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?
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
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.
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.
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.
Something has gone wrong. Throw it out and start over. Always use clean utensils and equipment at all times.
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
Bread Baking Set
Temperature Probe
Electronic Kitchen Scales
Fermentation jars
Related recipes
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Recipe
Sourdough Rye Starter
Ingredients
- 165 g (1 ⅓ cups) white bread flour - unbleached
- 165 g (1 ⅓ cups) rye flour
- 350 g (1 ½ cups) water
Instructions
- Day 1: Mix 15 grams white flour, 35 grams rye flour, and 50 grams water together. Let it sit in a closed container for 24 hours at room temperature.
- Day 2,3,4,5: Feed with 25 grams white flour, 25 grams rye flour, and 50 grams water each day and keep it at room temperature.
- Day 6: Remove 200 grams starter. Add 50 grams white flour, 50 grams rye flour, and 100 grams water. Leave at room temperature.
- Day 7: The Starter should be nice and bubbly and ready to use. If you do not intend on baking straight away then move your starter to the fridge and feed once a week just like you did on day 2.
Video
Notes
- Many elements play a part in fermentation. Your starter might take longer or less time than stated in the recipe.
- You can use the sourdough discard for sourdough crêpes or simply freeze it for future use.
- Discard some starter when it gets too sour and feed with 50/50 flour and water.
Marca says
Hello, I'm on day 3 of my starter and it's growing rapidly. I note in other starter recipes that each day the direction is to discard before feeding. Does it make a difference not to discard for the first six days? Thank you.
Charlé Visser says
I find that I end up with a more stable starter doing it this way. Once it's discarded, I keep it n the fridge and do a 5:1 starter before baking. Usually 20 grams starter with 40 grams flour and 40 grams water. Then let it mature until fully bubbly and proceed to making bread. This is just the method I've settled on, but you can use the daily discard method if you prefer. It also works great.
Olga says
Hi Charlie,
Thank you so much for your help. I am making my own versions of rye (only) starter and Borodinsky bread for a few years already: with addition of chia, hemp, flax, nuts etc - depends on my mood, lol. Also, I can't resist putting some fresh or dry yeast to make it a hybrid version. Happy I found you! Will try your way.
Bruno Zhang says
Hi Charlé, my starter become increase much after i fed them at day 2 but it decrease to the previous height and some liquid appears on the top of it. Should I fee them again or should I just wait until 24 hours?
Charlé Visser says
Feed if it’s hungry.
Mike Johnson says
Simple to follow and always makes delicious sourdough bread. Tried the crêpes and they are also fantastic.
Jon says
My starter is in the fridge. If I want to make bread tomorrow, do I take it out and feed it today please?
Charlé Visser says
Yes, you feed it and let it sit at room temp.
Jon says
When I feed the starter do I stir it in or just dump it on top please?
Charlé Visser says
Stir it in.
SaDough says
I have a similar starter - it's 50/50 rye and plain flour based. Can I just make any sourdough recipe with it as normal or do I need to modify it? I just tried my first loaf and it was incredibly sticky and wet.
Charlé Visser says
You can use it to make any recipe. The sourdough is only the live yeast part and the blend of flour inside it doesn't matter that much to the end product.
Kristyn says
I find everytime I use whole grain rye flour in my starter, the dark grainy specks begin to turn orange. Is this mold?
Charlé Visser says
Never seen that happen. Mold will not grow on a specific part though but rather randomly wherever it wants.
Jody says
Thank you for your website and recipe for making starter, I am on day 2.
I believe you mentioned that we can use the left over starter and not throw away for crapes? right...if so what do I ad to make the crepes..have never made them.
Thank you
Charlé Visser says
Here the crepe recipe https://www.pantsdownapronson.com/sourdough-pancakes/
Taylor says
I am on day 3 and my starter has already more than doubled in size. There is no more room in the jar to continue feeding. Should I remove some and then continue to feed 25 grams white flour, 25 grams rye flour, and 50 grams water? Or has something gone wrong and I should restart?
Thanks!
Charlé Visser says
You can split your starter and keep some in the freezer in case you need it later. Make sure your temperature is not too high. Keep feeding it.
Becky says
Hello!
I tried making this starter. Are we supposed to discard half when we feed it? My starter is in a warm area, but is not bubbling very much (1 or 2 small bubbles) and isn’t rising. Should I start over?
Charlé Visser says
You only discard later in the process. It should be bubbly by day 3 at the latest. If it’s not doing anything and it’s in a warm place, then start over and maybe change flour brands. Also make sure you equipment is clean but not sterile.
Sisi says
Hi Charle,
My starter almost doubled in size on day 2, and now I am at day 7. However, each day since day 2, when I fed the starter, it has not increased much in size. It has some bubbles but does not look as bubbly as yours in the video. It seems to smell right (a bit like alcohol and yeast). I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to fix it to be more bubbly / active? I live in a very humid place and it is kept around 19 degrees.
Thanks,
Sisi
Charlé Visser says
If it smells like that it’s good to use. 19C is a touch cold to see heavy bubbly activity. Move it somewhere a bit warmer.
Melony says
Wish I’d read through the comments and replies before I started. I’m on day 6 with not much activity… then saw the reply that 19oC is a bit too cold. I live in NE Scotland… 19oC here is considered the height of aspirational tropics
Kathleen says
This is my 2nd time making this rye sourdough starter, however I made a mistake and mixed up the full amount of ingredients. What can I do with this to bake it immediately as I do not want this much starter. I did make a small batch and looking forward to much sourdough bread.
Charlé Visser says
Freeze it or just make some pancakes
Jane says
Hi, my starter bubbled up beautifully on day 2 and quadrupled in volume before settling back down. Since then, there is zero activity other than a few bubbles. I'm on day 5. Is this normal? I am in a warm climate. My aircon is on sometimes, but never below 25C. Thanks....
Charlé Visser says
Just a bit over active because it’s hot. Feed it more often(like twice a day) then keep in fridge.
Denise H says
I’ve just started on my bread journey and this is the only recipe that has actually worked for me. Just wanted to say thank you and you’re adorable 🙂
Kevin says
I've just been working through your Borodinski Bread formula and want to give something back to you.
Starter technology has moved on a long way. The old feed and discard was an adaption of the old bakery practice of feeding and using the next day. They didn't need discards of course.
For home baking where the starter is not needed each day:
Feed it enough to have some 50g - 200g left over. Let it ripen in a warm place
Use what you need and place the remainder in the fridge.
Next bake simply repeat.
No discards required.
It will last at least a week in the fridge without attention of feeding.
After a eek if it s not used discard and keep 50g give it a feed and 4 hours on the worktop before putting it back in the fridge. This is to keep the acidity from getting to high.
If you go on holiday pop it in the freezer. It's good for a year in the freezer.
Superbly done video Thanks
Mark says
Hi Charlé,
You mentioned malted rye flour requires a different recipe. Could you please post that recipe as malted rye flour is what I normally have in my pantry.
Thanks! Love your website!
~Mark
Charlé Visser says
600g water
675g WB bread flour
100g malted rye flour
40g cocoa powder
60g molasses
15g salt
5g caraway seeds
5g coriander seeds
8g dry active yeast
This recipe is pretty easy and don’t require sourdough or a long ferment. Comes out pretty much the same. Also, in this recipe the coriander seeds and caraway are blended together in a grinder.
To make it you mix everything together for 8 minutes in mixer. Then proof once, deflate, shape, proof in molds and bake at 200C for 10 minutes then turn down to 170 for about 25 min or until the internal temp reads around 90C.
Matt says
If I leave my starter out after day 7 and do not put it in the fridge, how much should I discard and feed on a daily basis?
Charlé Visser says
Depends on many things. Best stored in fridge to avoid those variables. Could range from once in two days to twice daily. Temperature and microbes in the starter all play a role.
Jennifer says
Hi!
My sourdough starter looks great and I’m ready to bake bread. Once I take my 100g of starter out for the recipe, do I feed my starter 25g rye flour, 25g bread flour and 50g water, then put in fridge if I’m not making another? It seems I have a lot of starter and wasn’t sure if I should keep that much. Thank you for such an easy starter recipe to follow!
Charlé Visser says
Yes that’s correct. You could also freeze part it if you only bake once in a while.
Eleven says
Hi,do you always seal glass jar tight after feeding it,day 2,3,4,5, etc? thanks
Charlé Visser says
Not too tight, but close.
Alice says
I am on day 5 of the stater and it still is not rising although it smells good. Are there any tricks to getting it to rise?
Charlé Visser says
What temp is it?
Alice says
My house stays at 70F....I think that must be too cool for this starter, it went bad on me and I had to toss. I have redone the starter and kept it in a styrofoam cooler with warmed towels around and over it, it seems to be doing much better. Actually I have the pre-ferment in there now to work overnight and plan to make your Borodinsky rye bread tomorrow. I can't wait to try it!
Anna says
Hi Charlé,
My starter was bubbly on the second day, but smell is just awful, repelling. I keep feeding it (did it twice, today is the 3rd day), it rises, then falls, all bubbly, but the smell gets worse. Room temperature is average.
Should I keep on feeding it or is it ruined already?
Charlé Visser says
If it smells repelling then throw it away. Something went wrong. It should have a healthy alcoholic beery, yeasty kinda fermenting smell but should not be off putting.
Kim says
Hi can you recommend the best way to sterilise my jars, spoons and equipment? Can I just rinse them all in boiling water?
Charlé Visser says
Sure you can.
Beth says
Hi ,
I am at my 7th day with the starter
It’s looks bubbly and smells great.
Now I’m ready to bake your sourdough bread, the recipe asked for 90grams rye flour starter,
After I took 90 grams starter from my main starter , i accidentally fed my base starter instead of 45 grams mix flour and 45 grams water,
I fed with 90 grams water and 90 grams mix flour (rye and white)
Did i destroy it? or if I let it rest for 24 hours and tomorrow discard 90 grams and put in the refrigerator the main starter .
I hope you understand my issue to reply back
Charlé Visser says
It will live and life will be good for you both.
Beverly Timmer says
I live in the desert southwest. Adding equal amounts of water and flour makes a very stiff starter. Because our flour is so dry, I think I may need to add more water. What kind of consistency are we supposed to have for the starter? Should I add extra water, and if so, any idea how much?
Charlé Visser says
Just add a touch more, won’t be criminal if it’s not 50/50 exactly. I’ve made starters by just eye balling it and no idea how much was in it. If it seems too dry. Simply add more water.
Trishna says
Hello after the starter is made what recipe do I use for the actual bread bit? Is it the no knead rye sougherdough?
Charlé Visser says
That’s correct
Angelica says
Can you use only rye flour without any white flour
Charlé Visser says
Yes, no probs. Just know that it will be a bit more active and have more amylase than a mixed or simple white sourdough. Also, the gluten will be much much weaker. Not a bad thing. Just means your bread will have a different character and you need to use less low gluten flour plus keep an eye on over-proofing.
Rachel says
Hello Charlé!
Stumbled across your page in the states when looking for information on rye starter and I am thankful I did! This step by step guide is wonderful, so thank you so much for the content! My only question is - once the starter is well established, do you have to always feed it some ratio of rye flour in your weekly feedings if that’s how you started it? Or is it ok to feed it just organic all-purpose on occasion?
Thanks!
Charlé Visser says
Sometimes I add a feeding of rye, the rest of the time just white flour. I feed once a week and add rye every other week. This is not a rule set in stone though.
Yas says
hi! I'm planning on making this but wanted to ask. Wholemeal flour is basically the same as wheat flour? I googled it and it said it's interchangeable. Thanks for your help. 😛 Gonna buy the missing ingredients asap!
Charlé Visser says
It is indeed. Whole meal is just less refined that white wheat flour.
William says
Good Day,
I was wondering what your thoughts on using ground flaxseed in the starter, as addition to rye flour? I have been trying to use different elements besides or with rye to make a heartier starter. Also, have you used beer with baking? I’m trying a mix of half water and half IPA beer when making Sour dough. So far I’ve had great results. Thanks for your time!
Charlé says
Hi William, It makes a great starter and also stabilises the bread when you bake with it. Flax has similar properties to xanthan gum when used in bread baking. So, it kind of acts as second gluten in a way that helps trap and evenly disperse the gas inside the loaf giving you a more even crumb. I really enjoy baking with beer too. Especially with dark beers and IPA.
Maria says
Hi, thanks for an easy-to-follow guidance on sourdough starter! Could you tell us more how to “revive” the 200 g of the starter from the freezer to get it ready for baking? Thanks!
Charlé says
Maria, your welcome! Glad to help. The yeast will be a bit sleepy when it comes from the freezer. So, just feed once or twice and a little trick to jumpstart. Add 1 teaspoon of honey. Gives the yeast some easy food and you’ll be baking in no time!
Adele says
Hi Charlé, I've started and followed your instructions and it's only day 2 and my sourdough starter has already doubled. I live in Perth and it's currently very hot and sometimes humid. Does it mean my starter will be ready before 7 days? What advice do you have? Do I keep going until I get to day 7?
Charlé Visser says
I normally stick it in the fridge once it gets bubbly if the weather is hot. So you feed it. Let it get bubbly then stick it into the fridge until the next day. Repeat a few times and then ready to use.
Ron Iwan says
When you bake rye bread with this sour
Do you bake with STEAM IN THE OVEN
Charlé Visser says
Yes. There’s very few breads that go without steam. I even start burger buns in steamy oven for first 2 minutes.
Jinuss says
Hey, Charlé. Hope you are well and keeping healthy and safe. I love that you are sharing your professional expertise for us mere mortals to strive to become better cooks. I'm learning and enjoying this SO much. THANK YOU!
I'm about to start making your starter, but am slightly confused about the end bit. In step 6, is the starter ready to use to bake the sourdough, immediately after one adds the 50g Rye, 50g White and 100g water?
Appreciate your advise and keep the advice coming. Love it. Stay safe. XX
Charlé says
Hello Jinuss!!
Amazing to hear from you! All great thanks)) I thought I'd start sharing a bit yes)) Every day learning myself too. Such is cooking. Never boring)
You need to go to the unmentioned 7th step and just let it sit out for one more day. Your starter will be ready to use on the 7th day. Kind of biblical that I just realised)))
Anyway, contact me on Instagram when you start and I will run you through the whole process day by day until you finally bake your bread. I'm doing recipe support daily even with those that use other peoples recipes so would love to help you!
Stay safe xxx
Sean says
I’m on day 3 and the smell is very much like sauerkraut. Is this normal or is this a fail on my part?
Charlé Visser says
If it stinks, then throw it out. If it smells sour and beery, then keep going.
Caz says
Hi Charlé
I first gave this a try last year and had fab success with your starter and bread recipe .
But this year my starter is not showing the same enthusiasm. I am in day 6 and not seeing double. It hasn't been as bubbly throughout the process .
The only thing that is different is it's not as warm here in the UK and my flat is always on the cooler side .
I think my starter may need some more time to mature. How do you think I should proceed?
Thank you
Charlé Visser says
Sounds like a temp issue. Try moving it somewhere warmer.