Learn how to feed sourdough starter in 3 easy steps! Tips shared for choosing the best flour, the right jar, and how to keep it alive (without the stress).
What is Sourdough Starter?
A sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of flour and water. Once it’s “fed” with additional flour and water, it becomes bubbly and active. A small portion is used to make bread dough rise- instant yeast is not required.
Why Feeding Matters
The thing is though, you can’t grab a starter, leave it on the counter and expect it to work on a moment’s notice. Bakers feed starters to activate (prior to making bread dough) and to maintain strength when not in use.
Here’s What To Expect
In this post, I’ve included sourdough feeding instructions (at a glance) and (in depth). You’ll also learn how to maintain sourdough starter with helpful FAQs at the end.
You Will Need
- Sourdough Starter
- Jar with lid (I use this one)
- Kitchen Scale
- Bread flour or all purpose
- Water
Looking for a starter? Try my Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe with step-by-step instructions.
How To Feed Your Sourdough Starter (at a Glance)
- Remove and discard half of your sourdough starter
- Feed what’s left in the jar with equal parts flour and water by weight (1:1:1 feeding ratio)
- Let rise at room temperature (covered or airtight) ideally 75+ F, until bubbly, active and double in size (2-12 hrs.).
*Note: Before you begin, establish a regular feeding time. Morning or evening; the time itself doesn’t matter. What does matter is consistency. Feeding your starter at roughly the same time each day will train it to rise and fall predictably. This way, you’ll know when it’s ready to use. For example, if you want to make dough at 7 PM (and your starter takes about 5 hrs to rise), feed it at 2 PM.
Feeding Sourdough Starter (In-Depth)
While feeding sourdough (at a glance) is pretty straight forward, this section breaks down each of the 3 steps for a better understanding.
- Remove and Discard
9 AM (sample feeding time): Let’s say you have about 120 g of sourdough starter. The first step is to remove half, about 60 g, into a separate bowl (use a spoon or pour it out).
What’s leftover in the bowl- the amount you just removed- is called sourdough discard.
The discard can be used to make recipes like Sourdough Pancakes. Or, if discolored and smelly, you can just throw it out (we’ll talk more about this later).
- Add Equal Parts Flour & Water By Weight
Now, you’re going to feed what’s left in the jar.
How much flour and water does your starter need?
Because we all have different quantities of starter, bakers feed by ratio.
Common practice is to feed your starter with equal parts flour and water by weight. I follow a feeding ratio of 1:1:1 (sourdough starter, flour, water).
So, let’s continue with our example:
You had 120 g of starter and removed half. You now have 60 g of sourdough starter in the jar. Feed it with 60 g flour + 60 g of water.
Mix well with a fork, scraping down the sides as needed until the texture turns into a thick, lump-free batter. Place the lid on top.
TIP: The 1:1:1 feeding ratio by weight can be applied to any quantity of sourdough starter. If you have 40 g of starter, feed it with 40 g flour + 40 g water. If you have 90 g of starter, feed it with 90 g four + 90 g water.
- Let Rise Until Bubbly, Active & Double in Size (2-12 hrs.)
Place your starter in a warm spot to rise and activate, ideally 75-80 F.
Your starter is active when it shows the following signs:
– Doubles in size
– Small and large bubbles appear
– Spongey or fluffy texture
– Pleasant aroma
When can sourdough starter be used to make dough?
Plan on 2-12 hrs. depending on temperature. The activation process not instant. Place a rubber band around the base of the jar to measure the growth as it continues to rise.
Once your starter is active, it won’t stay double in size forever. You have a 1-2 hr. window before it falls back down. Do the float test to check for readiness.
What is the Float Test?
Drop 1 tsp. of starter into a glass of water; if it floats to the top, it’s ready to use. Do the test only when your starter has doubled (not after it has collapsed and lost strength).
How to use sourdough starter?
Pour off and weigh the quantity of bubbly active starter needed for your Sourdough Bread Recipe. Afterwards, you’ll need to feed the jar of starter again with fresh flour and water to keep the cycle going.
How to Store & Maintain Sourdough Starter
Once you have a starter, you’ll need to maintain it with regular feedings when not in use- otherwise your bread won’t rise. Your feeding routine is directly related to where it’s stored and how often you plan to bake.
- Room Temperature: if you bake a few times a week, keep your starter at room temperature. You’ll need to feed it (1x) per day, even when not in use. Storing at room temperature, especially if it’s warm, will make it ready to use faster.
- In the Fridge: if you bake only once a week or once a month, store your starter in the fridge. Feed it (1x) per week to maintain it’s strength. You do not need to bring it to room temperature first before feeding it; just remove it from the fridge, feed it and put it back. When ready to use, feed the cold starter at room temperature until it perks back up. Use warm water. Find a warm spot. Remember, the warmer it is, the faster it will rise.
Feeding Sourdough Starter FAQs
This is the #1 question asked about the feeding process.
While it might feel wasteful, it’s done to refresh the acidity levels and to control the starter’s growth in size.
I recommend removing half as a guideline, but the exact quantity is not set in stone. Some days you’ll remove more or less, depending on what the starter looks like.
If you do not discard (and yes, some bakers choose to do this), your starter would grow exponentially making it difficult to maintain.
But remember! You don’t have to throw the discard away.
Use it to make Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes, Cinnamon-Sugar Sourdough Waffles, Sourdough Cornbread or Sourdough Crackers.
Additionally, you can save discard in the fridge, freeze it, share it, or create a new starter.
Check out Sourdough Discard 101: Recipes & Faqs Answered for more details.
Yes, absolutely. However, “equal parts by weight” does not translate into measuring cups. Why? Because 1/4 cup flour does not weigh the same as 1/4 water.
You can certainly use “equal measurements” if you’d like, but the texture will most likely be off. Adjust with more/less flour and water to achieve a thick, batter-like consistency.
Yes. You cannot bake with inactive starter. To activate your starter, feed it with fresh flour and water, and then wait for it to bubble and double in size. Feeding a starter is not a once off activation process (like a new cell phone).
Totally normal. We all forget at some point. It’s not dead (and you didn’t ruin it). Please keep feeding it until it becomes bubbly and active. For best results, find a warm spot and use warm water for a boost. Starters are more resilient than you’d think- they just need time and patience.
Starters like routine. In my experience, it’s best to feed your main jar of starter with the same flour it’s made of.
For white flour starters, use unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour. These flours are inexpensive, easy to find, and reliable for starter growth. For whole wheat starters, use whole wheat flour. For rye starters, use rye flour etc.
For variety, some bakers prefer to use a 50/50 blend of whole wheat and white flour for an enzyme boost (starters love enzymes). This is fine too. See what works best for your taste, your budget and your convenience level.
Just do me one favor: when choosing flour, always consider how the starter will be used.
For example, a 100 % whole wheat starter might not work for Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls because the unsifted bran will make the dough more hearty, rather than light and airy. On the flip side, it might be more desirable for Light Whole Wheat Sourdough to really amplify the nutty, wholegrain taste. 
Currently, I use a 3/4 L glass jar with a latch top. I love it. I prefer glass over plastic, it’s easy to clean and it doesn’t absorb any weird smells or chemicals.
But I often switch things up and use jam jars, glasses and/or whatever else is clean! My friend Jim recently sent me this sourdough starter jar to try- it’s really cool.
Whatever you choose, make sure the jar is large enough to accommodate the starter’s growth when it doubles in size- this is key.
Regarding the lid: it can be airtight or loosely covered. It depends on the baker.
For example, when I want my starter to bubble up fast, I keep it airtight. But if the jar is not large enough for the starter to grow, it might burst through the lid. Always keep an eye on it.
Alternatively, rest the lid on top of the jar without securing it. This way, the jar is technically still covered but it won’t break as the starter rises.
The activation process is not instant. Plan on 2-12 hrs. depending on temperature and the strength of your starter. The warmer it is, the faster it will rise.
Potential warm spots include a proofing box, a microwave with the light on, or inside the oven (turned off) with the light on for 1-2 hours but not overnight- the environment will become too warm.
You can also try a warm water bath, pictured below, with frequent water changes to maintain temperature.
At some point, you’ll experience a dark, grayish liquid on the surface of your sourdough starter. Don’t stress- hooch is just a sign that your starter needs to be fed. Simply pour it off, removing any discolored starter underneath and give it a fresh feeding.
The images below are of two starters I keep in the fridge: Country Starter (fed with 50/50 white flour + whole wheat) and my Basic Starter (all white flour).
Floyd Berthiaume says
Why is my starter after the first or second day have a crust on it and what do I do then
Emilie Raffa says
Floyd, it’s because there is too much air in your starter; the surface has formed a crust. Peel it off and continue to feed what’s left underneath. Going forward, keep the jar covered or loosely covered as suggested in the FAQ section of this post.
Vinita says
Hi, Emilie
This is really helpful, I would like some insight in what flour I should buy for my sourdough baking as I am confused between t55 and t65 type of flour and what will be the most favourable type to buy.
Thankyou
Emilie Raffa says
Your note is so timely- I was just reading about French t55 flour yesterday :)
From what I understand, t55 is similar to US all purpose flour and t65 is similar to US bread flour. So technically, you can use either one to feed your starter. However, because t65 is higher in ash and mineral content (which is what you want to boost enzyme activity in your sourdough starter), I’d go with t65 to start. In a pinch, I do believe t55 would work as well.
Vinita says
Thankyou so much!
Jennie says
I started my starter a week ago and had great success the first three days. Since then my starter has not risen anymore but still has some bubbles when I go to feed it. Part of the problem might be that our house is about 68-70 degrees. I have been putting in oven with light on during the day and I used an instant thermometer to see temp inside and it’s been between 76-80. Which I thought was perfect. Any tips or ideas why it’s not rising anymore? Should I start over? Thank you and I just got your book and can’t wait to try your recipes. They all look so delicious.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Jennie! Once you start feeding your starter with ap or bread flour (after starting with whole wheat flour) the activity will slow down. This is because your starter is getting used to the new flour for the feedings. Not to worry. Your starter needs time to build up strength and to cultivate yeast. Continue to feed it, store it in a warm spot and/or try warm water in your feedings.
Rachel says
First off let me say I LOVE your recipes they are brilliant!
I created my sourdough starter from your recipe and have been making loaves for a few months now (once every week or two). I keep my starter in the fridge and feed once a week. When I go to use my starter I’m just using it straight out of the fridge and feeding AFTER. But my dough and the bread still rises well and tastes good! Now reading back on your feeding tips I see I’ve been doing it wrong! I’m now confused about my bread still rising? Should I continue doing it the same way or will I get a drastically better loaf feeding before making a dough?
Thank you! :)
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Rachel! The interesting thing about sourdough, is that everyone’s experience will be different. While I don’t recommend baking bread with unfed starter, yours might be very strong which is why the dough is rising- amazing! Moving forward, you don’t have to change your routine if it works for you. However, if you run into trouble at some point, go back to feeding it every time prior to baking.
Dustin says
Great instructions and tips, thanks for sharing! Just looking at these photos makes me hungry!
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you Dustin! Enjoy!
Kristina says
Thank you for the recipe. My friend gave me some of her starter. I measured out 60g of the starter and mixed equal parts of bread flour and water into a new jar. I plan to use this for my dough following your recipe above (in a few days) .
I have a lot of extra starter that I would love to keep for more bread. It’s in the fridge and I’m not sure it’s weight since it was given to me in a jar container. How do you suggest I feed the remaining starter? Should I remove it from its jar to get the exact weight for feeding?
Last, how often do you discard if you are storing starter in fridge and feeding once a week.
Thank you so much in advance !
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Kristina! Great questions.
Right now, since it’s already in the jar, you would have to remove the starter and weigh it separately to get the exact amount. Next time, record the weight of the empty starter jar first, mark it on a piece of tape, and put it on the bottom of the jar. To find the weight of your starter for the feedings, weigh the whole jar (with the starter inside) and then subtract the jar weight.
When storing starter in the fridge, I discard every time prior to feeding it. So if I feed 1x/ week, I discard 1x/ week. The amount doesn’t always have to be half; it’s up to you.
Hope this helps!
Jennie says
Hi I am currently on day 4 of making starter and it doubled on day 3. The question I have is most recipes call for 120g or more and if I want to make some it would take all my starter. How do I make it so I have enough to make recipe and still have enough to maintain starter
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! My sourdough starter recipe makes about 236 g starter, so I think you should have enough? However, you can easily increase the quantity of starter so that you always have enough. Either feed it daily without discarding, or discard only a very small portion before feeding it until it reaches the quantity you desire.
Glenda Meyer says
If I don’t have time to see my dough finish rising, can I stick in fridge & finishing the rising process later .?
Emilie Raffa says
Yes. But sourdough won’t rise much in the fridge (unlike doughs made with instant yeast). Give it more time, if needed, to bulk at room temperature or in a warm spot when you’re ready to continue.
Long says
Thanks for the tips! Love your post, advice, and your site too!
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you SO much, enjoy!!
Laura says
I’ve been given a starter from a friend, fed it and in the process of making my first loaves.
I fed the leftover starter at about midday and now at 6pm it’s doubled in size- a LOT quicker than I expected (left the first lot 12 hours) – what do I do if if don’t want to use it straight away ? Many thanks
Emilie Raffa says
If you can’t use the starter right away, you can save some of it to make sourdough discard recipes. Read Sourdough Discard 101: Recipes and FAQs Answered.Or just leave it to fall back down.
Steve Snyder says
I had originally created my starter using whole wheat flour and had some decent success. I then have transitioned it over to feeding it with bread flour but have not had any luck. I use King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour but the starter does not react with any life. Minimal bubbles, doesn’t rise in the jar, etc. I use filtered water and have been feeding daily but it has yet to show the life I saw when I used Whole Wheat Flour. The Bread Flour was a resent purchase and is dated to have an expiration for next year so I assume it to be fresh enough.
I had read that it’s better to create the starter using the flour that you would be using in the breads you were baking and I was looking to start using bread flour.
Any thoughts on what may be going wrong? I saved some of the original starter in the fridge and was going to dump the bread flour starter and go back to the whole wheat. any suggestions would be appreciated.
Emilie Raffa says
You are doing nothing wrong. When you transition from whole wheat flour to bread flour, it takes time. The starter needs to adjust. How long has it been since making the switch?
Here’s what I’d do: continue to feed it with the bread flour for up to one week. Use warm water in your feedings, and keep the starter in a warm water bath (details in the FAQ section here). This should help.
Alternatively, if you’d like to include some whole wheat in the starter, you can use a 50/50 blend in your feedings.
Leslye Borden says
I found the tips very helpful. I was not pouring off half the starter but only about a 1/2 cup. I always stirred down my bubbly starter before feeding it or using it. Is that correct? Right now I have 2 qts of discard in the fridge. I can’t make any more bread, rolls, scones, crackers, etc. right now. We are overwhelmed with baked goodies. I didn’t know I need to feed the discard when it’s in the fridge. So many good tips. Thank you so much. Hope you answer my questions.
Emilie Raffa says
The amount you pour off is not set in stone. If 1/2 cup works for you, there’s no need to change it! I only recommend “half” as a guideline. The discard quantity will change depending on what your starter looks like.
When my starter is bubbly active, I do not stir it down first before using to make bread dough. Some bakers do this. However, pouring it directly from the jar works best for me.
Two quarts of discard- wow! While in the fridge, technically you do not have to feed it because you’re not using it to leaven bread (you don’t have to maintain strength). But you are more than welcome to do so, if you want. You can also transfer the discard to the freezer.
Laura Carapellese says
My bread doesn’t come out very “sour”. How can I change my starter to make it more “sour”? Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
For more sour bread, changing your starter is only one piece of the puzzle. There are additional steps to take.
First, to change your starter, feed it less frequently so the friendly bacteria becomes more acidic. Your starter will actually smell more vinegary than yeasty.
Second, consider temperature. In my experience, bulk fermenting the dough at 80 F followed by an overnight second rise in the fridge adds more flavor.
Third, consider the ingredients. Usually a bit of whole grain flour (10-15%) adds flavor as well. But this is not always the case.
There are other variables to consider, including adding a small amount of sugar to the dough, but these 3 points are enough to get started. With sourdough it’s all about practice and patience!
Carol Bell says
This post was very helpful. Once again I see the errors of my ways. I appreciate you stepping me through the feeding process and I love how you broke it down. I would love to print this out without all the advertising in it. Would you be able to explain how to do this? This would be extremely helpful, thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
My pleasure, Carol. Because this particular post does not have a print button (only my recipe posts do), I’m unable to control the ad placement. Send me and email and I’ll get you a copy.
Colleen says
I turned my oven on to preheat, went downstairs and got on the treadmill. My husband comes down and asked what am I cooking? Oh no!! Wally! I forgot my sourdough starter was in the oven with the light on. Yep I cooked my starter. Anyway I am starting a new one and I am using your directions this time and my starter looks great at 3 days. Wally made us some great bread and your cracker recipe before his demise. RIP Wally.
Emilie Raffa says
Colleen, omg… This made me laugh (I almost spit out my coffee, lol). Good luck with your new starter!
Lucia says
Hi,
Besides being able to know when the starter will be at its peak, is it necessary to feed it on a schedule? Will I hurt my starter by not feeding it at the same time everyday? Thanks!
Stupid Swede says
I believe the schedule is more about the baker, gaining them an understanding how long it takes for the starter to activate and helping them not to let it die from neglect.
Emilie Raffa says
100% correct!
Emilie Raffa says
It’s helpful, yes. Here’s why: feeding your starter at approximately the same time each day will train to rise and fall predictably. Once you have a predictable starter (meaning you know how long it takes to rise) then you’ll know when it’s ready to make bread dough.
If you miss a day, or your timing is off- don’t worry. This does not hurt your starter. However, when trying to get it back on track, you’ll need to give it a few days to adjust.
Danielle Godfrey says
Hi Emilie! I received your cookbook as a Christmas gift and am so happy!!! I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I have bread and goodies to use up in my freezer but once those are done, I’ll be making my sourdough bread again. My starter is in the fridge patiently waiting, I do feed it weekly! Love it, thanks for this post, so clarifying!
Emilie Raffa says
You are very welcome, Danielle! Enjoy :)