How to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter: Best Beginner’s Guide
Come learn how to feed your sourdough starter to keep it healthy and happy! This beginner’s guide will cover the basics to maintain a sourdough starter: when and how often to feed it, where to store it, and how to feed starter by weight (grams) or by volume (cups) to get it active and ready for baking.
We’ll also explore some best practices and frequently asked questions – like the best type of flour to use, the meaning of “peak activity” or “hooch”, and troubleshooting tips. By the end, you’ll feel confident and comfortable caring for your sourdough starter.
Don’t worry, it’s easier than you imagine! I’ve been baking sourdough for over 10 years now, so I’ll share tons of tips to make it as simple as possible.
NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2019 but has been significantly updated since.
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Need a starter? Learn how to make sourdough starter from scratch or how to make a gluten-free sourdough starter here. We also offer an easy organic dehydrated sourdough starter in our shop. It’s foolproof, reliable, and super active!
What is “Feeding” a Sourdough Starter?
Feeding a sourdough starter simply means adding fresh flour and water to the starter – typically in a 1:1:1 ratio or equal parts by weight, such as 100 grams of starter, flour, and water each. In doing so, it makes the starter get active, bubbly, and rise over the next several hours.
You need to feed a sourdough starter before making bread (unless you’re following a recipe that calls for “discard” or inactive starter) as well as occasional feedings to keep it alive, especially when you’re not regularly using it for baking.
Most times you’ll discard a portion of the existing starter before mixing in fresh flour and water, but sometimes you won’t (explained more below).
After feeding, your starter should have the consistency of thick pancake batter.
Why Sourdough Starter Rises And Falls
Here’s the quick science behind feeding a sourdough starter:
There are beneficial lactic acid bacteria and yeast living within a starter culture. When provided fresh flour and water, they consume and ferment the carbohydrates in the flour, creating acid and carbon dioxide in the process. This causes the starter to bubble and rise, and is what makes sourdough bread rise naturally too!
Yet when they run out of food, the microbes get hungry, decrease in activity (the starter deflates), and become ineffective at making bread rise. Yeast will also produce a dark liquid called “hooch”, which is harmless but a sign that your starter is hungry!
If left unfed for too long, the beneficial microbes may starve and die off completely.
Supplies Needed
- Sourdough starter
- Water: It’s best to feed sourdough starter using filtered, non-chlorinated water if possible. A basic carbon filter helps! I like to use warm water (not hot) to help increase activity.
- Flour: Most bakers feed sourdough starter with bread flour or all-purpose flour, though using half whole wheat or rye flour can boost activity and rise! We primarily use bread flour with some whole wheat at times. It’s also possible to maintain a starter using einkorn flour, or certain GF flours like brown rice flour. (See gluten-free notes below.) However, I suggest gradually transitioning to a new flour to let the starter acclimate.
- A glass jar or container. Store sourdough starter in a container that’s large enough for it to double or triple in size after being fed. The jar should be covered with a loose-fitting lid (e.g. finger tight) but not completely air-tight so gasses can escape. We keep our starter in a modest 1 liter (quart) flip-top glass container (gasses escape even when the lid is closed). If you plan to bake several loaves at once, consider using a larger 2 liter or half-gallon container.
- A kitchen scale and/or measuring cups
- A small silicone spatula is handy, both for mixing the starter and for cleaning up the sides of the jar
Feeding a Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter
We’ve successfully made a gluten-free sourdough starter using brown rice flour – which is what we usually feed it with too. However, feel free to experiment with any combination of brown rice, white rice, sweet rice, or buckwheat flours. They all work to keep the starter active and happy!
However, I do not suggest feeding a gluten-free starter using a GF 1-1 baking or all-purpose flour. In my experience, the additives and gums found in those flour mixes make the starter a bit funky.
Before Feeding: Warm Up
Sourdough starter is most happy and active around 70-80°F.
So, if you store your sourdough starter in the refrigerator like we do, you may want to let it warm up to room temperature before feeding it. It’s not required, but will help it get active and rise faster! I like to take my starter out of the fridge the night before I plan to make dough.
You can also help warm up a cold starter by feeding it with warm water (not hot) and/or using a starter warming plate – which are especially handy during the colder winter months! We use ours to keep our bowl of proofing dough warm too.
Before Feeding: Discard
In many cases, you’ll need to discard a portion of your original starter before feeding it. This helps you get the desired amount for feeding – such as 1/2 cup or 100 grams of starter, explained below.
Removing or discarding some of the “mother” culture also helps it maintain a healthy acid balance, and prevents your starter container from becoming overly full. The jar needs plenty of empty space for your starter to rise!
The only time you DON’T want to discard first is when there’s only a small amount of starter left in the jar already (like if you recently used most of it in a recipe).
Never get rid of your entire starter!
PRO TIP: To discard, simply scoop out and remove a portion of the starter until the desired amount remains in the jar. You can put discard in the compost or trash, use it in a discard recipe, or gift it to a friend – but do NOT put it down the sink! Sourdough starter can harden in drain pipes and cause serious plumbing issues.
RELATED: Don’t waste that discard! Come see the 15 Best Sourdough Discard Recipes including sourdough granola, discard crackers, our sourdough pancake recipe and more. Plus, here are 6 other clever ways to use discard – besides baking.
How to Feed Sourdough Starter by Weight
- To feed sourdough starter by weight, simply weigh and combine equal parts of starter, flour, and water – such as 100 grams of each (or 200 grams each for a larger starter/multiple loaves). Mix thoroughly until smooth.
- This is considered a 1:1:1 ratio which is a great starting point for beginner’s and to get a starter active for baking.
- You can also experiment with other ratios such as 1:2:2 (e.g. 50 grams starter, 100 grams flour, 100 grams water) which will result in a longer, slower fermentation time – ideal for long term refrigerator storage or when you don’t want your starter to peak too quickly (such as feeding it overnight).
- Weight is the most precise and consistent way to feed starter, especially since various flours have different weights.
Feeding Sourdough Starter by Volume (Cups)
This is how I like to feed my starter. It’s quick and easy!
- To feed sourdough starter using volume measurements, mix together 1 part starter, 1 part water, and just under 2 parts flour (1:1:2). For example, 1/2 cup starter, 1/2 cup water, and a scant cup of flour. I’ve found that this is very close to a 1:1:1 ratio by weight.
- If you want to bake multiple loaves at once, simply scale up: such as 1 cup of starter, 1 cup of water, and just under 2 cups of flour.
- To feed, we typically mix it all up right in the starter jar. However, some bakers choose to measure everything out into a separate bowl, mix it together, and then put it back or into a fresh jar or container. Baker’s choice!
- Either way, I suggest to keep the sides of your starter container fairly clean (scrape with a spatula), and change it out or wash it on occasion. Built-up gunk on the sides of the jar can more easily lead to mold.
PRO TIP: Over time, I’ve learned what a 1/2 cup of starter looks like in the jar (about a knuckle or 3/4-inch deep in my particular container) so now instead of measuring every time, I simply eyeball the starter volume and only measure the flour and water. It doesn’t need to be precise! Measure once, observe, and save yourself one messy step.
When to Feed Sourdough Starter
There are two key times to feed sourdough starter: to get it ready and active to use in a sourdough bread recipe, or for general maintenance to keep it alive between bakes. Let’s explore both!
Feeding Starter Before Baking
- For baking, feed your sourdough starter about 4 to 8 hours before making dough and leave it at room temperature (70 to 80°F is ideal) to rise and reach peak activity before mixing it into your bread recipe. (In my experience, gluten-free sourdough starters peak and fall more quickly than traditional wheat starter.)
- Peak activity is when the starter has at least doubled or tripled in sized and is no longer rising, but before it starts to fall back down. Don’t rush this step! It’s best to use starter when it has reached full peak activity or even just after (when it starts to fall back down, but hasn’t fully deflated yet) instead of mixing it into your dough too early.
- Note that it can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours for a starter to fully rise and reach peak activity. The exact time depends on numerous factors including the age and strength of your starter, when it was last fed, ambient temperature, and how you store it. Warmer temperatures increase activity, and cooler temperatures slow it.
- A slow, sluggish starter that hasn’t been fed recently (e.g. after several weeks or more in the fridge) will benefit from being fed twice before baking with it. To do so, let it warm to room temperature, feed it, and then let it fully rise and begin to fall again before discarding and feeding it a second time.
PRO TIP: If your starter has peaked but you aren’t quite ready to use it yet (life happens!), I’ve found that you can simply put it in the refrigerator at peak and then pull it back out when you want to use it (within 12 hours). This adds some nice flexibility in your baking schedule!
How Often to Feed Starter for Maintenance
How often you need to feed your sourdough starter depends on where you store it, and how often you bake. If you bake weekly, that’s all the feeding it may require! Yet if you go longer between bakes, you’ll want to do some maintenance feedings too.
Some serious bakers store their starter on the counter so it’s basically always ready to use. However, starter stored at room temperature must be fed daily (or even twice per day) to keep it alive!
On the the other hand, most beginners and casual bakers store their sourdough starter in the refrigerator. (That’s what we do!) When it’s cold, starter activity greatly slows and essentially goes dormant, so it only needs to be fed about once every week or two to keep it perky.
Truth be told, we often go several weeks (or even months) between feedings when we aren’t baking a lot… but I don’t necessarily recommend it, especially with a new starter! A healthy, established starter can tolerate a little neglect. Yet the longer you go between feedings, the more sluggish the starter will be when it comes time to bake, so you’ll need to feed it a couple times (as opposed to just once) before use.
PRO TIP: To do a maintenance feeding, simply take the starter out of the refrigerator, discard a portion, feed it, and then let it sit at room temperature for just a few hours to rise slightly before putting it back in the fridge. You don’t want it to fully peak and deflate however, or you’re basically putting it away hungry again!
Storing Starter in the Refrigerator vs Room Temperature
Here are a few notable differences between a storing sourdough starter in the refrigerator compared to room temperature:
- As we already explored, storing starter at room temperature is high-maintenance and requires daily feedings, more appropriate for serious and frequent bakers.
- Starter that is stored in the fridge will only need to be fed once every week or two (or even less frequently), ideal for casual bakers and also when you’re away from home on vacation.
- Starters will develop a different flavor profile depending on where they’re stored. According to a sourdough expert I heard on NPR’s Science Friday, starter regularly stored at room temperature will have a more sweet, mild flavor while refrigerating starter encourages more complex sour and tangy notes due to increased acetic acid production.
- Refrigerated sourdough starter can also lead to more gut-healthy bread, as acetic acid is key in improving the digestibility of gluten and other nutrients.
Hooch: A Sign Your Starter Is Hungry
When a starter hasn’t been fed in a while, it will develop a layer of dark liquid called “hooch” on top. Hooch is a harmless, naturally-occurring fermentation byproduct (an alcohol) produced by yeast when it has consumed all of the available food.
Hooch is very acidic and smells like vinegar or nail polish remover. When encountered, you can either pour off the hooch or simply mix it back in (especially if you like your starter on the sour side), then discard and feed your starter as usual.
PRO TIP: If it’s been several months since you’ve last fed your starter, it may need to be fed differently for a few days to get back on track and rise again. Please see our guide: Is My Sourdough Starter Bad? How to Revive Old Inactive Starter to learn more! It also covers signs that a starter has gone “bad”, such as mold.
Example Feeding and Baking Schedule
I thought it may be helpful to share our usual baking routine. So, let’s assume we want to bake a loaf of bread on Sunday morning:
- Take the starter out of the refrigerator on Friday evening and let it come to room temperature overnight. (If it hasn’t been fed in several weeks, I’ll feed it once Friday night as an initial “wake up” feeding too.)
- Feed the starter on Saturday morning, allowing it to come to peak activity (usually 5-6 hours)
- Make dough using the starter on Saturday afternoon or evening – let it sit for 4 to 5 hours at room temperature to bulk ferment, stretch and fold, etc
- Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to cold-proof overnight, and bake on Sunday morning
You’ll develop your own feeding routine and baking schedule with time!
Frequently Asked Questions
A number of factors can influence rise. Ensure the starter has been fed, but don’t repeatedly feed it several times in one day – which can actually weaken it! Keep the stater in a warm location (70-80F). Try feeding half white and half whole wheat or rye flour to boost activity. Be patient.
If your sourdough starter is bubbling but doesn’t rise within a few hours of being fed, it may be too wet. When starter is too runny, the air bubbles easily rise up and OUT of the mixture instead of being trapped inside. To fix this, simply stir in more flour to thicken it up. Add just a couple tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached: a thick pancake batter that isn’t easy to pour.
A strong, healthy sourdough starter will readily double in size within a few hours after being fed, smell pleasant and tangy (slightly acidic), and have a strong web-like gluten structure when it’s stirred at peak activity.
RELATED: If your sourdough starter still isn’t rising well, don’t give up! Pop over to this guide: 9 Ways to Make Sourdough Starter More Active.
That concludes this lesson on feeding sourdough starter.
I hope you found this article to be useful and interesting! Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and please leave a review below if you found this helpful. Now that you know how to maintain your sourdough stater, it’s time to get baking!
Don’t miss these related posts:
- Simple No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Easy Sourdough Discard Cracker Recipe
- Sourdough Granola Recipe (Discard or Active Starter)
- Easy Sourdough Focaccia Recipe
- 20 Best Sourdough Add-Ins and Topping Ideas
- Best Sourdough Starter Names: 60 Punny Ideas
How to Feed Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
Feeding Starter by Weight (1:1:1)
- 100 grams sourdough starter
- 100 grams water (room temperature or warm, and non-chlorinated filtered water recommended)
- 100 grams flour *Note that using whole wheat or rye flour (instead of white) can help increase starter activity.
Feeding Starter by Volume (1:1:2)
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup water (room temperature or warm, and non-chlorinated filtered water recommended)
- 1 cup (scant, just under a cup) flour
- *Scale up as needed to maintain a larger starter with the same ratios
Instructions
Introduction
- "Feeding" sourdough starter is simply adding fresh flour and water to an existing starter. This may be after you use some starter in a recipe (to build its volume back up), to get a starter ready to bake with, or as a maintenance feeding between bakes.
- The frequency depends on how you store it. Starters stored in a refrigerator can be fed once every week or two (or even monthly, once mature and established). Starters stored at room temperature must be fed daily.
- Some bakers combine the starter, fresh flour, and water in a bowl and then transfer it into a clean container each time. Others simply mix fresh flour and water right into the starter jar. Either way, try to keep the sides of the starter jar fairly clean, and change it out or wash it on occasion. Built-up gunk in the jar can more easily lead to mold.
Before Feeding
- Warm up: Starter is most active at 70-80F. If store your starter in the refrigerator, allow it to warm to room temperature for several hours or overnight before feeding. You can also quickly warm up a starter by feeding with warm water (not hot) or using a warming plate.
- Discard a portion: scoop out and remove a portion of the starter until the desired amount remains in the jar. Compost, trash, or use it in a discard recipe – but do NOT put it down the sink! (If there's only a very small amount of starter in the jar, you don't HAVE to discard first – simply feed it.)
- Now, add more fresh flour and water to the remaining starter, either following the "weight" or "volume" instructions below
How to Feed Sourdough Starter by Weight
- To feed sourdough starter using weight, simply combine equal parts starter, flour, and water. For example, 100 grams of each. Or for a larger starter/multiple loaves, 200 grams of each. This is a 1:1:1 ratio, ideal for beginners or activating a starter to bake.
- You can also experiment with other ratios such as 1:2:2 (e.g. 50 grams starter, 100 grams flour, 100 grams water) which will result in a longer, slower fermentation time – ideal for long term refrigerator storage or if you don't want your starter to peak too quickly (such as feeding it overnight).
How to Feed Sourdough Starter by Volume (Cups)
- To feed sourdough starter using volume measurements, simply combine 1 part sourdough starter, 1 part part water, and just under 2 parts flour. For example, 1/2 cup starter, 1/2 cup water, and just under 1 cup of flour. (This is very close to a 1:1:1 ratio by weight).
- To scale up for a larger starter/multiple loaves, use 1 cup starter, 1 cup water, and just under 2 cups flour.
Preparing Starter to Bake
- For baking, feed your starter about 4 to 8 hours before making dough. Leave it out at room temperature (70 to 80°F is ideal) to rise and reach peak activity before mixing it into your bread recipe.
- Peak activity is when the starter has at least doubled or tripled in sized and is no longer rising, but before it starts to fall back down. Don’t rush this step! It’s best to use starter when it has reached full peak activity or even just after (when it starts to fall back down, but hasn’t fully deflated yet) instead of mixing it into your dough too early.
- Note that it can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours for a starter to reach peak activity depending on the age/strength of your starter, when it was last fed, ambient temperature, and how you store it. Warmer temperatures increase activity, cooler temperatures slow it down.
- A slow, sluggish starter that hasn’t been fed recently (e.g. after several weeks or longer in the fridge) will benefit from being fed twice before baking with it. To do so, let it warm to room temperature, feed it, and then let it fully rise and begin to fall again before feeding it a second time.
Maintenance Feedings
- Take the starter out of the refrigerator, discard a portion, feed it, and then let it sit at room temperature for just a few hours to rise slightly before putting it back in the fridge. You don’t want it to fully peak and deflate however, or you’re basically putting it away hungry again!
182 Comments
Nina Jonas
Good Evening,
Thank you for sharing your sourdough starter knowledge with us. I bought your organic dehydrated sourdough starter. I followed your instructions and all went well. When I started feeding it the 1 scant c flour and 1/2c water. I never discarded any starter(I missed that part). Doughlene out grew the jar and now I have a Doughly as well. Is the purpose of discarding so you don’t out grow your container or is there another reason why you need to discard? If you don’t discard do you have to add more then the 1 flour and 1/2 water as your starter will be getting larger? I plan on keeping my starter in the fridge. If I fed my starter and it been on the counter for 20 hours since feed can I just put it in the fridge?
I wasn’t prepared to make the no knead sourdough bread so I made the sourdough discard herb crackers. I didn’t have any herbs so I used everything bagel seasoning and they were delicious.
Can I used all white flour for the bread until I get the wheat and rye flour? I am anxious to make the bread.
Thank you
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Nina, thank you for your order of sourdough starter and we’re glad to hear it was so easy to activate for you. In regards to discarding, yes you need to discard starter before you feed it per our instructions, while the ratios are somewhat flexible, you are supposed to feed a certain amount of flour and water per how much sourdough starter is in your jar. If you never wanted to discard any sourdough in between your feedings, you would have to feed more flour and water than the 1 scant cup and 1/2 cup water because you would be feeding a larger amount of sourdough starter.
As far as after you feed your starter and you aren’t going to be using it for baking, you can really refrigerate it at any point after feeding it, we often take our sourdough starter out of the fridge the night before we want to use it for baking, we feed it once in the morning and once it becomes fully active, we use the starter in our bread recipe. Typically if you use your starter once every week or two, you likely only need to feed it once to get it to become fully active. If you don’t use it for a few weeks to month(s), you will likely have to feed it multiple times over a couple days to get it fully active.
As far as the no knead bread recipe goes, you can use all white or bread flour and don’t need to include the whole wheat or rye flour. We have often made bread using all bread flour and the loaf turns out fantastic, you will just need to include the whole wheat and rye weight measurements into your white flour total for the bread. Hope that helps and have fun baking!
Belle Kozubowski
Hi Deanna!
I absolutely love the starter I ordered from y’all about a year ago, after rehydrating I’ve been using it consistently and loooooving it! I was wondering–do you know how old the starter is that you sell? I know some starters are hundreds of years old so I’m curious if you know! Thank you for your sourdough wisdom and recipes<3
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Belle, thank you so much for your order! Our “shop starter” is from the original batch of sourdough starter that we made from scratch in early 2018, not quite 100 years old or some other interesting story about the origin though, haha. Needless to say, it works well and we are glad you are enjoying baking with sourdough!
Jen
Hi,
First thing, I love your website!
I have followed your directions feeding my starter, feeding twice. It hasn’t bubbled or risen. What am I doing wrong?
Cheers,
Jen
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Jen, we are so glad you enjoy the website and we appreciate your support! I guess to answer your question, I would first ask what condition was your sourdough starter in before you fed it? Is this a starter that was just made or is it a starter that is old and inactive? Does your starter have a tangy smell which would indicate that it is active? If you have fed it twice, I would leave it for now and see if it rises over the next 12 hours or so. If it is an old starter, check out this article, Is My Sourdough Starter Bad? How to Revive Old Inactive Starter. Hope that helps for now and reach out if you can clarify a few things that may help us get you on your way.
FSethman
Growing up, we always had a starter and made bread weekly. I’m just starting the process of perhaps doing sourdough bread. What is the part I need to read and follow, for an absolute beginning sourdough starter bread? Thanks!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
We always use our Simple No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe if we want a regular loaf of sourdough or our Simple Sourdough Focaccia Bread Recipe which is incredibly easy and delicious. Have fun baking.
Stephanie Lehto
I have my starter in my fridge. But I don’t want to bake with it for a while. Do I still need to take it out and feed it once a week? And if so, do I need to let it come to room temp before I feed it?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Stephanie, you don’t need to feed your starter every week if you aren’t going to be baking but are still keeping it in the fridge. We do find the starter will get lethargic and won’t be as active if left unfed for longer periods of time (3-4 weeks) but we do try and take the starter out the night before feeding as it will usually speed up the process slightly as opposed to feeding a cold starter. Hope that helps and reach out if you have any other questions.
Ellie
Okay, so I have successfully reactivated a dehydrated starter that was given to me by a friend. And I am not ready to bake *quite* yet. So I followed the maintenance instructions 1:1:1 starter:flour:water. Do I put it in the fridge directly after mixing? Or leave it out a bit before refrigerating? Thanks, I enjoy your instructions, everything has been so helpful!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Ellie, if you don’t want to bake the same day you fed the starter that ratio, we would wait until it becomes fully active, before discarding whatever amount you want to leave in the container (we typically leave close to an inch of starter in the bottom of a liter or quart jar). The next time you want to make dough, take the starter out the night before and the following day feed it a scant cup flour and 1/2 cup water (give or take), once it’s fully active you are now ready to use it in dough. Hope that helps and have fun baking.
Kelly
This is so confusing to me and I can’t ever get a simple answer. I have a large amount of starter in my fridge. I want to feed it and put it back in the fridge. I also want to bake with it. How do I do this? Do I feed it and put it back for a few days and then take out what I need, or do I take it out and leave it at room temperature, take out what I need, feed the rest and store it? I habe no idea what I’m doing.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Kelly, are you confused by our post? If you want to store your starter in the fridge when you aren’t using it for baking, keep it in the fridge. When you want to make bread or some other baked good with sourdough, take the starter out of the refrigerator the night before and leave it on your counter. The next day, discard the desired amount of starter that is in the jar and compost it or use it in a sourdough discard recipe. Feed the remaining starter the flour/water ratio mentioned in this post, wait until the starter is fully active, likely reaching the top of the jar (could take 2-6 hours depending on how active your starter is). Once the starter is fully active, take out the amount needed for the recipe and put your starter container back in the fridge unless you are going to be using it to bake more that day or the next day. Hope that helps and good luck!
Sarah
Is it normal for your sourdough starter to pass the float test but not necessarily double in size? It’ll increase by maybe 1/3rd
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
We haven’t tried that specific instance out but to get your starter more active, try and keep the room temperature the starter is in around 70-75 F. It can really slow down the starter activity if it gets cooler than that. The consistency of the starter may also play a role in the rise of the active starter, we find that a starter that is not too wet or too stiff to be the optimal consistency to active sourdough starter. Hope that helps and have fun baking!
Sarah
I have a question about sourdough starters (as a noob!) that I have yet to find anywhere. I’ve had a rough go trying to figure out my sourdough starter but it’s finally becoming active. What I can’t figure out is this: so in the beginning I would have around 100 grams of sourdough starter, would add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of water. It wouldn’t grow much so it would end up being around 200 grams the next day when I went to feed it. So I would discard half and be left with 100 grams of starter and would continue the 1:1:1 ratio by adding 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of water.
Now, each day the sourdough starter is a different weight. Some days it’s up to 400 grams – on those days, discarding half would make it so that I’m left with 200 grams of sourdough starter. So I’m assuming on those days I feed it 200 grams of flour and 200 grams of water to continue with the 1:1:1 ratio? I’m just wondering if this will slow down the activity by feeding it a different amount each day. On the other hand, every recipe I’ve seen has said something like “discard half and then add 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of water to feed it” but if you have 500 grams of sourdough starter at that point, discarding half would leave you with 250 grams of sourdough starter. Therefore, feeding it with only 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of water would make it uneven and no longer a 1:1:1 ratio. Is it normal to feed it a different amount each day? Thanks in advance!
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Sarah, I appreciate your precision when working with sourdough and baking but we try not to overthink it. We actually don’t even weigh our flour, water or starter anymore as we have found that around 1 scant cup of flour and 1/2 cup water is more or less the same weight. We also discard the starter until there is about an inch or so in the bottom of a liter sized jar before feeding it the scant cup flour and 1/2 cup water. From there, we sometimes have to add a little more water to get it the texture/consistency we like. Hope that helps some and good luck!
Maria Bonner
First off, thank you!!!! This has been the best best best written out instructions I have found regarding refrigerating and preparing your started to bake! I feel a little less overwhelmed haha!
Secondly, when you take is your starter out say on a Thursday night (to bake on a Saturday) and then feed twice Friday.. what approximate times do you feed on Friday til you’re ready to bake? Does it not have to be atleast 12 hours apart? (Very new here)
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Maria, glad to hear the article made you feel less overwhelmed about baking with sourdough, it seems a lot more difficult than it actually is. As far as your question goes, it really depends on how active your starter is or how often you have used it. If we haven’t baked in a couple weeks, we will typically feed the starter twice (sometimes even the night before we are going to make our dough, just to get it started). However, if you have just recently used your starter or just finished fully activating a dry starter, you may be able to get away with one feeding before you use the starter in the dough.
As far as time goes for feeding, it doesn’t have to be 12 hours apart, usually we will feed the starter and once it is fully active and to the top of the jar, it is ready to use. Our starter will usually be fully active within 3-4 hours of feeding, so if we are going to make the dough around 4 pm, we will typically feed the starter by around noon. If you want to feed it twice, feed it once in the morning around 8-9 am and it should be ready to discard around midday for a second feeding. Hope that helps and didn’t make things more confusing for you. Ask any other questions you may have and have fun baking with sourdough!
Barb
I am so excited to have Yeasty Boys double over night. This is the first time I have made sourdough starter and I couldn’t be more thrilled. It was lethargic the first day but I had the oven on for roasting root veggies and was cooking on the stove, which raised the air temberature a bit above 75 degrees. And BOOM! starter vigorous growth. My starter is GF, I used rice flour and I grow organic Ana and Golden Dorset apples and used one of each, small size. For the loaf I plan to use half buckwheat and maybe some sorghum or millet. Thanks you so much, I love your site and all your wonderful ideas – plus your easy going and fun writing style
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
That’s great to hear Barb, we appreciate your support and have fun baking!
Danielle
I’m noticing that my dough is rising slightly, but not doubling. The texture and scent seem right on, but is this not considered “active” of it hasn’t doubled?
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Danielle, an active starter will typically double in size before it is considered “active”. We keep our starter in a quart container and after we feed it, it is close to or just under half full, it typically reaches the top of the jar before we use it in a recipe. If you aren’t getting enough activity in your starter, I would focus on the temperature, it is best to be close to 70-75 degrees F for optimal conditions. Maybe try placing it in the oven with the light on, but the oven off will make it more active as it is usually warmer than the countertop. Adding part whole wheat flour in your feeding may also help kick start the starter to become more active. Also, if your starter is too runny or watery, it won’t rise as much or stay risen for as long. Hope that helps and good luck!