For people who are completely new to sourdough, I suggest it is faster and simpler to get an established culture. This can be easier because the process of culturing the starter is done for you, and you get to bake bread straight away. An established starter is also likely to be more reliable in that it already contains active yeasts and bacteria, which have been populating the dough over a long period of time. An established dough is stable, active, and resilient. This means that in your first attempts at making sourdough bread you will be guaranteed a more pleasantly flavoured sourdough, which will encourage you to bake more. Most bakers, whether home or professional, are happy to share their starters.
