What Types of Flour Can You Feed Sourdough Starter?

Learn what flour you can feed your sourdough starter. What you feed your starter impacts its health and the quality of your bread. This guide will help you choose the right flour for your starter, budget, and needs.

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Just over a year ago, I set a goal to bake 100% of my family’s bread from scratch, using only sourdough recipes.

At first, it seemed like a mountainous mission because sourdough is often veiled in mystery and rumors of maintenance.

But over the past year, I’ve found that sourdough is extremely low-maintenance if you know how to care for your starter and lean on simple sourdough tips for busy bakers.

Sourdough is now integral to our daily diet and my weekly routine. We regularly enjoy crusty boules, chewy sandwich bread, and decadent cinnamon rolls.

When I tell people this, they think I have endless time on my hands (which is hilarious) because sourdough is “so high-maintenance.”

But the truth is sourdough has made my life and my ability to make scratch-made bread and meals easier.

The trick is knowing what to do.

One area where folks get tripped up is caring for a sourdough starter—especially when it isn’t healthy or you have to switch flour.

Luckily, figuring out the best flour for your starter is simple.

And it’s even easier because I’m taking the guesswork out for you so you can get back to your daily grind, confidently care for your starter, and bake sourdough with ease.

Wood spoon with flour in it and text that says "The Best Flour for Sourdough Starter

How Flour is Made (and Why That Matters)

Flour is made through a process called milling, which is where the wheat berries are crushed into flour.

Through the milling process, the three parts of wheat berries—bran, germ, and endosperm—are separated and recombined to create flour (source).

All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour and bread flour are made primarily from the wheat’s endosperm. These flours have a fine texture because the miller removes the hard bran and germ.

Removing the bran and germ eliminates the most nutritious parts of the wheat berry. But bread and baked goods made with all-purpose flour are uncontended fan favorites because of their light and fluffy texture.

Store-Bought Whole Grain Flour

Whole-grain flours in most grocery stores contain the germ and endosperm, but the miller sifts out the bran.

The bran is removed to extend the shelf life and provide a product with some whole-grain nutrition but with a light and fluffy texture that most modern tastebuds enjoy.

100% Whole Grain Flour

100% whole grain flour, like fresh flour milled at home or flour that is not sifted, contains all parts of the wheat berry. This preserves the nutritional composition of the wheat.

Breads and baked goods made with 100% whole grain flour can have a heartier and denser texture. However, they also contain a full profile of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Close up of einkorn berries in a brown bag

What Does It Matter?

So why does how the flour is made matter when it comes to feeding your sourdough starter?

When more parts of the wheat berry are present in the flour, the yeast and bacteria in the sourdough starter have more micronutrients to consume.

Essentially, by feeding a sourdough starter nutritious flour, you give it more to eat, creating a healthier, happier, and more vigorous starter.

What is Sourdough?

Sourdough is any baked good that is made with wild yeast. Sourdough goods range from classic no-knead sourdough bread to maple oatmeal sandwich bread to donuts, flatbreads, and beyond.

Sourdough bread dough is naturally leavened through the fermentation process. Microorganisms in the starter metabolize the micronutrients in the grains, releasing carbon dioxide.

The carbon dioxide gets trapped in the dough’s gluten structure, creating air pockets. This is how sourdough rises without commercial yeast or other leavening agents.

Sourdough discard recipes may use other leavening agents, but they are often considered “sourdough” because they utilize starter as an ingredient for added flavor.

You can also long ferment any sourdough discard recipe before adding other leaveners.

For instance, if you make a sourdough chocolate chip skillet cookie, you can combine the ingredients without the baking soda and baking powder.

Then, stick the dough in the fridge for 3 days or on the counter at room temperature for 8-12 hours so the grains can ferment.

After the long ferment, add the leaveners and continue the recipe.

Sourdough starter in a mason jar next to small dishes of flour

What is a Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough starter is the replacement for commercial yeast.

A sourdough starter is a simple combination of flour and water that ferments into a colony of natural yeasts and bacteria.

When you add sourdough starter to a recipe, you introduce a living and wild colony of microorganisms that act as the leavening agent. If you stop and think about it, it’s really weird. But it’s like magic!

If you are ready to make your own sourdough starter, be sure to check out my simple sourdough starter tutorial and sourdough starter Q&A on YouTube.

Why Does Flour Choice Matter for a Sourdough Starter?

Making and caring for a sourdough starter seems like a mystery involving a world of invisible characters.

Though the microorganisms and micronutrients create their own ecosystems in a starter, you can control the conditions for your starter through your flour selection.

So even though the process is invisible, it isn’t a mystery at all.

Various factors contribute to starter health, but the flour used is arguably the most important because it provides the nutrients the yeast and bacteria need to survive.

And according to research, much of the “bacteria and yeast arrive with the flour” (source).

The flour you feed your starter determines its overall health and the final result of your sourdough goods.

Woman pouring starter from mason jar into a glass bowl of flour

What Type of Flour Can I Feed My Sourdough Starter?

Luckily, you can feed your starter just about any wheat flour.

Most sourdough bakers use standard flours found at the grocery store. But as long as the flour is made from wheat berries, you can use it to feed your sourdough starter.

All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is the most common flour used to feed a starter and make bread. If possible, I recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour.

Bread Flour

Bread flour is another popular choice, especially if you are craving a fluffy loaf of bread or chocolate babka.

Because of its protein content, you might need to add more water to achieve the right consistency when feeding.

Whole Wheat Flour

Though less economical than all-purpose, whole wheat flour is a great choice for boosting your starter because it contains more nutrients.

Rye Flour

Similar to whole wheat flour, rye is also a great choice for giving your starter a nutritional jumpstart.

Ancient Grains

Ancient grains are whole grains with minimal to no change by selective breeding. These include grains such as einkorn, spelt, and khorasan.

These flours will work in a starter, but many bakers prefer to mix them with all-purpose flour because they can be pricey.

Seminola Flour

Though you can use seminola flour to create a specialty starter, it is a less common choice because it is expensive and doesn’t differ significantly from all-purpose or bread flour.

Small wooden spoons lined with different flours types lined up vertically

What Flour is the Best Choice for My Starter?

Here is where things get muddy. There isn’t necessarily one flour that is “the best.” It boils down to what your starter needs, your budget, and availability.

Before making a flour selection, I would first determine what your starter needs.

For instance, if your starter isn’t doubling and bubbly after feedings, I recommend adding whole-grain flour to your feeding routine.

I also suggest look at your budget and what is available locally.

All-purpose flour is usually the most cost-effective for feeding a starter and is readily available at most grocery stores. Though it will work, depending on what’s going on with your starter, all-purpose flour may not have the nutrients your starter needs.

Whole grains will provide more nutrition for your starter. Store-bought whole grain flours are relatively affordable, especially if you don’t use organic flours.

100% whole grain flour, ancient grains, and home-milled flour will likely be more expensive and less readily available. However, they will provide the most nutrients for your starter.

Another point of consideration is the brand. Some brands like King Arthur Flour are reputable but are more costly.

I find the best deals on all-purpose and organic bread flour at Costco.

But for whole grain, I either get what I can find at the grocery store (my local store is limited in the whole grain department) or mill my own.

Luckily, sourdough starter is extremely resilient and not finicky at all. So as long as your choice of flour is in the wheat family, you will be a-okay.

Rebecca holding two glass bowls of flour

What Types of Flour Will NOT Work for Feeding Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough starters need wheat flour. So, wheat-free flour such as oat or almond flour will not work.

If you are attempting to make and use gluten-free starter, you will need to look up alternatives to wheat flour.

I have not made a gluten-free starter, so I do not have firsthand information. However, you can easily find a gluten-free sourdough starter recipe online.

A jar of sourdough starter with small dishes of different flour types

What Is the Purpose of Switching Flour Types?

There are countless reasons why you might change the type of flour you feed your starter. But here are some of the main scenarios for switching things up:

Sluggish starter – The most common reason bakers switch flour is because their starter is sluggish.
Availability – If your local grocery store is out of your regular flour, you might have to feed it a different kind.
Flavor – If you want adjust the sour flavor of your bread, you can use different flour in your starter.
Create a stiff starter – Switching to a “thirstier” flour like whole wheat or fresh-milled flour can create a stiff starter.
Fun – Sourdough nerds, unite! Switching up the flour can be a fun experiment. You can play with different flours and flour combinations to see how they alter your starter’s rise, flavor, and texture.

Overhead closeup of bubbly sourdough starter in glass mason jar

Can You Mix Flour Types When Feeding Sourdough Starter?

Yes, you can definitely create unique flour combinations when feeding your starter.

I always feed my starter 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose. But you can certainly get more creative than that.

Now that I have a grain mill, I have experimented with adding fresh-milled hard red winter wheat. And so far, it has worked great!

Though ancient grains will work for a sourdough starter, some folks feel that they are slow to ferment.

This is something to keep in mind if you want to feed your starter einkorn or spelt, for example.

A small bowl of bran and two measuring cups of flour

How To Change Flour Types

There are two simple ways you can switch your starter’s flour:

Cold Turkey

Take half of your current starter and set it aside for safekeeping. You’ll want a backup just in case feeding it new flour goes awry. You can store your starter in the fridge or freeze it.
Feed the second half of your starter with the new flour. Leave it out at room temperature and feed it with the new flour every 12-24 hours until it doubles in size.
Once it is regularly doubling, you can store it in the fridge and get back to a weekly maintenance routine with the new flour.

Baby Steps

Divide your starter in two and set one portion aside for safekeeping in case the new flour throws you a curveball.
Day 1: Feed your starter 75% regular and 25% new flour. Allow it to sit out at room temperature.
Day 2: Feed your starter 50% regular and 50% new flour. Leave it out at room temperature.
Day 3: Feed your starter 25% regular and 75% new flour. Leave it out at room temperature.
Day 4: Give your starter a full feeding with the new flour. Again, leave it out at room temperature.
Continue feeding it with the new flour every 24 hours until it regularly doubles in size. Once it begins to double, you can stick in it the fridge and resume a once-week maintenance routine.

Troubleshooting

Give It Time

Your starter may go through an adjustment period when changing flours. Within a few days, it will be bubbly and happy again.

Consider the Type of Flour

If you switch from whole grain flour to white flour, you will likely notice a decline in your starter’s health. This is because whole grain flour contains more nutrients than white, so your starter isn’t getting the food it needs.

If you have to switch to white flour, I recommend feeding it half whole grain and half white flour and slowly decreasing the whole grain over time.

Keep a Backup

Sourdough starter is extremely resilient. It’s unlikely that switching flour will ruin your starter. But I always recommend keeping a backup of your original starter just in case.

Check out my YouTube tutorial on how to freeze extra starter so you always have a stash.

Hydration Levels

Different types of flour can change your starter’s hydration. Generally, you want your starter to have a thick pancake-like batter consistency. Adjust the hydration as needed.

New Starter

If you are establishing a new starter and it isn’t bubbling and active within 10 days or so, I recommend feeding it at least 50% whole wheat flour. It can also help to use warm water (not hot!) when feeding. This can help boost the metabolic activity.

Make sure you also understand the difference between active sourdough starter, inactive, and discard.

Water

Some bakers swear up and down that tap water ruined their sourdough starter.

I use the water right out of my refrigerator filter, and I have no trouble. But this is something to consider if you are having trouble with your starter.

Rebecca pouring all-purpose flour into a glass bowl

Do I Need To Use the Same Flour as the Bread Recipe?

No, you can use totally different flours if you prefer.

Some bakers like to use less expensive flour for their starters and save the good stuff for baking.

Other sourdough bakers prefer a specific flour for their starter’s health and use a different flour for the recipe.

It’s totally up to you and what works best for your starter.

Will My Starter Change If I Switch Flour?

Yes, your starter can change if you switch to a new flour. But don’t fret! That isn’t necessarily bad.

Short-Term Inactivity

After switching flour, your starter may change and seem sluggish for a few days. Once it adjusts to the new flour and nutrients, it will be back in action.

White Flour to Whole Grain

If you switch from white flour to whole grain, you will likely notice that your starter becomes more vigorous after a few days.

Whole Grain to White Flour

If you transition from whole grain to white flour, your starter might decline because it isn’t getting the nutrients it is used to.

Aroma

Your starter’s aroma may change. It could stink a little for a few days, which is a sign of new bacteria. Just keep feeding it, and the smell should dissipate.

Texture and Consistency

Whole grain flour is “thirstier” and absorbs more water. So if you switch to whole wheat or rye, for example, your starter might be thicker.

Add a little more water to achieve a thick pancake batter-like consistency.

White flour yields a runnier consistency, so you might need to cut back on the hydration slightly.

Can I Feed My Sourdough Starter Fresh-Milled Flour?

Yes, you can feed your starter fresh flour you mill at home. This is a great way to add a heaping dose of nutrients to your starter, especially if you use freshly milled rye or hard wheat.

Freshly milled flour absorbs water differently than store-bought flour. Adjust as needed until it reaches your desired consistency.

Helpful Tools

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Mason jar – A mason jar is usually the most popular container for a sourdough starter. I like to transfer my starter to a clean jar at each feeding.
Cloth or loose lid – Make sure the lid is loose so the gases can escape. Otherwise, the jar can break.
Rubber band – If you use a cloth to cover your starter, secure it with a rubber band.
Proofing box – A proofing box is a game changer if you need a warm spot to speed up the fermentation process for your starter or bread dough. Check out my Brod & Taylor proofer review for more info!
Spurtle – A spurtle makes stirring your sourdough starter easier. But of course, a spoon will also work just fine!