I have a sourdough starter, now what? This is the most frequent question I get asked. So I am going to break it down for you so you can start baking delicious sourdough treats with your starter right away.
First of all, congratulations! On either making your own sourdough starter, purchasing one online or receiving one from a friend. You have an exciting journey ahead of you and I’m excited to help guide you as you begin.
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DO YOU STILL NEED A SOURDOUGH STARTER?
Before we get started, maybe you don’t even have a sourdough starter yet. If you do not have one, here is a Day by Day Guide to help make your own Sourdough Starter. It’s my most popular blog post, and for good reason. It’s very easy to follow and I break it up into very simple steps. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of sourdough, check out my “Why Sourdough?“
What should I keep my sourdough starter in?
I keep my sourdough starter in a tall glass jar.
A tall jar is helpful because you can visibly watch the sourdough ferment as it rises up in the jar.
A glass jar is the easiest vessel to clean.
Believe me, a sourdough starter can get a bit messy and the extras become like cement on the sides of the jar.
Do not use plastic for storing a sourdough starter.
Plastic can leach into your sourdough starter and plastic also holds onto scents and flavors so anything previously stored in that container can contaminate your sourdough starter.
So just stick with glass 😉
Do NOT make this beginners mistake!!!
WARNING: *DO NOT use up all your starter in a single recipe! Why? Because then you will have nothing left to feed and regrow.
This is such a common mistake for beginners. I have heard this story over and over again.
So here is your PSA to always leave at least a teaspoon of starter behind in your jar to re-feed and grow again.
First things first: How to Feed your sourdough Starter
Okay let me preface by saying this is how I have successfully fed my sourdough starter for 5 years.
Every single person finds their own groove when it comes to a feeding.
However, when first starting out it is helpful to have someone else explain their process.
I encourage you to branch off and find your own rhythm from here!
First things first, you will need a kitchen scale. Precision is key for beginners.
I mostly keep my sourdough starter on my counter. Therefore I need to feed it every 12 to 24 hours.
If I plan to bake with it the next day I will give it a feeding that will allow for enough starter to be made for both my recipe as well as having some leftover to regrow for its next feeding.
For example. If my recipe calls for 100 grams of sourdough starter I will feed my sourdough starter 55 grams flour and 50 grams water (I explain in another question why I use slightly less water).
I feed it near equal parts flour and water and make sure the grams weigh out to be the amount that the recipe calls for.
This way I know I will have enough starter for my recipe and since I’ll be feeding the existing starter, I know there will be a few grams left behind to feed again after removing starter for the recipe.
If I do not plan to bake with my starter I still need to feed it since I leave mine on the counter.
It gets “hungry” and needs to be fed. So I feed my starter every 12 hours and mostly give it a “maintenance feed”. This feeding is around 50 grams flour and 40 grams water.
Sometimes I may miss a feeding, that’s okay!
If it goes 24 hours without a feeding it will become flat and more liquidy. Simply give it more flour than water at the next feeding and it will thicken back up.
What kind of water is best to use for sourdough?
Filtered water is best for sourdough. I have a Berkey Filtration System that filters our well water. I realize not everyone has this, but if you do then use this water!
If you have a reverse osmosis in your home or under your sink, this is fantastic water to use as well.
Spring water is a great store bough option. The gallons of water at the store are cheap and will last you a while.
Purified water works well too but I would recommend spring over purified because the natural minerals are left in spring water verse purified where the minerals are added back in.
Do not use distilled water! This water is what I would call “dead” water because it has been stripped of everything good, minerals included.
Minerals are vital to a healthy sourdough starter so be sure the water you use is mineral rich and you will have a healthy, happy starter 😉
Why do I feed my starter more flour than water?
This is preference and a method that works for me. I used to feed my starter equal parts flour and water.
Easy right? Yes! And you can totally do this. Most professionals do it this way.
But I have found that the water causes the starter to ferment quicker and weighs down my starter earlier, before I am ready to bake.
I don’t like to use a runny starter for my recipes.
So feeding my starter more flour creates an airy, pillowy starter that almost always passes the float test (more on the float test later).
Which makes it prime for baking!
For example, if I’m just feeding my starter a maintenance feeding I will feed it 50 grams flour and 40 grams water.
I tame back the water by about 10-20 grams depending on the feeding. If I feed it a large feeding of 100 grams flour I will only add 80 grams water.
Again, this is how I have found my own rhythm in feeding my starter. I encourage you to find what works for you.
What is active sourdough starter?
An active sourdough starter is a term you will read on a lot of recipes.
This is a starter that has been fed in the last 12 hours, passes the float test and is ready to bake with.
*Do not try baking with your starter right after feeding it. Allow time for it to grow and feast on the flour before using it.
Starters are usually ready to bake with around 4-12 hours after a feeding depending on the amount you feed your starter.
The larger the feeding, the more time it needs to ferment.
What is sourdough Discard?
This is a very confusing topic and one that I did not understand for far too long. So I hope to make this as simple as possible.
Discard is a portion of sourdough starter that is removed before each feeding.
This removed portion is considered discard and can be used immediately to bake with.
However, some people will keep that removed portion of starter and place it into another jar in the fridge.
That jar in the fridge begins to add up as you are constantly accumulating more and more sourdough discard after each feeding.
People will then use that “hotel of sourdough discard” in the fridge and add that to a recipe.
That being the “discard” people write about in their recipes.
Personally I have found discard to be wasteful and an unnecessary extra step in the sourdough feeding.
I maintain a small amount of starter and do not create excess to discard because I am always using my starter to bake with.
I simply place my starter into the fridge if I don’t plan to bake with it instead of leaving it out and having to feed it often.
2 exceptions I have when discarding:
- If I forget to feed my starter for two days the sourdough starter begins to “over sour”. It begins to have a nail polish remover or acetone scent to it. Needless to say it is not pleasant. I will not bake with that because it “over sours” my recipes. In this case I will remove about 90% of my starter and completely throw it away. I then feed my starter a maintenance feeding to bring it back to life and get rid of that sour smell.
- When my starter has been in the fridge for an extended period of time (let’s say I’m on vacation) the starter can start to separate. It’s a natural process but in this case I remove the top half of the starter and completely discard and throw it away.
What is Fed and Unfed Sourdough Starter?
This question bounces off of the last two: Active Sourdough Starter and Discard Sourdough starter.
Fed starter is a sourdough starter that has been fed and given flour and water within the last 12 hours.
This is also what is called an active sourdough starter as I said above.
Unfed sourdough starter is sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed fresh flour and water in 24-48 hours.
Or it may even be the discard sourdough starter in the fridge that I mentioned above.
Unfed starter is lifeless and very sour flavored!
If it is used, it may need a leavening agent like baking soda to help activate the recipe.
What is the Float test?
The float test is a simple method beginners can use to test if their sourdough starter is active enough to bake with.
Fill a small cup full with water. Remove about a teaspoon of your active starter and place it in the cup of water.
If it floats, your starter is active and ready to bake with. If it sinks, give your starter another feeding and try again in about 4 hours.
This test is not necessary each time you bake. It is really just a technique you can use to help you determine if your starter is active enough.
The more you bake and get a feel for how your starter works, you will no longer need to do the float test.
I will say, I have used plenty of starter that would never pass the float test and yet my recipes still turn out.
This is because I have a very active and mature starter that I leave on the counter all the time.
The yeasty microbes in my starter are strong enough to rise my breads even if they don’t pass the float test.
So keep that in mind as you keep a mature starter of your own.
What if I miss a feeding?
It’s okay! Just feed as normal and move on.
You are not tied like a ball and chain to your starter–I promise! It’s so resilient and will come back like normal.
I have gone more than 48 hours between a feeding before and it’s okay!
If that happens, be aware that your starter will become very lifeless and liquidy.
It may have some separation with water lying on the top.
It will have a smell that may or may not burn your nostrils out–almost like an acetone nail polish remover smell.
Do not be alarmed! And do not throw away your starter!
Remove 80-90% of your starter if it’s been a few days and throw away the starter you removed.
Feed the remaining 10-20% that’s left in the jar.
I usually feed it a maintenance feeding of 50 grams flour and 40 grams water.
The starter will spring back by the next day.
You may need to feed it 2 or 3 times to get it active enough for a bread bake but it will come back to life like nothing ever happened.
Like I said–they’re so resilient!
Can I use different flour in my sourdough starter?
Yes! If your starter is made with wheat flour I recommend keeping the flour for feeding your starter in the wheat family.
If you have a starter made from rye then keep it in the rye family.
Know that I am talking about a wheat sourdough starter because that is what I am most experienced with.
You can feed your starter the following flours:
- Whole Grain
- Whole Wheat
- Unbleached All Purpose
- Einkorn, Kamut
- As long as it’s in the wheat family it’s fair game for your starter.
This is not a gluten-free sourdough stater! I do not recommend feeding your wheat starter with gluten- free flour either. They are not equivalent.
How long should I wait after a feeding before using it?
I wait about 4-12 hours after a feeding before using my sourdough starter.
You will know when your starter has peaked if it has a slight domed peak at the top.
At this point it has eaten through all its flour and will begin to fall after this.
The fall and almost deflated look is the surest sign that your starter has peaked.
Be sure to bake with your starter after it has peaked.
Then you know it is active enough because it has eaten through all the flour in its feeding and it is ready to feast off more flour in a bread recipe.
When removing starter for a recipe, how much starter should I leave behind in my jar so it can grow back?
This answer is surprising.
As little as 1/2-1 teaspoon of starter can be left in the jar, which is only about 4-5 grams of sourdough starter! And I actually recommend this amount left behind after each feeding.
Sourdough Starter is so resilient and those little yeasty microbes are so powerful that they can multiply and grow back with a very small amount of starter left behind.
Some people keep a large amount (1 cup or more) of starter left behind in the jar.
This is “okay” to do. But this can make your starter more acidic and create sour recipes.
It can also weigh down your starter and cause it to lose its activeness resulting in a poor rise.
So In my opinion leaving a lot of starter behind isn’t necessary and can actually hurt your starter down the road.
Sourdough prefers a fresh start each time. It thrives off a new colony of flour so it can do it’s thing and feed off fresh food, I mean flour often 😉
My average Maintenance Feeding to grow it back: When my starter gets down to about 5 grams, or 1 teaspoon left in the jar I will give it a maintenance feeding.
For me this looks like 50 grams flour and 45 grams water.
It’s a smaller amount of flour to help grow it back in a quick manor.
However if you want to bake with it after your maintenance feeding, be sure to check the recipe you would like to make next.
Then make sure your flour and water feeding amount in grams adds up to the sourdough starter amount listed in the recipe.
This will ensure that you have enough starter to use for your next recipe, as well as leaving a small amount left behind to grow back.
**Reminder: If you read through my question above on sourdough discard, I do not find discarding my active sourdough starter necessary. The purpose of discarding is to give your starter a fresh feed each time to keep it active. But because I already give my starter a fresh feed after using most of my starter up for a recipe and leaving a small amount left behind to grow back, the act of discarding is not necessary. I do the same act, without the waste 🙂
When to put my sourdough starter in the fridge?
When you are not planning to bake with your sourdough starter, put it in the fridge covered tightly.
This is a way to “pause” your sourdough starter until you’re ready to bake with it again.
I place mine into the fridge when I don’t need to bake anything for a few days. Because if it sits on the counter I have to feed it to maintain.
But if you place it in the fridge you do not have to feed it.
So this “pause” makes sense so you don’t build up excess sourdough starter.
I do not recommend placing your starter into the fridge right after a feeding.
Give it time to ferment on the counter and feast through all its flour before covering and placing into the fridge.
Once you remove your sourdough starter from the fridge you can give it a normal feeding immediately and let it ferment on your counter.
It will come right back to life after several hours.
This is a great option for people who choose to bake on the weekends.
They can leave their starters in the fridge all week and by Friday give it a feeding in the morning and in the evening and by Saturday morning it will be ready to bake with.
How long can I leave my sourdough starter in the fridge for?
A long time! And by that I mean several months! I go by the sniff test. If it smells good and there is no visible mold, it’s still good!
There are also visible signs to look out for when keeping it in the fridge for a long period of time.
Separation occurs and is normal! The water starts to separate and leaves a grayish black, watery layer resting on the top of the starter.
The technical name for this layer is called “hooch” and this separation is nothing to fear.
It is normal and is your starters way of telling you it’s hungry–FEED ME!
Simply discard this hooch layer and a portion of the starter underneath and completely throw it away.
Then feed your starter as you normally would.
It may take a few feedings to bring it back but give it time and it will come alive again.
If you leave your starter in the fridge, some people recommend removing it and giving it a feeding once a week, or once every few weeks to keep it going.
Honestly, in my experience I do not find this necessary. If it’s covered and placed in the back of the fridge it will be just fine for 6 months or longer!
Quick story: I brought some sourdough starter to my mother in laws house to use while we were visiting them.
She tucked it away and left it in the back of her fridge for 9 months.
My sister in law found it 9 months later, discarded the top portion, fed it, and after a few feedings the starter came back like it was never dormant for all that time.
Isn’t that fascinating?
I’m like a broken record over here but sourdough starters are hard to kill!
What is Hooch?
Hooch is the natural separation that occurs in a sourdough starter when it’s left in the fridge.
It is the grayish black, watery layer that rests on top of the sourdough starter.
This is normal and nothing to fear. Your starter is basically screaming at you – FEED ME!
Some people will mix this back into their starter along with the next feeding.
Personally I will remove that hooch layer, along with a good portion of the starter below.
I will then feed my starter a large feeding to bring it back to life.
If your starter was in the fridge for an extended period of time it may take several feedings to bring it back to an active starter.
Sourdough Recipe Terminology Explained:
Levain or leaven: This is a small portion of your sourdough starter removed and added to another jar.
It’s then given a high portion feeding of flour and water.
This levain grows and becomes very active creating a stronger starter to use in your breads. You can just use your sourdough starter in place of a levain.
In my sourdough bread recipe I have an option for creating a levain. It was something I used to do.
However, now that I maintain a smaller sourdough starter, I already have an active enough starter to rise my breads.
I found there to be no difference in using straight sourdough starter or making a levain first.
So personally I just skip the levain part and just use straight sourdough starter.
Sourdough Sponge: This is another word for a ferment. Essentially you mix together several ingredients along with a sourdough starter for a recipe.
This mixture rests and ferments on your counter for several hours.
In the end it’s considered a “sponge”.
Which makes sense because the mixture is usually a thick spongelike, airy and hole filled consistency.
Earlier in this post I explained active sourdough starter as well as sourdough discard.
These are the few baking terms that I personally use in my recipes.
However, there are dozens more and I don’t want to lead you astray.
Here is a full glossary of sourdough baking terms that you may find as you brows other recipes.
This is very helpful and I highly recommend giving this a read if you’re a beginner.
Or at least reference this list if you have any questions in the future:
A Complete Glossary of Sourdough Terminology Here
Nervous to start?
The best way to learn is to do! Tell yourself it will be a learning curve but you can do it! You’ll only regret not starting sooner 😉
I hope you find this post helpful.
And if you find you have a question that I haven’t answered for you, please comment your question below so I can assist you and maybe even add your question to this post too.
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Thank you for sharing:) This has been very helpful and I’m excited to begin my sourdough journey!
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear this was helpful to you!
As the old saying goes, thank the Lord I found your site! Okay,here we go. I’ve got two starters, a wet one & a stiff one. The reason is because one I’m brand new to the world of sourdough starter & two at 71 yrs young probably INSANE, the stuff starter is strictly for making panettone! I love panettone & that’s my true passion but started the wet one for bread. All I know is to feed & maintain but no one told me what to do once it was ready to use here is where you come in!! WOW, you were so clear & made me feel completely at ease & after reading every single word I thought to myself “oh my goodness, I can actually do this”. I’m thrilled, now the only question is, do I use my stiff starter the exact same? I believe the answer is yes but I want to know for sure..The detail & precise info you gave was phenomenal & I cannot express that enough. No one else & I read A LOT, they just said your starter is ready to use. I didn’t know if it had to be fed first or used as is or what do when I googled it gavee YOU FINALLY & I’m no longer scared to death or ready to throw it away. That’s almost what I did until I read your post. Thank you so very much.. I will come back & give you the results of my first panettone!
Wow Bea! This is so wonderful to hear! Thank you kindly for sharing your excitement with me! It’s exactly why I wrote this post, and I’m so thankful you found it to be so helpful 🙂 Yes, you would use your stiff starter the same as any starer in your recipe but feeding will look differently to keep it “stiff”. You will give it more of a 1:2 (water to flour) ratio. For example, if you feed your starter 50 grams flour, then you would only use 25 grams water. Just be sure to thoroughly mix the flour until there is no dry spots. This will be difficult, but you can always add a dash more water if necessary. This will yield you that stiff starter for your delicious panettone (something I would love to try myself 🙂 Your other starter can be fed as described in this post. Hope this response is helpful for you! Happy Baking!
So I have about a teaspoon of starter left to put in the refrig for next time—do I give the maintenance feed before storing in the refrig or after I take it back out to use? Do I just put the teaspoon of remaing starter without adding anything to it into the refrig?
Great question! I would recommend feeding it a maintenance feeding, allowing it to ferment and eat through the flour first, before adding to the fridge. That way if you don’t take it out to use right away, you won’t risk that small amount drying out in the fridge. I like to keep around 50 grams of starter in my jar when I add it to the fridge.
Hi, Great Info. Thank you! So I was given a sourdough start. But nothing else. I do not kbow what kind of flour it is. Nothing. I received it, it had been in fridge. By time i got home it had been in nice warm car so it had risen but zi stuck back in fridge. This was 3 days ago. I don’t know if I really messed up or what. I don’t know what to do. I have organic white flour, reg whiye flour, coconut flour, almond flour . Please help me I’m very very nervous and do not know what to do.
Thanks
This is so incredibly helpful. My very first try came out great! Thanks so much for spelling everything out in simple terms.
I’m SO glad to hear this! Thank you for taking time to share! Happy Baking 🙂
How much starter should be in the jar when I feed it? I’ve been reading a lot about making sour dough bread, but no one has said how much to discard, and how much to leave in the jar to feed. Could you help me to get the answer? Thank you.
Great question. You can leave as little as 5 grams of starter left behind in your jar which is only about 1 teaspoon of starter. So a very small amount, pretty amazing. This little bit is plenty to regrow your starter back. Hope this answers your question.
Great question. I actually just added this as a new question to my post and answered it above for you and others. Hope you find it helpful.
If you save 1 teaspoon how much do you feed that starter?
If you’re unclear on it, my guess is that it is a wheat sourdough starter because that is most common. Sound like you have done nothing wrong, and it’s active and ready to use once you pull it out of the fridge for the first time. I would use your organic white flour to feed it. To the starter you have been given, feed it with 50 grams flour and 40 grams filtered water. Mix into a jar and let it rise over 12 hours. You can start baking with it or feed it again and then bake. Remember you can keep it stored in the fridge for many months and it will still be good. But the best way to learn is to do, so have fun. And happy baking 🙂
You probably should have fed it when you got home but don’t worry. Take it out now and give it a feed. Then leave it out till it rises to almost double.
That your for this amazing primer on sourdough!
My pleasure. So glad you found it helpful!
When you say in your maintenance feeding put 50 grams flour and 40 grams water, how much starter is in there?
Sometimes as little as a teaspoon (about 5 grams of starter) and as much as 100 grams of starter is what I would feed a maintenance feeding. I maintenance feed for any amount left in my starter jar.
Thank you! This answered so many of my questions! One more, though…how tight to fit your lid on your jar when your sourdough is on the counter?
A loose fit is good. Just enough to keep any bugs out 🙂
When feeding, do you mix the flour and water together and then dump in the jar, add one at a time and leave that way, mix and pour in and then stir together?
How big of a jar does the sourdough want? If I’m keeping a small amount because I don’t bake often, what’s a good sized jar to allow for me to feed it enough to use in recipes?
I’m curious about this too. Or do you mind explaining the “feeding” steps. How to do that and how big of jar and things like that.
Thank you for everything you already have on there, I’m just starting too and this is really helpful. Thanks!
When feeding my starter I add the flour and water on top of my existing starter in the jar and mix everything all together. Scrape off my spatula, cover with a lid and leave it on the counter to ferment.
You can use a pint size mason jar for your starter. That would be the perfect size to maintain a small starter amount and you won’t need more than that unless your making several batches at once.
After my sour dough starter has peaked and I’m going to bake something – am I supposed to stir it up in the jar and then pour out the amount I need…. Or just pour it out as it is ….the bubbly part?
I haven’t been able to find the answer anywhere
Hi Teresa. You will just pour it out of the jar, no need to stir it first. You want to keep those bubbles active!
In the maintenance stage when you are adding 50 grams of flour and 40 grams of water, how much starter is in your jar?
Thank you.
DITTO, NICOLE!! I GOT MY FIRST STARTER FROM A FRIEND JUST RECENTLY, BEEN FEEDING IT AND PLAN TO DO MY FIRST BREAD BAKE TOMORROW
This article by Simple is Gourmet has given me great confidence as it’s very informative and written in beginner terms. Wish me luck ☺️
I love to hear this Faith! I’m so glad you have the confidence needed as you begin your journey! Take a look around because I also have lots of simple and easy recipes that even a beginner can master! Happy Baking!
Hello,
Im so happy to have found your site! Such great info for this sourdough newbie. Question, please. I’ve heard horror stories about moldy starters and jars. How to prevent this? Should I change our my starter jars and if so, how often? Thank you
Great question! I switch out my jar as soon as it begins to get gummy around the top and edges. Sometimes that weekly, and sometimes that’s every few weeks. So it’s just preference. But once a week for safe measure is always a good rule of thumb 🙂
Byis there a recipe here somewhere??
Thank you for breaking down the sourdough process..After taking almost 3 weeks to get my starter going from scratch and baking my first loaf, I was like “now what?” Most recipes only have the recipe and there is still terminology I don’t now. This is the only information that breaks down what to do after the starter is made & what to do to prepare for future use with the starter. Thank You!!
I am curious about how to maintain discard for cooking purposes. I am BRAND new at this and am seeing tons of yummy recipes requiring discard. Do I literally take some of my active starter, place it in a separate jar and NEVER do anything to it? Doesn’t it need feeding too?!? Help!!
I am curious about how to maintain discard for cooking purposes. I am BRAND new at this and am seeing tons of yummy recipes requiring discard. Do I literally take some of my active starter, place it in a separate jar and NEVER do anything to it? Doesn’t it need feeding too?!? Help!! Will you please email me any help you may provide! Thx!
I just received my first starter from a friend.. How muck starter do I use per loaf?
Each recipe on the website will let you know how much starter is needed in each recipe 🙂
So helpful!!! Thank you for this wonderful information.
Oh I’m so glad to hear this, my pleasure 🙂
My daughter wanted to get started so I shared all this info with her.i think I will start one too
Wonderful, glad you found this helpful and inspiring!
All of this information you shared is so helpful! Thank you!
I have a question, have you ever frozen a loaf of bread before? If so, how and how long will it be good for in a deep freezer?
Thank you!!!!
Yay, so glad it was helpful! I have and do, all the time! I keep a spare loaf in the freezer always. In the deep freezer it’s good for several months. Just be sure to wrap it tightly. I usually use plastic wrap, tin foil and a ziplock bag to keep it from getting freezer burnt.
Sounds good, thank you!!!
I just received 100g starter, she said to leave it on the counter or place in the fridge, but she said to feed it next Thursday (7 days from now)?? Why would I wait a whole week to feed it again?
Can you share a good sourdough whole wheat recipe that you’ve tried and like? Thank you.
If you don’t know what to do with it, place it in the fridge and read this post before beginning anything. Do not leave it on the counter for 7 days without feeding it or it will die. However, it will survive covered in the fridge until you are ready to feed it for the first time.
Can you share a good sourdough whole wheat recipe that you’ve tried and like? Thank you.
You can use whole wheat in any bread recipe even If the recipe doesn’t call for whole wheat. You will just add a few more tablespoons of water to adjust the hydration because whole wheat will absorb the liquid more than other flours.
do you have to measure the starter befor feeding it the 50g of flour and 40g of water
No, I do not. I just feed it straight to my existing starter, regardless of the amount.
I’m starting this sourdough adventure this Sunday! I am excited and nervous and appreciate your detailed information. After your starter is active (day 7) and ready to bake with, I take out so much for what the recipe calls for. When I take out what is needed, then do I feed? Do you need to discard your active starter every time you feed it? I am going to start out small in this adventure, just want to make sure I don’t ruin my starter. Thanks ☺️
That is my exact question as well! Once your starter s ready do you have to discard 1/2 prior to every future feeding?
After you remove starter for a recipe, then yes you will feed it again immediately. And No I do not discard my active starter! You can, but I do not and find it to be wasteful.
Thank you so much for
This detailed information! A friend of mine sent me a dehydrated sourdough starter with instructions to deactivate it. Once I got it activated she told me to go to YouTube or Facebook for what to do next. That was so overwhelming! The opinions were so diverse. I felt like giving up. But this article is straight forward and clear and I feel much more confident that I can do this! Thank you!
I meant reactivate
Wow Camille, I really appreciate this review. Thank you for taking time to write this! So encouraging to me and hopefully others. Welcome to the wonderful world of sourdough. I have a lot of straight forward and easy recipes you can try as well. Happy Baking.
I’m still confused…when you say you keep it in a glass jar is that covered? If so is it tightly covered with a secured lid? I’ve seen some post say don’t use a lid, use a cloth & rubber band it to the bowl/container.
Also, what do I do after I feed it?! Do I just mix it with a spatula or do I need to kneed it for a certain amount of time? Thanks for you advice!
Hi Karri. Cover your jar with a lid. My lid is a loose fit. It could be tight too. Doesn’t matter. This is to prevent the starter from drying out on the top, that’s why I use a lid verses a towel. After you feed it, mix until everything is well combined and there is no more dry flour. You can’t knead a starter by hand, it remains in the jar. It will be a very thick consistency. So just mix and leave it on the counter to ferment. 🙂 Hope this is helpful for you
Hello, again!
What is the max amount of time to let your dough ferment in the fridge?
Good question, one week. But know that you’ll find the rise of your bread to be way less as the days go on. But I’ve left pizza dough for a week in the fridge, and thats totally fine. For a max rise when making bread I would only do 2 or 3 days max in the fridge. But the dough wont go bad, it just wont perform to its best potential.
Sounds good, thank you. I have definitely noticed already that the longer I left the dough in the fridge, that it did not rise like previous loaves have. Now I know why, thank you so much!
I know this sounds silly to ask, but when feeding your starter, do you just whisk in water and flour in those portions into what starter you already have? I don’t know what to do. You say 50 grams flour, 40 g water…. But what do you do with it? Mix it in the old starter? Whisk it? Stir it? Dump it on top?
The jar will already have sourdough starter in it, so you will add the flour and water right on top of the starter. Then mix everything all together. I like to mix with a silicone spatula because the jar gets messy and then I can scrape down the sides of my jar.
Lots of good info for this newbie. I just took my starter out of the fridge ( I purchased in 3 weeks ago and no idea how long ago it was started, bought from Azure Standard, so in truck for a week or so, they are west coast and I am east coast) and also just put it back in! Lol. I am on information overload. I think this is a project for another day.
It has separated like you said so I will do like you said, empty and toss most of starter and then feed it. I guess my biggest question is when I have a whole day to do this, I will take it our of the fridge early am, feed it and then bake later on in the day….if it takes, yes??? and if it does not float by days end I can put it back in fridge until I have time and start the feeding process all over again? What size jar should I put it in? Sounds like I would need a big one just in case it doesnt not come out right the 1st time after feeding
A quart size jar is sufficient. After you remove your starter from the fridge I would give your starter 2-3 feedings and make sure it’s grown before using in a recipe. It sounds like your starter is young, so it may benefit from several feedings for it to become active enough for it to be used. These feedings may take 2-3 days, so I would plan ahead a few days before you want to bake. Give your starter a feeding every 12 hours and when it’s doubling in size, bubbly and active go ahead and use it to bake!
Thank You! I will do just what you said.
Another question please. i was going to try a beginners recipe, but reading thru it, its a 3 day process, is this typical? I only have Saturday & Sunday to do this as I work weekdays. Are there recipes that are shorter than others, of is this typical? Thank you.
Once you have a mature starter you’re able to bake fresh bread within a days time. If you feed your starter before you go to bed, you can use it when you wake up. Follow proofing directions and bake by mid afternoon.
Thank you so much for all this info. My new (to me) starter is coming home from church with my husband tonight. It’s from a friend who has had it in her fridge for a few weeks but she says it’ll be fine. I’m going to follow your instructions and use one of your recipes when it’s ready to use in a few days. You’ve made sourdough seem a not quite so frightening possibility for this Northern Irish girl in New Zealand! If I can make it work I’ll be saving us so much money every week as we currently only eat sourdough and buy a fresh loaf every day and a half at NZD$9 a pop!
This is so exciting! I’m so glad you found this to be so helpful, and not so intimidating for you! Welcome to the wonderful world of sourdough–I think you’re going to love it! Also, I love to hear where your from!! Hi from USA!
Your video has been the most helpful one I’ve seen on making sour bread starter. I’m just starting it today. I’m just wondering why you use a scale? Is it necessary? I can’t wait to try your recipes once I grow my starter!! Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that! Sourdough thrives with precision as you near the mature status after several days. I would recommend getting one now as you will need it soon. If you are new to sourdough, you won’t have much understanding for the consistency in which to keep your starter just yet. That’s where a scale comes in and helps. If you feed it with accuracy each time, it will thrive and grow off the proper ratios. And then as you get into making recipes, the scale will again be necessary because most sourdough recipes are written in grams. Hope this is helpful. Blessings on your sourdough journey!
I just began my starter this morning from a page i follow on another platform but tit was not nearly this helpful and detailed and I am so stoked to start my journey. Thank you very much for your thorough run through on starters. It was extremely helpful and will be referring to your notes every step of the way! Thank you thank you thank you! ♥️
Oh I’m SO glad to hear this this has been so helpful for you! Thank you Jacqueline for sharing! Happy Baking!!
I have received some of my friends starter. Been feeding a 1:2:2 ratio every 12 hours for 3-4 days discarding each time. It never rises or get bubbly or “happy”. What I am doing wrong? Any tips it’s left on the counter with Saran Wrap with a little bit open for airflow. I have even tried to put in the oven with light on for warm environment.
If it hasn’t show any activity since you got it, I recommend getting more starter and just trying again. When you try again, be sure you’re using filtered or purified water, NOT tap water. Also bread or all purpose flour without any additives. And keep your starter in a warm environment.
If I only have filtered water from my fridge and it’s cold, do I need to let it sit and come to room temp first or can I use the cold filtered fridge water to feed my starter?
Good question. yes, You can use the cold water. It will slightly delay the starter activity since it will eventually come to room temperature. But the timing is so minor you won’t even notice.
When you’re ready to bake bread and mixed all ingredients into the starter and finished all the steps do you always put it into the fridge overnight before baking ? Not sure if this is necessary or can you just bake it ?
If you’re talking about baking bread, then you can absolutely just bake it right away! Cold ferment is just an option if you don’t have time to bake day of or want the benefits of a longer fermentation
Sandy, Thank you! Your information is greatly appreciated. Do you cover your jar of sourdough starter that is left on your counter? Maybe I missed that in your article.
Thank you so much!
Tammy
My sister gave me a sourdough starter and I’ve been so overwhelmed. Your explanation makes me feel so much better. I’m going to try baking this weekend and see what happens. Thanks for all the tips!
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear this helped you! Happy Baking!
Hi! I am SO thankful I found your pinterest post about getting started with Sourdough. I had never done this before, and you made it so easy and manageable! What is the smallest maintenance feeding that you would suggest? I want to keep mine on the counter, but I cannot cook with it every week. But I want to avoid it growing like crazy and then having to waste a bunch…would you still suggest the 50/40 ratio, or what would you say is the most minimal I could do?
If you plan to leave it on the counter, but don’t plan to bake with it you may need to discard and throw away some starter a few times throughout the week. Otherwise it will just keep building and building. You can try and lessen the feedings to around 30g flour and 25g water and see how it goes. But after a while you may result in not a very strong starter. Keeping an abundance of starter with small portion feedings will decrease your starters activity resulting in a weaker starter. It may work for a while, but overtime the starter may not give you the best results when baking with it.
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to write this step by step and explain everything so clearly. I was so intimidated and scared to start. Now I feel like I can do this. Thank you again!!!!
Wow, thank you Kim! I’m so glad you feed prepared, less intimidated and inspired. You got this! Happy Baking 🙂
My starter wont rise!!!!!! What can i do?
Give this a try and see if it helps. If there are still bubbles you can bring it back. Make sure you’re using filtered water, and unbleached, preferably organic flour (not enriched!). If you see bubbles in your starter continue this method: discard and throw away 80% of your starter. Leaving only about a tablespoon left behind. Then feed it 50 grams flour and 45 grams water. Continue this process of discarding and feeding every 12 hours for 3-5 times. It should come back for you if there was any activity prior. Hope this is helpful
I have been using unbleached wheat flour and spring water. Should i switch to filtered? there have been no bubbles and this is the 3rd time i have completely started over.
Hmm, you’ve had no bubbles ever in all the times you have tried? Is your jar sterile? Is your environment warm enough? Is the flour you’re using whole wheat? Try using an organic unbleached all purpose flour or organic bread flour, something with high protein and be sure the flour is NOT enriched. Spring water is great! If the environment your trying to start your starter in isn’t warm (around 70 degrees or higher) it will be hard for the starter to activate so find a warm place. Those are my suggestions, hope they’re helpful.
3rd times the charm! i think i was just being impatient. Today is day 5 and finally i have a ton of bubbles and little growth! (whole wheat flour and spring water) I was using 60g flour and 60 water but i switched to 50g flour 45g water and that seemed to give it the boost i needed.
This is wonderful! I’m so glad, Thanks for sharing!
If I remove mature starter to bake bread, say 3/4 cup, how much flour and water would I feed the remaining starter?
If you’re just feeding a maintenance feed, then 50 grams flour and 45 grams water. But if you’re looking to make another recipe, then look ahead to the recipe starter amount you need and feed your starter enough flour and water in grams to equal the starter amount needed for your recipe.
At age of 50, and only learning and starting now with more confidence and patients ! Let go my new kitchen friend sourdough starter (#1)
Well I followed your directions and learned so very much. and I am so pleased how it’s turning out. My friend gave me a starter, something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. She gave me A card with your website on it. Said it was very informative and I love it. I have been having a lot of fun. Baked cinnamon rolls bread and pancakes. Phenomenally good! I thank her and I most definitely thank you so very much. You’ve covered just about every question I would’ve asked. You’ve inspired another happy baker.
Thank you so much for this Dolly! I am overjoyed to hear this has been helpful for you and that you’re thriving with your sourdough starter! Welcome to the wonderful world of sourdough! And thanks for being here 🙂
Do you use 50 gms of flouraand45 gms ofwater. no matter how much starter is in the jar? I was gifted a starter. I measured out 60 gms of starter and then did 60 gms of flour and 60 gms of water. Was this the right thing to do? I followed a 1;1;1 ratio as some sites had suggested. Help!
Hi Kathleen. You can certainly feed your starter a 1:1:1 ratio. I never measure out the starter left behind in my jar because it’s just an unnecessary step. But I always keep a small amount of starter in my jar so whether it’s a teaspoon of starter left or 1 cup of starter left, I will feed it either the amount I need for the recipe I’m making. Or I will feed it a maintenance feed to keep it going which is 50 grams flour and 45 grams water. The water ferments the starter more quickly and keeps the starter very runny. So I like to feed less water for those reasons. But what you did is just fine if that works for you to keep things easy 🙂 Going forward you do not need to measure out the starter amount in the jar, just give it a feeding with whatever amount you have left in the jar. Hope this is helpful for you! Happy Baking 🙂
I have been reading all of this and it does make sense, but no idea why I’m still confused. So I have a starter. Putting it in the fridge until Thursday. So I’ll take it out, feed it …so then what about starter in my original jar? And then I’m suppose to feed it again…which one? The original jar or the one I just fed Thursday? I know I’m making more out of it, but I’m such a visual learner and I can not find out this answer.
And then after I add the 50g of ingredients to which starter I’m supposed to add 100g starter again which one and the water, flours, and salt…recipe for sourdough bread.
Please help. TIA!!
Hi Lorrie. I just have ONE jar of sourdough starter. I do not have multiple jars. If I were you, I would take out your starter from the fridge and give that jar 50 grams flour and 45 grams water. Mix it all together. Within 6-12 hours you will see the starter has grown. You will remove some of that starter (not all of it) and use it to make bread with. With the remaining starter left behind in your jar you will Then feed that same jar again and keep your starter going and going. No need for the confusion of multiple jars. Just keep one jar with your starter in it, and keep feeding and removing as you use it. No need to over complicate it, and the best way to learn is to just do. You got this! Hope this is helpful.
is there such thing as feeding too much? like to make a bigger batch??
Nope. I have left behind as little as one teaspoon (5 grams) left in my jar and fed it a large portion feeding and it springs right back. It will take longer to ferment with a bigger feeding, so just be conscious of that.
I’ve been wanting to try this but haven’t worked up the courage – it feels intimidating! – but your step by step process and advice makes me feel like I should get going on this asap! What I don’t know is…are there recipes specifically for sourdough starters only??
Yay! I’m so glad you found this helpful and motivating! You got this! You can start with a simple recipe like my artisan bread loaf, or even easier my sourdough pancakes. These are simple and easy recipes as you’re beginning your sourdough journey.
Thank you so much for this, it answered a lot of questions I had! I have just one more – and you touched on it with someone else above, but I’m not fully clear on it. I fed it, let it double and then took some out to bake with, and I now have a small amount in the jar. I will not be using it again during the week, but maybe on the weekend. If I understand right, I should go ahead and feed the starter a maintenance feed right away (even tho I fed today to bake with before it doubled), correct? I know that I will keep in the fridge until maybe Thursday or Friday to use for the weekend, but when do I put it in the fridge – as soon as I feed it after removing some to bake with? Or do I feed it and let it double again and then put it in the fridge? Hope this was understandable!
Thanks so much!
Hi, good question. You can do this two ways. First, feed it that maintenance feeding and then allow it to ferment and double again. THEN add to the fridge. Or you could add that small amount of starter that’s left in the jar to the fridge without a maintenance feeding. Then you can remove the starter from the fridge when you need and give it that maintenance feeding, let it double and then use it for a recipe. The second way prevents unnecessary excess starter. Hope this is helpful
Do I stir my starter when feeding?
Yes, mixing and fully incorporating everything together.
Hi, thank you for the detailed information, this may have already been addressed, but I just bought a sourdough starter from Bread Lodge and on the label, it says feed me every day. I called the company and was given two separate answers one staff member said, keep it in the fridge and only feed it when you want to use it, another said you must feed it for the next seven days which in all fairness defeats the purpose of purchasing the starter. I put the starter in a glass jar in my fridge as I will not be baking bread for another week. Do I need to feed it now even though I don’t intend to bake or feed it 4-12 hours before baking? Also, if I do feed it can I put it back in the fridge and not use it for a few weeks? Thank you!
No need to feed it if it’s in the fridge. It can be left in the fridge until you’re ready to use it again. You only need to feed it 12 hours before you want to bake with it.
And After feeding your starter, always be sure to let it eat through all its flour for at least 12 hours before adding back to the fridge. But then yes, you can keep it in your fridge for several weeks untouched. Then remove, and give it a fresh feeding or two and then it should be good to bake with 🙂
Hello. If you’ve already answered this question, I apologize but once you’ve used the starter for the first time, do you feed it again, let it sit it out on the counter overnight and then refrigerate?
Yes, after using it, you can give it another feeding, and let it ferment, then add to the fridge if you don’t plan on using it.
Wow! I have made my starter and then I googled “now what?” Your article was so helpful! I just have one question. I have a relatively small starter and it sounds like I should keep it that way. To make my starter from scratch, each day I have kept 25g of starter, added 50g of flour and 50g of water. You see people online with these huge jars of starters. So say I want to make multiple loaves of bread, I just need to feed it a larger feed 4-12 hours before baking? For example, I can put in up to 100g of flour and 80g of water? Is that the most you should feed it at one time?
Oh I’m so glad you found this helpful post through a google search! Thanks for sharing!
Yes Erika! You have understood everything well 🙂 That is exactly what you will do. There really is no max to how much you feed it. You could feed it 300 grams flour and 280g water to make several loaves of bread and your starter will thrive. Just be mindful that the more flour added, the longer it will take to ferment. It will likely take the full 12 hours to ferment a higher volume feeding. Happy Baking to you 🙂
How quickly after you use a portion of your starter, then feed your remaining starter can you use the remaining starter to bake with?
It depends how quickly it ferments after the feeding. If you fed it a lot (lets say 100 grams flour + 90g water), it may take 6-8 hours to ferment. If you feed it a little (50g flour and 45g water), it could be as few as 4 hours. As you get to know your starter, with each feeding you will best judge when your starter is ready to bake.
I have my starter at 7 days today. 2 different starters. One is at 1/1/1 ratio and it did NOT pass the float test. The other is a 1/2/2. Passed the float test. What would be my next step? I gwt so many conflicting answers from the internet,
Thank you
Is the starter still rising with each feeding? If it’s still just as active as your other starter, but doesn’t pass the float test, it can still be baked with. I use my starter at varying times, mostly when it wouldn’t pass the float test and it performs just fine. As long as it’s a mature starter, it should perform in your recipes just fine still.
Newbie here. I will get a gluten free sourdough starter. My fiend is using 100% Bob’s red mill organic brown rice flour. Is there a different process for GF? I will appreciate any info and help, as I mentioned I am new at this but most my family is in Gluten Free diet because of health reasons. Thank you in advance!
Yes, they are different. So sorry. A gluten free sourdough starter is very different from a wheat sourdough starter.
This has been so helpful! I do have a question. I see a lot about ratios including the starter (like 1:1:1); I have mostly been sticking to your method of nearly equal parts flour and water and my starter seems to be great and the smell is fantastic. What is the purpose of the different ratios I see? Is there a time when the ratios might make more sense than just replenishing what was used for baking? Thanks!
Ratio feedings are used to gain an active starter. It will offer your starter a lot of activity making it very active for recipes. Some people weigh it out perfectly which requires weighing the starter and moving it to another jar and then feeding it the same amount with flour and water. This, IMO, is an unnecessary step. Which is why I just recommend maintaining a small starter always and only feeding your starter what you will use for a recipe. I have never worried about ratio portions and never will, I like to keep it as simple as possible. It sounds like your starter is thriving the way it is too–so always do what works best for you, especially if you’re seeing great results 🙂
Hi, what a great “blog”.
I was just gifted a starter from a 150 year old start.
I transferred it to a new larger jar and then fed it equal parts flour and room temp water. It rose like crazy for a few hours then went back to it’s almost original amount. I fed it 24 hours later again and it only rose a slight bit, no big rise and then fall. Smells fine and looks fine, like a thick pudding consistency. Am I on the right track? It is on the counter still, not in the fridge. Do I still feed it every 24 hours, until I put it in the fridge?
Hi Mia. So fun you have such an ancient starter! In my opinion it sounds like your starter needs to be fed more often, like every 12 hours to keep its activity strong. It can become deflated and watery if fed only every 24 hours. And I would recommend feeding it about 10 grams less water per feeding to keep it from being that thick pudding like consistency. You want it to be more airy and light with lots of active bubbles throughout. Here is a link to my next post on How to Feed your Sourdough Starter. You may find this to be helpful as you move forward.
Thank you so much for this very helpful post and comments section (where I’ve learned a lot from others’ questions!). I cook a lot but am no baker; have always been scared away by the chemistry of it all. I was recently given a starter from CA by way of NV, at least 50 years old from the history she gave me. It had been refrigerated until it was put on a plane in a carry on bag. Then into a fridge and then into my fridge for a week. I finally got up the nerve to take a look and do some research. It was kind of flat-looking (and on the brown side, but she uses whole wheat flour in her mix (50/50 wheat and AP flour) so I figured that was OK. no liquid on top or funky mold stripes, but it smells on the sour side, not the yeasty smell I anticipated. More of a vinegary smell? So I fed it yesterday afternoon and left it out, and by this morning it had finally grown to just less than double (I marked the jar with a rubber band). Still has a sour smell, but less pungent, and more bubbles. So I fed it again, now it’s resting. Do I need to worry about the sour smell? Will it eventually fluff up and get that nice, yeasty smell? I fed it 50 g of the flour mix she gave me and 45 g of filtered tap water that has been sitting on the counter overnight. One more question: what is the difference between starter and levain? Seems like levain is just more starter that you make just for a recipe?
Just following up to myself–I went ahead and tried the no-knead bread recipe after 2-3 further feedings. Followed exactly with the starter I have (which still smells a bit sour/pickle-y but looks a little bit better), and I ended up with a dough ball that barely rose at all, stuck like glue and had a hard crust on top after my fermenting time. I followed through with the 2-hour (no further rise) and it’s now in the oven, just to see what I end up with. I’m not sure where things went wrong, but I’m happy I’m testing it out all the way through. Will feed the starter a few more times and try again. So curious!
I’m having trouble timing my ferments. For example I had a recipe that used a levain and she said to let it ferment for 8-12 hours. I made the levain at night to use in the morning, but by that time it had peaked and fallen. Does the starter have to be used right when it peaks or not?
No it does not. Some would argue that you should use it at its peak, but I believe if it’s a happy, mature and bubbly starter, you do not need to use it at its peak for recipes 🙂
After reading your information above, every comment and all of your answers I finally feel like I have a better understanding of this process. First, thank you for patiently explaining everything so thoroughly, and in such simple terms. Never once did I feel like you lost me. I
was given a strong, active starter. I read so much that my brain became scrambled and I ended up doing everything “wrong” on my first and second attempt. After reading your info, I am ready to start again. I fed my starter yesterday evening with the ratio her previous bread momma used: 50 grams of flour and 1/4 cup filtered water. I sat it out overnight and although it is still nice and bubbly, there was only a minimal rise. I imagine this is the time to start a discard jar,feed the original starter again, and wait for it to rise. Does that sound accurate? Again, thank you for wonderfully explaining everything. I am bookmarking you and “discarding” everyone else. 🙂
I’m so glad you found this information to be so helpful for you! It sounds like your previous bread mamma discarded starter at each feeding, which is something I do not do with my sourdough starter for various reasons. If you’d like to further your knowledge and learn how to feed your starter without discarding try reading my next helpful post, which will enlighten you even more on the difference between discarding starter and not.
Scrolled through the entire page trying to see how to actually bake bread now I have a starter… Aaaand nothing
I am brand new to this and just received a jar of starter from a friend. Your website has been soooo helpful, thank you!
Now, her jar is labelled with a note to feed: add 1 c flour, 1 c milk, and 1/3c sugar. Is this a totally different type of sourdough starter? Or can i just ignore the sugar and replace her milk with your water suggestions? Wondering if this starter has always been “fed” like this, will it matter if I switch to the typical flour/water ratio?
Oh this is so interesting Jen! Sounds like she made a sweet sourdough starter, but I’ve not heard of adding milk to a starter before, and that is a lot of sugar for one feeding! First of all, I’m so glad this post has been helpful for you! Second, yes, you can switch the ratios moving forward and after a feeding or two you will have a starter that is just flour and water. I recommend removing and discarding most of the existing starter, bringing it down to about 30 grams. Then feed it 75 grams flour and 70 grams water. I want you to keep enough starter left behind in your jar to help grow this next feeding for you while also giving you a higher flour/water feeding than my typical maintenance feeds I shared in this post. Give the starter a nice warm place to ferment and watch it grow. If it’s a mature starter, you will be able to use it to bake once it has fully fermented. Hope you find this helpful!
This sounds like friendship bread or Amish bread.
I’ve never done this before but I was gifted a starter. What does feeding mean? Do I just put the flour and water on top of the starter or do I mix it in? Thanks!