How to Feed Your Sourdough Starter

Day 1: Feed Your Starter

1. Place your existing starter in a clean jar.
2. Discard about half (leave ~100 g starter in the jar).
3. Add:
   • 50 g (¼ cup) flour
   • 50 g (¼ cup) water
4. Mix to a thick, smooth batter.
5. Cover loosely and keep at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2: Continue Feeding

• Your starter may show small bubbles or mild activity — all normal.

1. Discard half again (keeping ~100 g).
2. Feed with:
   • 50 g flour
   • 50 g water
3. Mix, cover loosely, and rest another 24 hours.

Days 3–5: Daily Feeding Routine

By now your starter should begin smelling lightly tangy and showing consistent bubbles.

Each day:

1. Discard half (keep ~100 g).
2. Feed with 50 g flour + 50 g water.
3. Mix well and keep at room temperature.

The texture should stay like thick pancake batter.

Days 5–7: Fully Active Starter

Your starter is strong and ready to bake with when it:
✔ Doubles in size within 4–6 hours after feeding
✔ Smells pleasantly tangy
✔ Has a bubbly, aerated surface

At this point you’ll have 190–200 g of active starter — perfect for most sourdough bread recipes.

Optional: Ongoing Maintenance

Once your starter is healthy and active:

• Store in the refrigerator
• Feed 1–2 times per week
• When ready to bake, take it out, feed once or twice, and use when bubbly and doubled.

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• Use filtered water to avoid chlorine slowing fermentation.
• Stirring helps oxygenate the starter and distribute yeast.
• If your kitchen is very warm, you may need slightly cooler storage to prevent over-fermentation.

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