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Rye sourdough starter: the fastest to get going

Rye is the easiest flour to start a starter with: it carries lots of wild yeast and feeds it well. Mix equal weights of rye flour and water, feed daily, and it is often lively within a week. Once going, a 1:1:1 rye feed is usually ready in 3–5½ hours at 75°F (24°C) — a little faster than white flour's 3½–6½ hours.
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The day you start it

Most starters are ready 7–14 days after you start them.

Open the sourdough starter feeding calculator

Step by step

1

Day 1: mix

Equal weights of whole rye flour and water in a clean jar — a thick paste. Cover loosely.
2

Feed every day

Keep a spoonful, add equal weights of rye and water (1:1:1), and mark the level.
3

Expect a paste, not a dome

Rye has little gluten, so a rye starter looks like a bubbly paste and rises less than a wheat one.
4

Ready when it rises and smells sweet-sour

It rises clearly within 4–8 hours of a feed, two days running, and smells fruity and sour.

Why

Whole rye is rich in the sugars, minerals and enzymes that wild yeast and bacteria feed on, so a rye culture builds up faster than one on white flour.

Questions

Can I bake white bread with a rye starter?

Yes — the small amount of rye barely changes the loaf. Or switch it to white flour over a few feeds.

Why does my rye starter not double?

Rye holds gas less well than wheat. A clear rise, bubbles all through and a domed crack on top mean it is ready.

Light rye or whole rye?

Whole (dark) rye starts fastest. Light rye works too, a little slower.
When a rye feed will be ready

More guides

Whole wheat sourdough starter, day by day
How long does a sourdough starter take? Day by day
How to dry sourdough starter: a backup that keeps
All sourdough guides
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