gluten-free flour, but results vary.
Wholemeal Flour (Optional) — Adds extra nutrients and depth of flavor but can be replaced with white flour if preferred.

Instructions

Important — Sterilise a 500-millilitre mason jar or any non-reactive container before starting. Ensure it has a tight-fitting lid. Also, sterilize any spoons or equipment to prevent unwanted bacteria from contaminating the starter.

Day 1

Mix 15 grams unbleached white flour, 35 grams rye flour, and 50 grams filtered water in the jar.
Stir well, close the lid, and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Days 2–5

Feed the starter daily with 25 grams rye flour, 25 grams unbleached white flour, and 50 grams filtered water.
Stir well, close the lid, and keep at room temperature. Repeat for three more days.

Day 6

The starter should now be rising and falling regularly. You should have 500 grams of starter.
Remove 200 grams and use it for sourdough crêpes or freeze it for later.
Feed the remaining 300 grams by adding 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams white flour, and 100 grams water.
Stir, close the lid, and leave at room temperature.

Day 7

Your sourdough starter is ready to bake with.
If not using immediately, store it in the fridge and feed once a week to maintain activity.

Watch how to make it

Tips for success

Use clean equipment to avoid bad bacteria.
Use unbleached flour and filtered water for best results.
Cold temperatures slow down the process, while warm temperatures speed it up. Aim for room temperature around 22 °C or 71 °F.

Storage instructions

If you are actively baking with your starter, then keep it at room temperature and feed it every time you remove some starter to bake with.

Baking once or twice a week? Store it in the fridge and follow my sourdough care instructions below.

If you hardly ever bake, then store it in the freezer in small amounts, so you can pull it out and feed it when you do eventually bake.

How to Maintain a Sourdough Starter

A sourdough starter is a wild yeast culture that needs regular feeding to stay active and strong. The fermentation process slows down at low temperatures (around 5°C or 41°F) and speeds up in warmer conditions.

Over time, a sourdough starter can become too sour or over-fermented, causing dense, sticky dough that won’t rise properly. To fix this:

Discard up to 50% of the starter to refresh the balance of yeast and bacteria.
Feed with equal parts flour and water to keep it strong and active.
Example — If you have 200 grams of sourdough starter, discard 100 grams, then add 50 grams flour and 50 grams water.

The removed portion doesn’t have to go to waste—you can use it for sourdough pancakes, crackers, and waffles, or freeze it for later. Keeping your starter healthy ensures better fermentation, stronger rise, and great sourdough bread every time.

Frequently asked questions

How much sourdough starter to use in my bread?

Sourdough starter is added to bread by a baker ratio of between 10% and 25%. Although sourdough bread is the most common thing to cook with it, you could also use it to make sourdough buns, croissants, pancakes and sourdough crêpes.

What flour can I feed my starter with?

If you made a rye starter, you can continue feeding it with a mix of regular unbleached white flour and rye flour. Otherwise, simply feed with regular flour.

What is the liquid sitting on top of my starter?

This is called the hooch. It's a sign that you haven't fed your starter lately, and he is hungry. Some people throw out this liquid, while others including myself prefer to stir it back in before discarding 30-50 percent of the starter and refreshing it with new flour and water.

My starter smells cheesy

Something has gone wrong. Throw it out and start over. Always use clean utensils and equipment at all times.

My starter is moldy can I still use it?

Mold is a bad sign and better to throw it out even if it smells fine. Use clean equipment when feeding your starter, and never dig around in there with unwashed hands.

Useful equipment

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