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Grape Sourdough Starter Recipe

Breads & Desserts

A fool proof and easy method of making a grape sourdough starter with organic grapes, flour, and water so you can make your own sourdough bread at home!

Red grapes in a mixture of flour and water

When I first started baking with sourdough, I remember starting out with flour and water. I named him “Sid” and fed him every day (sometimes twice a day).  I enjoyed making everything  with Sid – sourdough bagels, sourdough English muffins and even sourdough bread.

It wasn’t but a few months later that I heard of sourdough bakers using grapes to make a sourdough starter.

I wasn’t so sure I understood why grapes were used; nonetheless, I knew I wanted to give it a try. Wild grape sourdough starter doesn’t perform any differently than regular sourdough starter but it does become active quite a bit faster.

Grapes in an Arizona field

Grapes in an Arizona field

Out here in Arizona, grapes grow beautifully. When I first determined I wanted to make grape sourdough starter, I didn’t have wild grapes growing in our garden.  So I picked up a bag of red, seedless grapes at our local market and came home ready to get started.

Now, a year later, we have several grape plants in our home garden. They won’t bear fruit until next year, but we’re fortunate enough to live near a local, organic family farm that has grapes available for the local community (for donation).

The kids and I picked a whopping 17 lbs of grapes just a few weeks ago – what a wild adventure that was!

What’s up with wild grapes?

Why are they such a wonderful base for sourdough starter? The skin of wild grapes is perfect for wild yeast. Wild yeast floating in the air will collect on grape skins.

By burying wild grapes in flour you will transfer some of the yeast to the sourdough starter you will make with the flour.

Organic red grapes for sourdough starter

Organic red grapes for sourdough starter

Getting Started – Grapes to Flour

Getting started with grape sourdough starter is as simple as grapes and flour. Grab a few handfuls of grapes, give them a rinse in water and remove from the stems.  Slice the grapes in half and put them in a large jar. 

I alternate between a gallon, glass kombucha jar and a quart canning jar to make my sourdough starter. I prefer a larger jar though because it gives me ample room to stir and work.   

After your starter is established, you’ll want to feed it (1-2 times each day). Each time you feed your starter with new flour and water, your starter may seem to lull.  Within 2-3 hours, it’ll grow in size.

Sourdough Starter with Grapes

A very bubbly (and messy!) sourdough starter made with grapes; this picture was taken 3 hours after feeding.

It might sometimes even try to escape the jar  (see my jar above!)  I would suggest using something that will provide ample room so you don’t have  these mishaps.

Red Grapes before being added to flour and water

Red Grapes before being added to flour and water

Wait 3 days then feed

To the sliced grapes in the jar, add equal  parts unbleached white flour and room temperature water. Give it a good stir with a wood spoon. Then cover the container and allow to sit for three days at room temperature.

**This isn’t exact. I did not weigh the grapes.. nor did I use any type of a measuring cup. I just used seedless, red grapes that I sliced in half. The slices weren’t perfect, I just did it as quickly as I could.

After three days, pluck out the grapes using a wood spoon (save them for your Vermicompost). Discard half the mixture (don’t throw it — use it to make sourdough crackers or sourdough popovers).   

Then feed the remainder left in the jar with equal parts water and flour  (1 C flour and 1 C water). Stir well, until the mixture is thoroughly combined, then cover the container.

A very bubbly grape sourdough starter!

A very bubbly sourdough starter!

Let that starter sit for another 24 hours and it should be ready to use.

Using your Sourdough Starter

If  you are using the starter regularly (every week or every few days), then discard half and feed with equal parts flour and water each day. Depending on how much you bake, you may need to feed it twice each day.

If you are making sourdough bread, you will need to feed your starter 4-5 hours before using the starter. (For example  – if you want to make bread at 12 p.m., then feed your starter at 8 a.m.)  After using your starter for  bread,  make sure you feed your starter again. 

A very bubbly grape sourdough starter!

A very bubbly sourdough starter!

Store your starter at room temperature if you are using  it regularly. However, if you are using the starter to make bread once a month, keep it in the fridge (covered).

Just return it to room temperature the night before you wish to use it. Then feed it 4 hours before you plan to start making bread.

Print Pin
4.60 from 5 votes

Grape Sourdough Starter Recipe

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword grapes
Author Rebooted Mom

Ingredients

  • 1 C red grapes washed and sliced
  • 2 C all purpose unbleached flour
  • 2 C water non-chlorinated

Instructions

  • Grab a few handfuls of grapes, give them a rinse  in water and remove from the stems.  Slice the grapes in half and put them in a large jar. 
  • To the sliced grapes in the jar, add equal  parts unbleached white flour and room temperature water. Give it a good stir with a wood spoon. Then cover the container and allow to sit for three days at room temperature.
  • After three days, pluck out the grapes using a wood spoon. Discard half the mixture.
  • Then feed the remainder left in the jar with equal parts water and flour  (1  C flour and 1 C water). Stir well, until the mixture is thoroughly combined, then cover the container.
  • Let that starter sit for another 24 hours and it should be ready to use.

Notes

  • If  you  are using the starter regularly (every week or every few days), then discard half and feed with equal parts flour and water each day. Depending on how much you bake, you may need to feed it twice each day.
  • If you are making sourdough bread, you will need to feed your starter 4-5 hours before using t he starter. (For example  - if you want to make bread at 12 p.m., then feed your starter at 8 a.m.)  After using your starter for  bread,  make sure you feed your starter again. 
  • Store your starter at room temperature if you are using  it regularly. However, if you are using the starter to make bread once a month, keep it in the fridge (covered). Then return it to room temperature the  night before you wish to use it, taking care to feed it 4 hours before you plan to start making bread.

This sourdough starter is a fabulous way to start making  your own sourdough bread!

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Sourdough recipes you don’t want to miss:

Everything Sourdough Bagels Recipe

Sourdough Popovers

No Yeast Sourdough Pretzels

Shared by Sheryl

Comments

  1. Joe Stolzenberger says

    November 1, 2019 at 8:37 am

    If you wash the grapes the yeast on the grapes go down the drain.

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      November 1, 2019 at 9:11 pm

      Nope, not the case. You might think that but my grape sourdough is still kicking now over a year later and makes delicious sourdough for my family of 7 twice a week. Much stronger starter than the traditional flour/water – at least for me. Give it a try. You might love it too.

      Reply
  2. millie dixson says

    April 11, 2020 at 8:32 am

    thanks so much. I am going to try this recipe today

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      April 11, 2020 at 9:23 am

      Millie, let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  3. Britnee Tran says

    April 12, 2020 at 11:00 am

    Hi! I was wondering if the type of grape matters (green, red, seedless, with seeds, etc). This recipe looks so good. It makes me want to try growing grapes myself. Do you have any recommendations for growing wild grapes? Also wonderful job on the recipe. Thanks

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      April 13, 2020 at 12:53 am

      Britnee, it doesn’t matter… I used red for this recipe. But I’m certain you could use green, too. I would just try to use seedless grapes.. because you don’t want to have to deal with seeds when you cut the grapes in half. I do grow grapes here at my home.. I’m in Arizona & they grow well for me. Mine are thriving in partial sun (they get shade in the morning and very hot sun in the afternoon). My grapes don’t require lots of water.. in fact they do better with less. I have seen other growers here in my area put grapes in full sun on drip irrigation and they grow like crazy.

      Reply
  4. Carole says

    April 18, 2020 at 6:28 am

    After 3 days my starter was very runny, I may have used too many grapes? I removed the grapes and added 1 cup flour and 1 cup of water. How do I know if it’s too runny?

    Reply
  5. MARIA DEL PILAR REINOSO SANTIZO says

    April 20, 2020 at 9:44 am

    Hi Sheryl, do you know if this recipe would work with almond flour? I am on a keto dieta and have been looking for a keto sourdough. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      April 20, 2020 at 10:33 am

      Unfortunately I don’t think it will 🙁

      Reply
    • marci says

      June 26, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      google it – there are plenty of keto sourdough recipes out there

      Reply
  6. Greg says

    August 19, 2020 at 12:31 pm

    Will boiling tap water for 20 minutes be enough to make the “non-chlorinated water” required for this sourdough starter? What do you do?

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      August 21, 2020 at 8:06 am

      Greg, you can do that. That’s usually what I do. Just make sure you let it cool to room temp after boiling.

      Reply
  7. Elizabeth M. Harrison says

    October 3, 2020 at 8:58 am

    going to make a one-time grape sour dough recipe for bread, and am going to keep the wild grapes IN, and just allow the sourdough to do its thing and shoot from the hip as far as what ELSE i’ll be adding, but, it’ll be all organig grains fermenting beofre i add the sourdough grape starter – and w/a freezer packed with wild blue grapes – granted, the seeds are crunchie and plentiful ha ha – im going to add more grapes and a touch of maple syrup when serving!

    Reply
  8. Holly says

    February 27, 2021 at 7:04 pm

    Cover jar with a tight fitting lid or a kitchen towel?

    Reply
  9. Lyle says

    October 28, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    5 stars
    I just finished making my own grape sourdough starter from some of our local organic Niagara Concord Grapes from here in Ontario. One thing I love is the grapey smell! Can you please tell me if that beautiful aroma remains in yours or does it dissipate as you feed, use, and subsequently dilute the original?

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      October 29, 2022 at 12:07 pm

      Oh my.. I’d love to tell you it sticks around because I, like you, LOVE that smell too. Believe me. But… the more I feed, use and do my regular “discard” of starter, it dissipates slightly. It does still take on somewhat of the scent though, and I’d rather use grape sourdough starter than a traditional sourdough starter. I had better luck with my grape starter. Perhaps the scent remains in your starter for a longer period of time though — I picked wild grapes here in Arizona, I’m not sure how our grapes are compared to your organic grapes. Yours might have more of a pronounced flavor than ours (ours tend to be very tiny, small grapes as opposed to larger grapes).

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Sheryl!

Hi there, I'm Sheryl!

Rebooted Mom was created out of my own journey to live and think differently about the food I eat. I share everything from gardening to DIY, recipes, and sustainable living.

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