If you’re new to sourdough, a sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of flour and water. Once it becomes bubbly and active, a small portion is added to your sourdough bread recipe to make it rise- no commercial yeast is required.
You’ll find more detailed writing and supplemental information in my book (trust me, I could go on and on!) but for now, all you need to know is this: without a sourdough starter the whole concept of sourdough baking would not exist.
So, what type of container is best for your starter? Does it even matter?
In my experience, sourdough storage depends on the baker’s preference.
To be honest, I’ve never heard of a container that’s necessarily good or bad, but I’m sure you’ll get all kinds of opinions if you ask around! In fact, I love when people post their starters to Instagram or to their blog. It’s fun to see the variety.
Here are four simple options to get you started:
1.) Glass Jar
This is my personal favorite. Over the years I’ve moved away from plastic containers and Tupperware out of choice. I like glass. It’s easy to clean and you don’t have to worry about any weird chemicals leaching into your starter.
Also, because glass is clear you can see everything that’s going on inside (all the bubbles, foamy stuff, any liquid… ). This instant visual access is super important when getting to know your starter and what you can do to fix it, if necessary. I’ll never forget: over the summer a fleet of fruit flies decided to take up residence in my jar. Had I been using a solid container of some sort, I never would’ve seen them! Gross, I know.
There are all types of glass jars you can choose from: mason jars, jam jars, latch top jars, canning jars with those metal ring tops you can never find… it’s up to you.
Regarding jar size, it’s all relative to the amount of starter you currently have or want to maintain in the future. Your starter will grow to at least double in size, sometimes more, and you’ll need a jar to accommodate this. You can cover it loosely with a lid, plastic wrap, or even a small cloth. I go back and forth depending on my mood. Keep in mind, the jar might burst if the lid is on too tight which means you’ll run the risk of getting glass shards in the mixture. This happened to me once and I had to throw the whole thing out.
I use a 3/4 L jar for my starter, which is pictured above. You can purchase it here.
2.) Plastic Container
Although my preference is glass, I first started with a plastic container. I had no problems with it at all. From memory, I think it was a small, random BPA-free Tupperware container I unearthed from the depths of my kitchen cabinet.
As previously mentioned, I moved away from plastic. But there’s another reason why I made the switch: size.
Most plastic containers (unless you’re using a Chinese quart container for soup) are not tall. They’re wide and squat. I didn’t like this because it was hard to tell when my starter had doubled in size, which is a visual benchmark for when it’s ready to use.
In comparison to glass however, plastic doesn’t break; it only melts should you leave it on the bottom rack of your dishwasher ;)
3.) Pint Jar
When all of my glass jars are dirty or being used for something else, I use a pint glass! Yes, the kind you drink beer from at a bar. These are perfect for sourdough starters. They are nice and tall, and you can cover the top with a cloth or plastic wrap. Any type of large and tall glass will do. I have a stash in my kitchen.
4.) Stoneware Crock
Personally, I’ve never used this. King Arthur Flour offers large sourdough crocks which seem pretty popular. The selling point is that its material is non-reactive and the crock itself is easy to identify, so you won’t accidentally throw it out because it looks like pancake batter in a jar (see option #3). Unlike glass, I’m pretty sure these crocks do not burst easily either. Regardless, I still prefer clear containers so I can monitor what’s going on inside.
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Whatever container you choose, the trick is to play around to see what you like.
You might begin with a certain jar only to realize that it’s particularly annoying to clean, which then motivates you to switch to something else. And this is okay. Plus, overtime your starter will form crusty bits of dried flour at the top of the container and near the lid. When this happens (and it will), you’ll need to change it out anyway. So get creative and experiment with what you have!
So what about you? What type of container do you use for your sourdough starter?
Comments
Kim says
First time making croutons and love them made out of sd. I didn’t have dill but used garlic powder and fresh Asiago cheese. Came out delicious.
C. H. says
Rebecca,
One of two things could be happening. – You may have introduced some bacteria to the jar. However, I imagine it is just the dark liquid that forms on some sourdoughs when it isn’t being fed enough. Look up Hooch – see if this matches what you think is mold.
Don’t give up! It is worth the effort.
Renee says
Your raison cinnamon bread recipe was delicious. It was so tender, soft and tasty. I would give it five stars. Do u have a cinnamon pumpkin bread
Using the starter. If so; I would would have it. Thank you.
Les says
Hi Emilie, I’ve followed your brilliant instructions from scratch and now have a great starter that I’m confident to use/maintain and am at last making some really nice loaves of bread, so thank you for making this a simple and strait forward process, simply fantastic! I do have one question, if I wanted to make up another starter, can I simply spoon some of the existing one into another jar and then feed it up etc? Many thanks again, Les.
Rebecca Martin says
I get mould on the side of my jar after about the 5th day. Why would that happen?
Suzan says
Hello Clever Carrot!
I bought the Bormioli Rocco jar from the link in this article, however I wasn’t sure if it should be clamped shut while the sourdough is feeding which seems like it wouldn’t be able to breathe, or if it should just be notched over the clasp with a large gap opening. Or should the gasket be taken out and then clamped?
Thanks for being the sourdough queen!
Suzan
Luella says
I use a plastic container with a lid for a portion of discard that is always handy for “discard” recipes. That is afterall a starter in it’s own right…. I change it out every couple of months.
My true starter stays in a glass jar with a coffee filter and ring rather than the lid itself. This was very helpful to me because i am still learning. My starter, also known as “Leviathan” thanks you as well 😉;)
Shelle says
I’m thinking of using an old candle jar for my starter, I never know what to do with them, they have lids and are clear glass.
Dana Chalamet says
I wouldn’t as it’s most likely NOT food safe glass. Who knows what you’ll be leeching into your dough.
Mindi says
I bought dehydrated sour dough starter and a glass sour dough container. This is day 3 for me and I’m not sure which lid to use. It came with a solid wood lid with a plastic ring to fit tight, and a breathable fabric with elastic to hold to the jar.
I’m starting this journey completely clueless lol, so this page will probably save future me some tears!
Julie Parisi says
I have a talk ,lock n lock
sharon wilson says
I’m new at this. I purchased starter from someone and forgot to ask how much starter there was in the jar. Kinda did a take out measure. I wonder if going to work.
also wonder if I could use the discard to make another feeder jar. ??
Thank you,
Sharon Wilson
Graham Bulmer says
Does the starter glass jar need to be air tight or do you need some air exchange to take place?
Emilie Raffa says
It depends on how you feed, store and maintain your starter. I recommend having a lid on hand to keep it airtight as needed, for example, if you store your starter in the fridge. When storing it room temperature, it’s nice for some air to get in above and beyond when you feed it, so resting the lid on top is sufficient and keeps the flies out.
Linda says
I love your site very informative I am new and nervous in starting. A friend give me some hydrated starter . How doi rehydrate it .thank you so much. You are awesome
Joe says
How did the fruit flies get inside a sealed jar?
Judith Caminiti says
This was really helpful!
Thank you