Starting Your Sourdough Journey: The Hardest Part Is Only In The Beginning

If you’re just starting your sourdough starter, take a deep breath — you’re doing something wonderful. And yes, we’ll say it right up front: the first few days are the hardest part of the entire sourdough process. Once your starter wakes up, stabilizes, and finds its rhythm, maintaining it becomes surprisingly simple… even relaxing.

Whether it’s your very first jar of bubbly goodness or you’re giving sourdough another try, here’s some encouragement, practical guidance, and a little bit of reassurance from us at My Rustic Roots.

The Beginning Can Feel Messy — And That’s Completely Normal

When you activate your sourdough starter for the first time, it can feel unpredictable.
Maybe it’s slow to rise. Maybe it looks like a paste one day and a pancake batter the next. Maybe you’re staring at it wondering if anything is even happening.

This stage — the activation phase — is where most people start to worry. But this is also where the magic begins.

Your starter is waking up.
The wild yeast is getting acclimated.
And your good bacteria are building strength.

Once this first phase is over? Life gets much easier. A mature starter becomes steady, reliable, and beautifully resilient.

Let’s Talk Flour — What to Use When Getting Started

Choosing the right flour in the beginning makes a big difference. Here’s a simple guide to keep things stress-free:

For Starting Your Starter (Activation Phase)

Use a clean, basic flour with good natural starch content. We recommend:

• All-purpose flour

• Bread flour

• Brown Rice Flour (for gluten-free)

Why?
These flours feed the wild yeast easily and help your starter rise stronger and faster. They’re predictable, consistent, and gentle on your new culture as it grows.

For Baking Recipes (After Your Starter Is Mature)

Once your starter is active, bubbly, and dependable, you can branch out and bake with:

• Bread flour

• All-purpose flour

• Whole wheat flour

• Artisan blends

• Rye (wonderful flavor booster!)

• Gluten-free blends (for GF recipes)

Your starter doesn’t have to be fed the same flour you bake with. In fact, feeding it a consistent flour — like AP or bread flour — helps maintain strength, while your recipe flour determines the final flavor, texture, and style of your loaf.

A Little Encouragement From the Heart

If you're feeling unsure… keep going.
If your starter seems slow… keep feeding it.
If you’re tempted to give up… don’t.

Every great starter — including ours, which has been thriving for over 170 years — began with a few days of uncertainty. You’re in that very same place right now. And once you get through this first stretch, everything shifts. Your starter becomes something dependable, something alive, something you’ll bake with for years to come.

You’re creating something that can last generations… and that’s pretty special.

You’ve Got This — And We’re Here to Help

Trust the process. Feed regularly. Keep your jar warm.
And remember: once your starter becomes active, maintaining it gets so much easier.

If you ever need guidance, flour questions answered, or a little extra encouragement, we’re always here for you at My Rustic Roots.

Happy baking, friend — your sourdough journey is just beginning. 🍞✨