Maintain and feed your sourdough starter

A healthy starter needs consistent feeding to stay active. Your feeding schedule depends on how often you bake and where you store the starter.

Room Temperature (bake 3+ times per week)

• Feed every 12-24 hours
• 1:2:2 ratio (e.g., 25g starter + 50g flour + 50g water) — peaks in 8-12 hours at 75F
• 1:5:5 ratio (e.g., 10g starter + 50g flour + 50g water) — peaks in 12-18 hours, good for once-daily feeding

Refrigerator (bake 1-2 times per week or less)

• Feed once per week at minimum
• After feeding, let it sit at room temperature 1-2 hours, then refrigerate
• Before baking: Remove 24-48 hours early and give 2-3 room-temperature feedings to reactivate

Choosing Flour

• All-purpose or bread flour — economical, mild flavor, good for routine feeding
• 10-20% whole rye or whole wheat blended in — provides extra nutrients and keeps fermentation vigorous
• A sluggish starter often revives with a few feedings of whole rye flour

Tips

• Use a scale — "equal parts" means by weight, not volume
• Mark the jar with a rubber band to track rise and fall
• The starter is ready to use when it has doubled, has a domed top, bubbles throughout, and smells pleasantly tangy
• The float test (a spoonful floats in water) works for white flour starters but is unreliable for whole grain starters