Yogurt Sourdough Starter
Submitted by cow
Just milk, yogurt, and flour. This 3-ingredient sourdough starter uses live yogurt cultures to kickstart fermentation, giving you a bubbly, tangy base for homemade sourdough bread in about 3 days.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minNo wild yeast capture. No week-long feeding schedule. Just three ingredients and a little patience.
This shortcut sourdough starter uses the live cultures in plain yogurt to get fermentation rolling fast. Warm milk meets yogurt and sits overnight until it thickens, then flour gets stirred in and the mixture bubbles away for two days in a warm spot.
By day three, you’ve got a tangy, active starter ready to leaven your first loaf. It’s a brilliant entry point for anyone who’s been intimidated by traditional sourdough starters that demand daily feeding for a week or more.
Kitchen Tips
- Use plain yogurt with live active cultures. Flavored or heat-treated yogurt won’t have the bacteria you need to get things fermenting.
- Keep the starter at a steady 85 degrees if you can. A turned-off oven with just the light on works well as an incubator.
- Stir it a few times each day during the 2-day fermentation. This distributes the yeast and releases built-up gas.
- When feeding your established starter, use lukewarm milk instead of water. The lactose gives the cultures extra fuel and keeps the tang strong.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat milk to 100 degrees F on thermometer.
Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
Pour into scalded glass jar or bowl, cover with plastic and place in a warm location for 18 hrs.
Consistency will be like thin yogurt.
Stir in flour until well blended, cover again with plastic and pierce with fork to release gases.
Place in a warm draft-free location at an even 85 degrees F for 2 days; stir several times each day.
It should have a strong sourdough smell and show bubbles.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
When replenishing starter, add lukewarm milk instead of water.
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