Basic feeding (summary)
Discard most of your starter, keep 20 g, add 100 g flour + 100 g water (1:5:5 ratio), stir well. You can reduce the ratio of water and flour for a quicker acting starter, but it will need feeding sooner.
Feed once daily if keeping it on the counter. Feed once weekly if keeping it in the fridge.
Maintaining a starter is far less complicated than the internet makes it seem. You don’t need to name it, talk to it, or treat it like a heirloom (though, if that brings you joy, you do you).
This guide covers the basics from daily feeding schedules to long-term storage solutions, and common issues with sourdough starter maintenance.
What you will need
- An established starter
- High protein / bakers’ strength flour
- A jar with a loose-fitting lid
- Kitchen scales (preferably digital)
- Rubber band / tape, or other way to track size changes.
Basic feeding
Feeding your starter is simple: discard some of the existing starter, add fresh flour and water and stir.
The standard feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (starter:flour:water). This means if you keep 20 g of starter, you add 20 g of flour and 20 g of water.
This ratio creates an active culture, that will be ready to use quickly. If you live in a hot climate, the culture will process the food quicker than in colder climates. If the starter rises and falls quickly, or it is producing hooch, the 1:1:1 ratio is not providing the culture enough food. Increase the flour and water ratio so that the culture has enough ‘food’.
If storing in the fridge, a common ratio is 1:5:5 (20 g starter: 100 g flour: 100 g water).
Step by step starter maintenance
Remove your starter from the fridge. Pour out any hooch that has developed. Stir the remainder.
Discard most of your starter, you will only need 20 g. You do not need to maintain large amounts of starter, unless you enjoy throwing large amounts of it in the bin!
Add flour. I use plain white bakers’ flour. Other flours, such as rye or whole-grain flours, may provide more active cultures, but they require more food.
Add water. Some people use filtered water to avoid chlorine, but honestly, it is not going to ‘kill’ your starter unless it is very heavily chlorinated.
Stir until it resembles a thick pancake batter.
Mark the level on your jar with a rubber band or tape so you can monitor the rise. Cover loosely with a lid, cloth, or plastic wrap. You want some airflow but not so much that it dries out.
Let it rise at room temperature. You should see it roughly double in volume within 4-12 hours, depending on room temperature. The hotter it is, the quicker it will rise.
When is your starter ready for baking?
A starter can be used for baking once it has doubled in size. The surface will be domed and bubbly and it will smell pleasant and yeasty. The following photos show starter developed from the fridge at zero hours (freshly mixed), one hour and four hours.
A ready starter will float: gently place a small spoonful of starter in water. If it floats, it is ready for use.
Refrigerator storage – once a week feeding
Refrigerating starter reduces wastage, particularly if you are only baking once a week. Refrigerated starter only requires feeding once a week, although I’ve pushed this out to once a month feeding when I’ve been away with no ill effects.
Simply remove from the fridge two days before baking abd feed twice. This is crucial: cold starters are sluggish and won’t provide enough yeast to develop your dough.
Common issues
- Hooch (liquid on top): This is just alcohol produced by the yeast. It means your starter is hungry. You can either stir it back in or pour it off—either works. Then feed your starter.
- Not rising or very slow to rise: Your starter might be too cold or is underfed. Try feeding twice daily at room temperature and increasing your water and flour ratio for a few days.
- Mould (fuzzy growth, pink or orange streaks): Throw out a starter and start over. It’s not like cheese, you can’t scoop it out.
- Smells like nail polish (acetone): Very hungry starter producing excess acetic acid. Increase food frequency or food volume.
Long-term storage
Going on holiday (several weeks to several months): Feed your starter with a very high ratio (1:20:20), let it sit at room temperature for an hour, then refrigerate. There will likely be hooch on return, simply pour the hooch off and feed it a few times.
Very long storage (3+ months): You can dry your starter. Spread a thin layer of recently fed starter on baking paper, let it dry completely at room temperature (24-48 hours), then break into flakes and store in an airtight container. To revive, mix the flakes with water and flour and resume normal feedings. It may take a few days to become fully active again.
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