In this study, the physicochemical properties and microbial profile of traditionally fermented sourdough for Chinese steamed bread were examined. Six samples of sourdough were collected from northern China. Acidity and colony counts were measured. After isolation, purification, and preliminary screening, 75 strains of bacteria and 60 strains of yeasts were obtained and identified by DNA sequencing. The pH was between 3.73 and 5.46 and total titratable acid (TTA) values ranged from 8.3 to 19.8 mL. In all the samples, the number oflactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts ranged from 8.35±0.07 to 9.75±0.12 Log cfu/g and 6.31±0.22 to 8.68±0.04 Log cfu/g, respectively. Eight LAB species, including Lactobacillus brevis, L. plantarum, and L. sanfranciscensis, and six other bacterial species, including Bacillusamyloliquefaciens, Bacilluslicheniformis, and three species of Acetobacter, were identified. Among the four identified yeasts, the dominant species was Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results indicate that Chinese traditional starter cultures for flour-based food are complex bacterial floras dominated by LAB and yeast, in addition to several other microorganisms, including Bacillus spp., Acetobacter spp., and even pathogenic bacteria. Differences in microbial species compositions among LAB and yeasts in samples from different areas were identified by comparing species distributions in different sourdough samples.