Let me get this post started with a statement that I’m sure is going to ruffle some feathers!

Flour is the most important ingredient in keeping a sourdough starter.

While there are many resources which insist pretty much anything – from the temperature of the water to the type of crock you use – could stunt your starter, I have years of personal experience to be able to say that this just isn’t true. Like I’ve said before I wholeheartedly believe bread-making has been wildly over-complicated, particularly in the home setting. I have made every mistake in the book and I still have a reliable (and beloved) starter to show for all my shortcomings.

Once you have a strong culture going it becomes somewhat resilient and sometimes downright invincible. However, I can with absolute certainty say that the type of flour you use makes a huge difference especially when starting a new culture from scratch.

I struggled for months to get my first culture going. This was before sourdough was so popular that you could just browse Facebook Marketplace and pick one up locally, so I consulted the homesteader’s greatest resource – YouTube – and tried numerous different recipes for a new starter. Over and over I ended up with unsightly mold in my jar no matter how diligent I was in following the instructions of the recipe I was using. In retrospect I can imagine that the cold winter air in our clammy house probably didn’t help get the good cultures going – and keep the less desirable ones at bay – but hey, we all learn through trial and error. What really kick-started my starter (haha!) was changing from the plain all-purpose flour I was using to a richer, whole grain product which would invigorate the bacteria and yeast I needed to cultivate in my starter; specifically, rye flour.

Different kinds of flour can have minor or major differences, and shopping for the best option to feed your starter can be daunting especially for a beginner. I’m going to list a few options that are readily available at your local grocery store and why they might serve you the best in your baking endeavors.

All Purpose Flour (Unbleached)

All-purpose flour is a pantry staple for even the most novice cook. Most people have it in their kitchens even if they don’t know why you would want to buy this type of flour – it’s just what you get, right? It consists of the milled seeds of wheat grain with the hulls removed and well, the name says it all – this old-fashioned classic is available in any market and serves perfectly well for most of your baking needs. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret – I use all-purpose flour for all of my bread baking. Just make sure you’re buying unbleached flour as it is the most natural form of the milled grain and still contains essential micronutrients and naturally-occurring yeast to effectively feed a starter. So why not use bread flour? I’m glad you asked!

Bread Flour

This specialized (and often overpriced) product is basically as readily available as the quintessential all-purpose. The difference is less than you might think: bread flour is just sifted to a finer consistency than all-purpose. Some people swear by the results from the commercial product; however, I have found no difference from the flour I mill or buy and sift myself to the desired texture. Manufacturers insist that the supposedly and minutely increased protein content of bread flour affects the chew of the final product – although I’m quite sure even a seasoned baker absolutely wouldn’t tell the difference. However, this is not to be confused with the next product in this list.

Cake Flour

According to King Arthur’s website, cake flour has a whopping 1% less protein content than all-purpose flour. Is it worth the expense? I’ll let you be the judge of that! In the sourdough realm of things, experts wouldn’t recommend using this type of flour to feed your starter because the lower protein content may discourage the development of gluten, the powerhouse which feeds our starter and leavens our bread. In my personal experience I have not noticed any difference over a short period of time feeding my starter exclusively with cake flour when I was in a pinch.

Self-Rising Flour

Another specialized product aimed at home bakers, I’m not actually sure what purpose this flour serves for us as modern cooks. It was invented as a necessity food product for sailors so that they could bake with ease on board ships at sea. But in all my years of baking I’ve never run across a recipe that absolutely required this particular product. It consists of pre-mixed all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda (along with other nutritionally fortifying ingredients) so it’s not recommended for sourdough. You never want to use flour with any additives for feeding a starter or for baking with a natural levain.

Whole Wheat Flour

Now we’re getting into the good stuff! Whole wheat flour is processed much in the same way as all-purpose minus a few rounds through the mill. It’s heartier, has more tooth, and also contains small amounts of the wheat germ and bran for added flavor and nutrition. Whole wheat flour, because of the addition of the husk and its less-processed nature, is a fantastic option for feeding a starter because it contains much more of that precious protein and naturally-occurring yeast than other types. There are some people who feed their starter exclusively with whole wheat, in combination with all-purpose, or periodically as a sort of booster if your starter is looking sad (don’t tell me you haven’t left it out over the holiday weekend – we’ve all done it.) It is a denser, and therefore heavier product, so it takes some time to learn to bake with since it will affect your rise differently. I recommend trying a few vetted whole wheat recipes before substituting it in other baked goods.

Rye Flour

Rye is another great contender for feeding a starter especially if you’re just starting out. Like I said earlier in this post, rye was the secret ingredient I needed to kick-start my culture and get my sourdough really cranking. It contains a very high amount of protein and gluten, and it’s wonderful for starting a new culture from scratch if you don’t want to source an established starter. King Arthur has a fantastic guide to different types of rye flour but the most common type you’ll find at the grocery store is perfect for revitalizing a starter or baking specialty goods. It has a unique texture and delicious rich flavor that adds dimension to many traditional favorites such as pumpernickel and molasses brown bread.

If you’d like to browse the tried and true sourdough recipes that I develop and use myself here on the homestead, check out my blog category here!

And if you’re having trouble getting your starter going please feel free to comment or send me a message! I sell sourdough on Marketplace and I always provide help for my bread brothers and sisters.