Join me as I teach you all about maintaining and feeding a sourdough starter. Every week I receive hundreds of questions about how to care for a sourdough starter, so I decided to add all the questions and answers into this post as a reference for those who are just starting out with sourdough.
Sourdough is such an integral part of our diet, and I have been maintaining and feeding a sourdough starter for 11 years. Warm, crusty bread straight out of the oven, or decadent desserts made from fermented grains – they are comforting to the soul.
When people hear sourdough, I think their mind usually thinks about how difficult it must be to maintain something like that. It’s just another thing to care for, and something else to think about in advance.
But I’m here to tell you just the opposite. Sourdough has made life, and cooking on the go, much easier. I’m not a meal planner, and I never have been. As long as I have some sourdough starter, there are so many recipes I can just whip up.
From waffles to pancakes, pizza to cobbler, and so many more (you can find my favorite no wait sourdough recipes here), you may not realize how many options there are!
I’ve been baking and cooking with sourdough for a long time, and some sourdough connoisseurs may not exactly like how I do it, but hey, it’s worked for me all these years without issue.
So, let’s get into how easy it is to maintain and feed a sourdough starter.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How To Feed A Sourdough Starter:
While there are fussy ways of doing this, I’m going to show you how I’ve done it for years without any issues.
I like to start by eyeballing approximately how much sourdough starter I already have and feeding it at least that much in equal parts of flour and water. For example, if you have about 1 cup of sourdough starter, you will want to feed it at least 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour.
If I’m running low on starter, I will add more than the minimum requirement of flour and water.
Mix it up. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter.
Cover with either a tea towel or a glass lid. I like using a glass lid, because a towel tends to get really messy.
Allow to sit of for 4-12 hours before using in a recipe, once it has about doubled in volume. If not using for baking, feed about 12-24 hours after last feeding or place in the fridge.
Maintaining A Sourdough Starter:
Maintenance is fairly simple. Like anything living, it requires food and water. The location you keep your starter in will determine how you maintain it.
Leaving it out on the counter, it will need to be fed equal parts water and flour every 12-24 hours. Warmer homes or frequent baking will require more frequent feeding (around every 12 hours), while colder homes every 24 hours.
Storing your sourdough starter in the fridge will require feeding around once a week. It can, however, be stored up to two months in the fridge without being fed.
Reviving a sourdough starter that has been stored in the fridge for a longer period of time is a good idea. This can be done by feeding it equal parts flour and water, allowing it to sit at room temperature for 12 hours, and then feeding it again.
It may need to be fed 2-3 times for 12 hours between each feeding before it becomes active enough to make certain recipes like bread. Some no-wait recipes you may be able to use sooner.
Pour off any hooch (if there is any, see below) before feeding.
How Often Should I Feed my Sourdough Starter?
That totally depends on how often you are going to use it.
Say you are going to use your starter to make pancakes every morning, or english muffins or french toast. You can leave your starter out on your counter and just feed it every 12-24 hours.
I do not use my starter every day. I use it a few times a week, so what I do is keep it in the refrigerator in a bowl with an airtight lid or glass lid.
To illustrate, say that it is Friday, and on Saturday, I want to make pancakes. I will pull my sourdough out of the fridge on Friday and add some flour and water to the bowl, mix it up, and leave it on the counter with a tea towel covering it until Saturday morning.
Once I am done making pancakes on Saturday, and if I am not planning on using my sourdough starter until next week, I will feed it and leave it on the counter for 8 hours, then cover the bowl with an airtight lid and leave it in the refrigerator until next Friday.
However, let us say that I am planning on using my sourdough starter again on Sunday to make cinnamon rolls, then I will just feed the sourdough starter and leave it on the counter until Sunday.
When you leave sourdough on the counter at room temperature, the yeast will again be nice and active, and it will become bubbly sourdough starter.
Feeding a sourdough starter in the refrigerator
When you put your starter in the refrigerator, it puts the starter on pause, so you do not have to feed it as often because the yeast will relax and they do not need much sustenance. You can kind of think of it like a bear hibernating in the winter.
When the sourdough starter is in the fridge, it does not need to be fed as much as it does when it is on the counter. On the counter, it needs to be fed daily, but in the fridge, it only needs to be fed once a week.
You can even switch back and forth between the refrigerator and the counter if you use it sporadically.
If you use the starter every day, leave it on the counter. When not using it for two weeks, leave it in the refrigerator.
How much flour and water should I feed my sourdough starter?
Sourdough starters are really resilient. I have had mine for 11 years now and I never measure the flour and water. I just add enough to make the starter the consistency of thick pancake batter.
It’s not something I worry about, and it is a very happy, healthy sourdough starter.
Common Questions Regarding Maintaining and Feeding A Sourdough Starter
Once the initial 7 or so days is up, how often does it need to be “fed” if you’re keeping it on the counter top?
How often you should feed your starter depends on how much you use it during the week. I would keep it in the fridge if you only use a few times a week.
A good idea is to feed it every time you use it, leave it on the counter for 8 hours, and then put it back into the fridge until you are ready to use it again.
How long before I intend to use it do I need to take it out of the fridge?
Typically, the suggestion is to wait at least 4 hours. But this also depends on what you are making. If you are following a sourdough recipe, usually the author should tell you exactly when to do so.
Many times, I will just take it out of the fridge and use it right away.
Should you bake sourdough straight from the fridge?
This will depend on the type of recipe. Many no-wait recipes that call for discard will have no problem at all using a starter straight from the fridge.
But for other recipes, like bread, for best results I suggest taking it out of the fridge, feeding it, and allowing it to be nice and active before using it. This usually takes about 4-12 hours.
My sourdough is really thick and pasty – is it supposed to be like that?
No, it is not. If your sourdough starter is really thick, then just add a little more water until it is the consistency of thick pancake batter.
In the “How to Make Sourdough Starter” blog post, I give you the guideline of a 1:1 ratio of flour to water. However, that is just a guideline.
The real ratio depends on what type of flour you are using. If you are using an all-purpose flour, then you can get away with a smaller amount of water, but if you are using a whole grain wheat flour, you may need more water.
The basic principle is that some flours soak up water more than other flours, so the best way to find out how much flour to water you need is to just play around with it.
Why do I have to discard half of my sourdough starter? Instead of discarding half of my sourdough starter on Days 2-7, can I just use it to make another separate sourdough starter?
That question doesn’t actually make sense to me, because what you are creating is basically a symbiotic colony of yeast that you capture from your local environment. What you are trying to do is just make a master starter that can then inoculate anything else with the yeast colonies that are in it.
Therefore, you do not need to create more than one. It is basically just like having double the sourdough starter which, once you have an established starter, you can easily do by just adding more flour and water to the bowl of sourdough starter.
It is really hard to explain, but basically what I am saying is all that you are throwing away, when you discard half of your sourdough starter on days 2-7, is flour and water. Just think of it that way.
There is really no way else to make sourdough starter, because what you have is immature starter at that point, and there is not much that you can do with it.
This is particularly true if you are making a sourdough starter because you cannot really tolerate grains, so what you have there is not yet fully fermented.
If you are trying to avoid grains that are unfermented, you are just going to want to discard it. You can put it in your compost or feed it to your animals.
It is not like you are throwing away perfectly good sourdough starter. I hope that makes sense!
How do you store your sourdough starter?
When you are feeding you starter, you will leave it out on the counter where it can get a little bit of air, so you might cover it with a thin tea towel or something else that is not air tight. Cover for a few hours before putting it back in the fridge.
However, when it goes in the refrigerator, you are going to want to use something airtight. I personally keep my starter in a 2.5 quart glass bowl, and I cover it with a silicone lid. This is what I have always done.
On occasion, I have to take the sourdough starter out and clean the bowl really well, because things get really crusty up on the top of the bowl and I do not want that.
How much sourdough starter do you keep on hand?
I always like to keep a pretty good amount of starter in the bowl, because there are certain no-wait sourdough recipes that you can make, like my sourdough skillet and sourdough Dutch baby pancakes.
If you have enough in your bowl that you can pull from, you can always make those recipes without having to wait as long as the starter is fed and full.
Now you always want to keep enough sourdough starter in the bowl that you can use to feed again to continue on having sourdough starter.
As long as you can remove enough for your recipes while leaving about a cup of starter in your bowl, you can feed it and get it back to a full bowl of starter.
What does “fed” sourdough starter mean when your recipes call for it?
What I mean by that is your sourdough starter has had flour and water and the opportunity to sit out and feed on that.
If you are going to feed your starter, let’s say it is out of the fridge, you give it flour and water and stir it up really well. You do not want to instantly put it back in the fridge, even if you are not planning to use it.
You want to let the starter sit out for a few hours to feed and be active for a little bit, then cover it and put it back into the refrigerator.
Now, at that point, you could pull it out of the fridge the next day and use it for pancakes and sourdough skillet and it has been fed.
Is it okay to put my sourdough starter away unfed?
I do not usually like to put my sourdough starter away unfed, but I am not saying I haven’t done it and still worked out just fine.
Once, after I made pancakes on Saturday morning, I put my sourdough starter straight into the fridge without feeding it first. I didn’t feed it at all until the next Friday when I pulled it out to feed it again in preparation for Saturday morning pancakes, and it was totally fine.
However, ideally, you want to give the starter some flour and water, let it sit out on the counter for a few hours, and then put it in the fridge.
So, obviously, there are way less rules to keeping sourdough starter than you might think. As you keep your starter, you will get really familiar with it.
My starter taste really sour. How can I make it so that it does not taste as sour?
Your starter may have a little bit of a smell if it hasn’t been fed in a while, and your cooking projects will taste a little more sour to reflect that.
So if you want to avoid the super sour sourdough taste, you might just need to feed it more often and not let it sit out on the counter as long.
However, if you are sort of intolerant to grains, you are at least going to want to let it sit out for 24 hours to do all the fermenting work.
If you are just trying to get a little bit of the sourdough taste and a little bit of that fermentation, you can let it ferment for a lot less time and avoid a lot of that sourdough taste, but it will not have the full benefit of the fermented grains.
If I receive sourdough starter from a friend, how long should I wait to use it?
I would say just feed it once and let it bubble up before using it.
How do you make sourdough starter?
Funny you should ask! I actually have a post all about that here: How to Make for Sourdough Starter.
Do you know how to make gluten free sourdough starter?
Yes, after much experimentation I successfully created a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter and shared all the steps in this post here.
What is your schedule for sourdough starter?
I honestly do not even have one. Every week is different. Sometimes, I only use my sourdough starter one day and leave it in the fridge for a week, and then the next week, I use it everyday.
Is it normal for the sourdough starter to develop a hard crust over the top of it?
Yes! Whenever you have your sourdough sitting out on the counter with something that is not air tight, like a tea towel, it is totally normal. You can either scrape off the hard sourdough starter or stir it in.
What is the black layer of liquid on top of my sourdough called and why is it there?
It is called hooch. You can either dump it out or stir it in. Most likely, your sourdough starter is hungry and needs to be fed, so just give it some more flour and water and it should be fine.
After day 7, do I keep discarding half of my sourdough starter?
Nope! Once the sourdough starter is established on day 8, all you have to do is just give it flour and water. You no longer need to discard half of it.
How do I know when my sourdough starter has gone bad or molded?
Honestly, that is a case by case basis. I get a lot of questions about this, but I don’t really know if your sourdough starter is molded or bad until I see it.
So, honestly, I do not know. I do know that your sourdough starter should not have an offputting smell, but it does have a sour smell to it. You should definitely be able to see if there is mold.
How do I know my sourdough starter is working after it finished day 7?
You will know it is working if it works in your recipes. For example, if you are making sourdough bread and you make the dough, put it in a nice warm spot, and if it doesn’t rise, that means your starter is not fully established and you need to keep on making it.
Or you just need to throw it away and start over.
Your sourdough starter should definitely rise if it is good and active. You will also see a lot of bubbles on the top.
Why is sourdough starter much healthier than just regular flour?
This has to do with the grains and the fermentation. A lot of people today cannot tolerate grains. For the most part, a lot of people have given up grains and they are going gluten free and grain free.
I am not a doctor or a food expert, but I can tell you what I know about it.
Outside of a grain, there is a protective layer called phytic acid. That phytic acid is very incompatible with your body absorbing and digesting those grains.
When you ferment those grains, the fermentation process takes care of that pre-digesting work for you.
It makes the grains, and the nutrients in them, more easily accessible for your body to recognize and use without having to go through those original steps of breaking down the phytic acid. This process can be very taxing and difficult for your body.
Plus, fermentation just makes the nutrients more readily available. What was locked up inside the phytic acid in the grain, the outside of the bran, is now available for your body to use.
A lot of the vitamins that are in the grain are not actually doing you any good until fermentation unlocks them.
A lot of the time, people who cannot tolerate grains find that they can tolerate sourdough starter if it has at least sat out on the counter for 24 hours.
I cannot tolerate grains. Do you think that I will be able to tolerate sourdough starter?
You may be able to tolerate grains that have been fermented for 18 to 24 hours. This may take some playing around with. A friend of mine couldn’t tolerate unfermented grains at 12 hours, but 18 hours was the magic number.
However, if you have celiac, you should completely avoid gluten grains, fermented or not. Definitely check with your doctor.
How long should a properly maintained sourdough starter be kept?
A properly maintained sourdough starter can literally be kept for over a hundred years and passed down from generation to generation.
Should sourdough starter be kept airtight?
It doesn’t need to be in an airtight container, but it does need to have some sort of lid to help protect it from bugs or dust.
What is the difference between sourdough discard and starter?
They technically are the same thing. The difference is when a recipe calls for discard or active sourdough starter.
Discard refers to an unfed starter, or a starter that was fed, had risen, and is needing fed again but isn’t being used. It is also a term used when people toss out starter before feeding. At this point, I never discard any of my starter because of the frequency I use it in many recipes that call for just “discard“.
Active, on the other hand, is when it has been fed and has had time to get nice and bubbly.
Can I leave sourdough dough out overnight?
Yes, while most recipes will call for room temperature fermentation for at least 8-12 hours, some recipes can be fermented at room temperature for 24 hours without issue. Just make sure to cover the dough.
Can I let my sourdough rise in the fridge?
Yes. Some recipes, like bread or long fermented recipes with egg, call for rising in the fridge. This slows the fermentation time way down. Many breads can be successfully risen in the fridge up to 36 hours without over proofing.
What flour should I feed my sourdough starter?
Unbleached all-purpose, whole wheat (I use freshly ground flour), and even einkorn works just fine. I find that my starter is highly adaptable and does just fine with any of those types of flour.
Find My Favorite Fermented Recipes:
- Sourdough Chocolate Rolls
- Easy Sourdough Flatbread
- Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake
- Mascarpone Stuffed Sourdough French Toast Casserole
- Fluffy Sourdough Biscuits
- Sourdough Garlic Bread
Dewena says
I watched your sourdough video this morning while eating breakfast that included a thick slice of toasted buttered sourdough bread from the Publix bakery. It was delicious until I remembered my mother’s homemade sourdough bread and listened as you talked about yours. I’ve never made the starter but my mother used to bring me hers in a tupperware bowl on the plane and I made the best bread with it. I wasn’t too good at keeping it going a long time and Mama finally told me that the current bowl she brought me would be the last. She’s been in a nursing home for nine years now many states away and I sure wish I had another chance to sample her wonderful bread. I’ve pinned your recipe and will try once again!
Lisa says
Hi Dewena,
I hope you do try it again. It really is super simple once you get started 🙂
Evan Weatherup says
Can I use actual bread flour? I started my starter 4 days ago and I have tiny bubbles on top but it seems very thick and clumpy. I’ll add water to strive for the pancake batter consistency and see if that helps.
Kim says
I am so excited to make my starter! Thankful to have found your blog/videos.
My question is if I begin my starter in a container it out grows can I transfer it to a larger container? Beside the obvious, cool with it, is it okay to transfer starter?
I will probably start in a mason jar or glass bowl but would love to move it to a glass jar similar to the one your’s is in in recent videos.
Thank you!
Renae Richard says
Can I use all-purpose einkorn flour(Jovial) in your starter recipe? Also, can I use less flour to start if I am only making 1 or 2 loaves of bread weekly? I don’t THINK I will need so much starter??
Lisa says
Yes, you can use einkorn. The amount of starter you keep on hand won’t have anything to do with how much you use to start with. Think of it as building up a beneficial colony of bacteria and yeasts. Once you have that you can add any amount of flour and water that you want. For example, right now I have three cups of starter on hand (ish) but if I want to make pancakes tomorrow I will add several cups of flour and water tonight. Sometimes I have as little as a quarter cup.
katrina says
hi lisa! so if my starter gets down to a quarter a cup, you can feed it several cups of each and it will grow properly? for some reason my mind thinks of it as “over feeding” but as you have said,you can over feed but not underfeed. thanks!
Lisa says
If your starter is mature, that is totally fine! I do this often. Also, you can definitely underfeed.
Katy says
Hi! I received sourdough starter from a friend and have been feeding it once a week keeping it in the frig. I made your English muffins and they were delicious! My question is what is the right way to build back up my amount of starter? Just leave it on the counter and feed it every day? I was understanding that if I left it out it needed to be fed every day and also used every day, is that right? I just wanted to build back up the amount..
Lisa says
You can just add as much as you need once it’s mature. I will just throw in two or three cups of flour and water and let it sit out, when I was a whole lot!
Katy says
Ok! So if I leave it out and feed it each day, I don’t need to use it every day? Does it mature the longer it’s at room temperature (& being fed each day)?
Jessica says
Once you are to the point of the sourdough being established and not having to discard half. Do you feed it roughly a ratio of 1:1:1 of starter, flour and water?
Lisa says
Yes, that’s correct!
Sam says
Why do we not discard it? So I don’t have to keep splitting it in half, storing discard in fridge, and feeding the other half??
Candace says
Hi Lisa! I am on day 3 of my starter and it smells terrible….like vomit. This is my 4th or 5th time making a starter over the years and I don’t remember it ever smelling like this. The smell began yesterday (day 2). I use unbleached all purpose flour and berkey filtered water in a glass bowl with a tea towel on top. Is this normal the first few days? The starter has been very bubbly at each feeding…..it just smells so bad! I am 30 weeks pregnant, so it’s possible my hormones are affecting my sense of smell, but even my children say it smells terrible. I know you’re about to have a baby any minute, so I’ll just keep at it and see if the smell changes in the next day or two.
Thanks,
Candace
Tara says
I had a few batches that were the same. We threw them out. I have one that looks to be working and is NOT like that! No vomit smell. No crazy bubbles at the very start. I hope that helps.
Emily says
If I wait 24 hours for my starter to fully ferment before using it to bake, will it still act as a leaven? Do I have to use it at its peak bubbly (before it deflates) if I want my bakes to rise?
Bridget says
I had a sourdough starter i made for several months, I stored it in an air tight container in the fridge, one day I pulled it out and let it sit on the counter to warm up I went to feed it and it was molded..I had just used this the week before..why would it have molded do you think?
Lisa says
Usually this means some type of contamination got in.
Kira says
Hello! Thank you for all of your instructions for creating and maintaining a sourdough starter! I have a question…. After pulling it out of the fridge to rejuvenate do you discard a portion and then feed your starter? Or do you just feed it and then sit it out on the counter to ferment?
Lisa says
Just feed it and let it sit on the counter!
Lindsay says
If you’ve been nervous to attempt a sourdough starter, like I was, don’t be. Lisa’s instructions were super easy! I have switched the flour up twice now in only 2 months time and my starter is still thriving! Definitely give it a go!
Lisa says
Love to hear that!
Susannah says
Hi! Do I stir the flour and water mix on days 2-6 before discarding half? Thanks!
Sandra says
Hello,
This is my first time working with a sourdough starter. My starter is 7 days old today and well it has out grown it’s container. My question is do I move it to another container? Do I discard some of it and continue o row it? Do I refrigerate it? Please Help!
Sandra W
Lisa says
The best option would just be to start making a whole bunch of pancakes. That will solve your problem quickly as they take up a lot of starter.
Frith says
Hello, I’m wondering if you have to use the same type of flour when making the Sourdough starter and each time you feed it or can you feed it different varieties? Thanks!
Lisa says
You can totally switch it up!
Tiffany says
I think I may have lost track of which day I was on with my starter and inadvertently started feeding every 12hrs on day five instead of day six. Today is day “seven” according to my new schedule, but if I’m right about my suspected mistake it’s actually only day six. Should I just feed for one more day to be safe, or have I ruined it?
Lisa says
It should be fine! Just continue with the twice per day feedings!
Jillanne says
Hello,
I’m in day 8 of my starter and have been trying all sorts of discard recipes along the way so I’m inundated with all the things. So, I fed it last night (last of 2 a day feedings). To be sure I follow, I take from it as it is to make say bread, and then feed it, and put it in the fridge until about 24 hours before I want to bake again. Us that right? Can I just put it in the fridge now and pull it out before I want to use it? It feels like all I’ll ever have is discard.
Lisa says
Yes, you can just put it back in the fridge until you want to use it again. You will only have discard while establishing it. After that, just keep as much on hand as you need.
Aubree says
Hi, first off I love your blog and youtube! Thanks for sharing all this amazing stuff with us. I am going to start a sourdough starter, I am going to grind my own flour for it. Which flour do you like best? Should I use whole wheat or einkorn? Is the consistency of a whole wheat starter compared to einkorn different? I just dont know which one to use, or if it matters since it is healthy either way because it is fermented.
Thanks
Aubree
Catherine says
Hello; i started my sourdough 2 days ago with wholemeal flour. yesterday the jar filled with the starter and so i had to put my starter in another glass. would this ruin the process? in my first trial last week i did it with all purpose flour and i found like a thin layer of water on top of the sourdough mixture. why does this happen? thank you
Robyn Day says
Hi, I am on day three of the sourdough starter process and I have noticed by the next morning my starter has doubled, but if I wait the full 24 hours it deflates and gets a water layer on top. Does this just mean it needs to be fed more often?
Amy Warriner says
Hi I started my starter with 50g each of water and multigrain flour. I am on day 4 and was wondering if i could up the amounts to 100g of each or will that throw off the mix. Also would i still remove half of the current starter before adding the new amounts.
vanessa says
Hi! I used my starter for some time now and just put it in fridge for the first time. my question is when I take it out it smells like vinegar like crazy and a lot fo watery stuff on top. is this normal? also, do I feed it straight out of the fridge? or what til room temperature? thanks
Darlene says
Hi, I have a quick question. I am now on day seven and while I was re-reading your blog and instructions. I realized that I completely forgot that on day six and seven you’re supposed to feed the starter every 12 hours. I was continuing to do every 24. it smells fine. it’s bubbly and it’s thick like a thick pancake batter. am I OK? I was going to just do the eight day tomorrow and feedback it twice, every 12 hours and wait till the 9th day to use it. will that work? Thanks
Lisa says
It should be totally fine! Sounds like it’s thriving!
Jen says
Hi! I’ve read your q and a and haven’t seen answers to these…
1) is it 1 cup packed (or loose) flour?
2) is water measured with a dry or liquid measuring cup?
3) does it ever get bigger than double it’s size after feeding? (I’m using a 34oz mason jar. Covered with a paper towel that is secured by the lid ring.)
4) do you have any suggestions with traveling with a starter while in the process of making it? I travel between my two homes every other week. One house is brick and mortar In the city, with hvac. One is a trailer out in the middle of nowhere… I was thinking I could keep it in the microwave there?
Thank you in advance!
Suzette says
Hello! I’m at Day 7 but my starter is not very bubbly. There are some… Definitely does not look like your healthy mix pictured. I also always have a layer of clear/yellowish fluid on top every time I go to feed it. Is there something wrong? Can I use it? Thanks for any help.
Suzette.
Lisa says
The layer on top is called hooch and just means you need to feed it with a bit more flour and water, or more often.
Suzette says
Excellent! Thanks so much.
Kirsten Hull says
Hi!
I’m only on day one of my starter and did the 1:1 ration (1 cup water, 1 cup unbleached flour). It’s hour 15 and has a fair amount of hooch on it. I fed it, but this time measured at 50g of starter, 50 g four, 50 g water because I didn’t know what “half” would be other than eyeballing it. Is the hooch normal for the first day, and should I have fed it right away? Is the way I’m measuring it correct?
Karen says
Possibly what one of your followers was asking on this question- Is when they are discarding half of the future starter could they create another starter and keep up the process and give this to others….. and in that case the answer is yes. We used the discard (though not mature) to add to waffles, pancakes or make fry bread which is similar in fashion to your pizza crust but on the stove top–
Best,
Karen
This was the question I am referencing:
Why do I have to discard half of my sourdough starter? Instead of discarding half of my sourdough starter on Days 2-7, can I just use it to make another separate sourdough starter?
That question doesn’t actually make sense to me, because what you are creating is basically a symbiotic colony of yeast that you capture from your local environment. What you are trying to do is just make a master starter that then can then inoculate anything else with the yeast colonies that are in it. Therefore, you do not need to create more than one. It is basically just like having double the sourdough starter which once you have an established starter you can easily do by just adding more flour and water to the bowl of sourdough starter.
Vicki says
Do you use the starter in it just fed bubbly form to make bread or wait until it goes down a little to use?
Meghan says
I’m new to using a banneton basket and my dough is sticking. I started using it because my dough would stick terribly to my towel/bowl rising method. I would get a GREAT rise but then it would go downhill fast when transferring to my cast iron.. any tips?
Deanna says
Hello, thank you for the tips. I’ve been making sourdough bread now for a few weeks and it’s been great. The person I received the starter from told me to remove 200 grams and add 100 grams each flour and water when feeding. She said I should have 100 grams left of the starter prior to putting in the new flour and water. I never have that amount left. So I’ve been removing 100 grams discarding the remainder and then adding the extra, but I still never have 100 grams remaining after discarding 200 grams. Why would I be losing this weight? Is this a problem?
Elizabeth says
I have had my starter a few months now. When I feed it, it rises like a champ. Beautiful and bubbly, doubles in size. Every time I try to use it in a recipe I never get even the slightest rise in my dough. Does this indicate bad starter? My house is usually 68° I keep it in the oven…
Monica says
Do I need to discard half when I feed it AFTER the 7th day?
Lisa says
No, only while you’re building it up.
Kristina says
Hi there, I just started my bread starter… after it’s done “starting” can I transfer it over to the clamped jar or do I have to keep it in a bowl? I love the idea of the clamped jar for space reasons… tia☺️
Tracy Gavigan says
Hi Kristina….I am on day 6…I will be putting mine in a clamped jar ! i need the space as well ; )) I am counting on this being OK haha
Tracy
Val Colvin says
Hello!
I’ve baked in a technical way with sourdough for YEARS… We’re downsizing our farm and I’ll no longer ferment dough in 5 gallon buckets for large batches of bread! Yay! I’d like to relax my feeding also as I’ve watched you just dump cups of flour and water into your jar. I’m stuck in the rut of taring the weight of my jar, weighing my starter, and then adding equal amounts of flour and water. Do you estimate how many cups of starter you have? Then I assume you adjust the thickness… Ready to relax my methods!
Momma to 13
Val
laura says
Hi there!
I’m on day 5 of my starter, using whole wheat flour. I noticed that yesterday and today it hadn’t grown but is instead separating. There is a layer of liquid at least an inch on the top. Is my started still ok or should I start over again?
Ella says
Hello Mrs. Lisa,
First I just wanted to say your blog has been so helpful in keeping a healthy sourdough starter, and your recipes make so excited to try them! But I have question. If I keep my sourdough starter on the counter at room temp, do I have to feed it every day even if I won’t use it to cook on that particular day?
Thank You!
Alley Bates says
Wow! I love your website! Your FB videos recently showed up in my videos section and I cannot get enough of your videos. This is my first time checking out your blog site and it certainly won’t be my last.
Thanks for your videos and blog!
Inna says
Thank you for all the info! I have 2 questions.
Do I have to feed my starter before putting back in the fridge even if I fed it like 5 hours ago to make leaven?
After feeding my starter, it only takes 2 hours for it rise before falling back down? I use it to make sourdough bread and most recipes say it takes 4-12 hours for it to rise. What can be the reason that it’s taking only 2 hours? And is it a problem that it takes only 2 hours?
Thanks!
Cathy says
When feeding a mature starter, I discard until I have 100 g starter and add equal parts flour & water; 100 g flour and 100 g water. Is it necessary to have equal parts starter to feed? Do I have to discard that much starter? Can I just feed without discarding to grow the amount? Or at what point do I need to discard starter before feeding?
Ali says
Do you need to feed the starter with the same flour as the original starter? For example whole grain wheat with whole grain wheat. Or is it’s okay to switch it up such as whole grain wheat original starter with all purp flour for feeds?!
Pam says
Do you always use the same kind of flour or flour blend when feeding your sourdough starter?
Erika says
Ok. By now I’ve watched all the videos and read this post and I haven’t seen my questions anywhere: Can I use my stainless steel measuring cups to measure out the flour and water for the sourdough? When using a recipe that calls for sourdough can I use those same stainless steel cups to measure the sourdough itself? And while I am planning to get some glass bowls before starting my sourdough, can I make a sourdough recipe in my plastic mixing bowls or does it have to be glass?
Lisa says
Yes, I use stainless all the time!
Erika says
Ok, thanks! I’m headed to the second hand store tomorrow and if I get at least one glass bowl and a new-ish looking wooden spoon I’ll finally try to make sourdough!
Mary says
When your recipes call for 1 cup of fed starter is that 1 cup after being stirred or 1cup with all the bubbles?
Thanks!
Samantha says
Omg this is so helpful! Thank you. I just started my sourdough 10 days ago and have been through a lot of trial and error. I was so confused and stressed. I was making it so much more complicated and reading all these different blogs. I am a huge fan of your blog and will now follow this advice. Thank you again!
Patricia Martin says
if do not discard some of the starter everyday..I have been told to fed twice a day when leaving it out..and to measure the starter and to fed equal to the amount of starter the same with flour and water like a 1..1..1 ratio..I am confused
Karen Kish says
I am intrigued by this process and may even dive in and do it! I don’t see a “fail” on this sourdough making! Kudos to you Lisa!
Debra says
Is this an error in the very first section of the How to feed a Sourdough Starter section? Should it say 1/2 water and 1/2 cup flour instead of: if you have about 1 cup of sourdough starter, you will want to feed it at least 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sourdough starter. I’m planning to go the eyeball route too – measuring in grams is not my thing. Wish me luck! and thank you so much for all of this lovely and valuable content.
Angie says
I had a starter for about 2 weeks and things were going good after week 2 I pulled it out of the fridge and there was mold on the sides of my glass jar. Not on the starter itself but on the jar. Should I wash my jar once a week? Or does mold not grow if you feed each week?
Jessica says
Hi Lisa! I love your sourdough knowledge! My hubby won’t eat baked goods because he thinks they’re not healthy so I’m starting with sourdough products and he loves them!! I made a starter that is now almost 3 weeks old, and it’s active. One question, do I need to use my starter when it’s at the peak of bubbling up or can I use it after it has gone back down?
Faith Hayes says
Hi Lisa! Thanks so much for all your fabulous info on your blog! It’s given me loads of success and more with sourdough life at our zoo (Family nickname).
One question: I’m getting more familiar with Einkorn and milling our own grains; spelt, amaranth, and others. Would these be adequate for doing the starter feeding with? Or are they either too powerful or too…something? I know many people who struggle with getting enough rise out of their Einkorn loaves but we’ve not had THAT trouble. I don’t want to introduce something into my amazing starter that will take ages to recover from though.
And – if not Einkorn, what flour (fresh milled) do you use/recommend?
Katie Goshert says
Hi! Thanks for this post/video/information! It was SUPER helpful to me. I was wondering if you could give me any ideas you have on using sourdough in the tropics? I moved to the Solomon Islands almost a year ago now, and I have been successfully using sourdough here! At one point I didn’t even have a refrigerator, and I still managed to keep it alive and well. Some problems I am having that I need advice on or the consistency of my sourdough. Because of the humidity here, I find that I need very little water to keep the sourdough bubbly and happy. So I just give it less water than I did in the states…however, some recipes (that I have from the states) turn out super sticky and almost soupy, even if my sourdough is the right consistency. Could you give me some advice in modifying recipes to account for the humidity? Also, when feeding it I have to be VERY careful because EVERYTHING grows so well here, including bad bacteria. I regularly have to switch containers and keep things cleaner than I did in the states. Any advice for maintaining the sourdough starter on the counter (we use it so much I rarely put it in the fridge, but keep a back up starter in there in case mine dies) in 80+degrees and 80% humidity. Thanks!
Lucy Bartlett says
I noticed recently you are using a larger glass container with a glass lid for your starter. Could you link that so I can find and buy it. Thanks so much!! I am absolutely loving your blog and YouTube channel and learning so much to better feed my family!!
Susan says
These are considered canisters and I have bought them from Target. Anchor Hocking also sells similar jars on their website.
Shauna R Scott says
I was given a 140 year old starter from a family that has been in the bakery business. I’m excited to learn how to take care of and utilize this new member of my family!
Barbara says
MY STARTER IS FAIRLY NEW AND THERE IS NOT ALOT OF IT.
i WANT MORE STARTER….HOW DO i DO THAT WITH OUT DISCARDING IT ?
Daune says
Lisa,
Thanks so much for this info! I have a question…I accidentally grabbed and stirred in bread flour to ‘feed’ the starter…sigh. I’ve continued to use what I have and have not done that again, but would that be why my starter isn’t that bubbly? It does smell like sourdough, but it is only bubbly on the top, not throughout.
Should I dump it or just keep feeding it?
Also, how do I get it to be more bubbly?
Thanks a bunch,
Daune From Seguin, TX
Daune S. says
Lisa,
Thanks so much for this info! I have a question…I accidentally grabbed and stirred in bread flour to ‘feed’ the starter…sigh. I’ve continued to use what I have and have not done that again, but would that be why my starter isn’t that bubbly? It does smell like sourdough, but it is only bubbly on the top, not throughout.
Should I dump it or just keep feeding it?
Also, how do I get it to be more bubbly?
Thanks a bunch,
Daune From Seguin, TX
Rehgolfer says
Just beginning my Sourdough experience and have a nice healthy starter. My guestion is about the discard. Can I keep adding discard to previous days discard and keep in the frig to use in discard recipes?
And do I used the discard without feeding it?
Kim says
So up until day 7 my starter was bubbly, but not rising. Now on day 8 I’m not even getting bubbles. Should I continue to feed it twice a day . Or is it totally ruined?
Gail Williams says
I have just successfully made a nice sourdough starter.I am completely new to this process. I made plenty of mistakes, and yet it seems as though my starter is just fine! Happy day!
Because of my mistakes, I have an enormous amount of starter- at least 4 cups. I would like to bake quite often, so I’m not concerned about the amount of starter I have.
My question is, how much do I feed 4 cups of starter? 4 cups of flour, 2-3 cups of water? I can’t seem to find an answer, anywhere. Any answer that you can give me, would be most appreciated!!!
Heather says
I am on day 10 of my starter. My starter (Bread Paisley) is still just 1 cup. It does rise up to a little over 2 cups and then collapses back down to 1 cup. Is this normal for it to stay at 1 cup? Also how do I use it when recipes call for 2 cups of starter?
Thanks so much for any help. I really enjoy your blog.
Heather
Anonymous says
I fed my starter at 1:00 this afternoon. When is it actually ready to use? Is there a certain amount of time I need to wait or is it just when it is super bubbly and doubled in size?
Wendi Murphy says
Hi. I fed my starter at 1:00 pm today. When can I use it in a recipe? Do I wait for a certain amount of time? Or is it when it is bubbly and doubled in size?
Maryanne Eggers says
I am obsessed! I made my starter per your instructions and Molly ( yes I named her ) is bubbly and very active! My first recipe was the cinnamon rolls. I had to mix the dough by hand as I don’t have a good stand mixer so I’m not sure if I over or under mixed the dough. They were good but dense. I will definitely try them again, as, even dense, everyone loved them! Currently I have the sourdough banana bread in the oven, and english muffin dough fermenting on the counter for tomorrow! As soon as I can get my hand on a dutch oven, bread is on the agenda! OH…and I made pancakes with it as well! SOOOO good!!! Thank You Lisa!!!
Helen says
How do you know if your starter is okay and fermented. I don’t know that I followed the starter recipe and have be just adding flour periodically w/water. But am not sure.
I made pancakes that seemed good just not sure.
Julie says
Hi Lisa – A friend is giving his sourdough starter to me and he said he feeds it with flour, water and dried potato flakes. Why would he use potato flakes ? Thanks .
Steven Fricke says
Do you have a suggestion for making sourdough pizza dough.
Kim says
Some recipes call for warm water. If you use filtered water do you need to warm it or can it be used at room temp? Also, can water be too hot?
Thanks.
Carol Lyons says
Where do you buy the jars as big as yours ?
Teresa Wright says
I’m having problems with my sourdough starter over flowing since the weather is starting to warm up. I use 2 cups every day and I put two cups back in. Is that too much? I just can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.
olivia says
Hi! I just made my first starter this past week and 1/2ish!
I have a few questions
1. If i didn’t feed it twice a day on days 5-7 do you think it is still growing or grew what it needed too? It has had bubbles every day .Day 7 was wonky but then it rose and got bubbly.
I have put it in the fridge on day 9 until i need to use it this weekend to attempt to bake bread for the first time.
2. say my sour dough starter isn’t mature enough after I try ti bake my first loaf. Do I have to make a new starter or just grow the existing one to where it is mature?
3. On “discarding” I noticed you said that you don’t have to discard anymore after the first week . But if I don’t discard would it keep growing when I feed it ? I would basically just feed as I need to use it,correct?
and If I have too much starter currently, is it wise to take out a cup of starter to save for future growing ,then the abundance of starter I currently have find recipes that call for discard or starter to use it up?
I know you probably have answered these in some form or fashion on your blog .Just trying to clarify If I understand haha
Casey says
I have a starter that a friend gave me and today I totally spaced and accidentally put sugar, flour and water in it instead of just flour and water.
Hoping I haven’t ruined it!
Anything I should do? Is it going to be ok?
Geralyn Durham says
Hi Lisa,
I followed your starter recipe and have had a healthy starter for almost a year now, and once it was established, I never discarded it before feeding it. Is this something I should be doing?
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Geralyn
Ashley says
Would you mind making a post all about the jars that you keep your sourdough starter in? I want to know the why, and where they are from, and how easy it is to use those.
Diane says
Thankyou so much! I have tried and failed at least twice in trying to use starter and feed it correctly. I love your method and can tell you really know what you are doing!! Nice to know that I don’t have to use such concise measurements and feed it constantly!
Amy says
Phew! This helps clear a lot of things up for me. I’m still confused about the throwing away a portion of the starter, as some sourdough bakers insist you do. I can see tossing it during the initial building-sourdough-starter phase, but not after that. It just seems wasteful to me! Thanks for this comprehensive, helpful post. I am relieved that my new sourdough starter works so well and am thoroughly enjoying learning how to bake with it! (I’m just not the type to weigh the grams of water and flour either!) Thanks, Lisa!
Gina says
Hello! I made my sourdough starter and on day 8 I put it in the fridge. It’s been in the fridge for a week. Do I need to take it out of the fridge weekly to feed it and than return it to the fridge until I’m ready to make something? Or do I leave it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it and than feed it?
Lisa says
Once it is mature, you can get away with leaving it in the fridge a little longer between feeds. Yours is still a bit young for that. I think this video would be helpful for you- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf6t6GcjH8E
Maria says
Hi. So I’m new to having my own sourdough starter. And I over fed it with too much flour? 🙄😩😬I kept it in the fridge and I just kept feeding it and it got like into a doughy type. Now I’m just wondering what I should do. It didn’t smell like sourdough batter. It just smells like flour. I’m just wondering if I should take some of that same flour batter and keep going from there. Or should I get a brand new thing of sourdough starter?
Anonymous says
Is my sourdough starter still usable if it bubbles over the top of my bowl? If it is still usable, how should I then discard and feed it?
Lisa says
You have a nice and active starter, which is wonderful. I would suggest transferring it to a larger bowl so you don’t lose starter too often. Use the discard in other discard recipes. Discard and feed. Typically I will take out a bunch to make a recipe and as long as you have a little starter left you can feed it and start the process again.
Lili Evans says
Thank you for the video which answered a lot of my questions as a beginner for making sourdough. I would like to learn how to make pizza with the sourdough and make the classic sourdough break for Christmas. Is it ok to make cakes or cookies with sourdough and what it can and cannot do. Thanks again for sharing your experiences and knowledge.
Lisa says
Yes, you can definitely make cakes and cookies. If you look in my recipe tab you will find a large variety of sourdough recipes. You basically can make just about anything sourdough.