Daily Junction.mobi portalLifestyle · February 2, 2026 · James Whitfield · 5 min
Everything you need to start your sourdough journey, from creating a starter to your first loaf.
Walk into any independent bakery in the UK and you will find sourdough commanding the top shelf and a premium price to match. A decent loaf can set you back £5 to £8, and while artisan bakers absolutely earn that, there is something deeply satisfying about pulling your own perfectly scored, crackling loaf from the oven on a Sunday morning — for under a pound.
Sourdough is not fast food. It asks for patience, a little bit of science, and a willingness to learn from failure. But once the process clicks, it becomes one of the most rewarding things you can do in a kitchen. This guide will take you from absolute beginner to your first successful bake, covering the starter, the dough, and everything in between.
Before you bake anything, you need a living culture — a sourdough starter made from nothing more than flour, water, and wild yeast from the air around you.
Day 1–7: Creating the Starter
Mix 50g of strong white bread flour (or a 50/50 blend of white and wholemeal) with 50ml of lukewarm water in a clean glass jar. Stir vigorously, cover loosely with a cloth or upturned saucer, and leave at room temperature.
Each day, discard half the mixture and feed it with another 50g flour and 50ml water. By day four or five you should see bubbles forming. By day seven, a healthy starter will double in size within four to six hours of feeding and smell pleasantly tangy — somewhere between yoghurt and mild vinegar. That is your green light to bake.
Store your starter in the fridge once established, feeding it once a week if you are not baking regularly.
For one medium loaf (roughly 8 slices):
Total estimated cost: 70p–90p per loaf using supermarket own-brand bread flour and a maintained starter.
Troubleshooting a flat loaf: The most common culprit is an underactive starter. Drop a teaspoon into a glass of water — if it floats, it is ready. If it sinks, give it another feed and another four hours.
Scoring matters more than you think. A shallow angle of roughly 30–45 degrees allows the loaf to open outward along the cut rather than splitting unpredictably.
Add-ins: Incorporate 80g of toasted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame) during the second stretch and fold, or fold through 100g of stoned olives and a tablespoon of rosemary for a Mediterranean slant.
Hydration adjustments: This recipe is around 70% hydration, which is manageable for beginners. As you gain confidence, increase the water to 75–80% for a more open, custardy crumb — but expect the dough to be considerably wetter and more challenging to handle.
On the cost of baking: Home baking is one of the most straightforward ways to reduce your weekly food bill. If you find yourself spending more on kitchen kit, ingredients in bulk, or even a stand mixer, it is worth reviewing your household budget. Sites like QuidCompare can help you compare cashback credit cards and current accounts — handy if you are spending regularly on groceries and want to make your money work a little harder.
Storing your loaf: Keep cut-side down on a wooden board for up to three days. Sourdough freezes beautifully — slice it first and toast straight from frozen.
| Item | Approx. Cost |
|---|---|
| 500g mixed flour | 45p |
| Starter (maintained) | 5p |
| Salt | 2p |
| Total per loaf (8 slices) | ~52p |
| Per slice | ~6–7p |
Compare that with £6 for a bakery sourdough and the maths speak for themselves. Your first few loaves may not be perfect, but within a month of regular baking most beginners are producing results they are genuinely proud of. The starter will outlive your sourdough phase — some bakers have kept theirs going for decades, passing portions on to friends like a living heirloom.
Get the flour in, feed that starter, and see where it takes you.
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