Feeding Sourdough Starter: My Best Tips & Tricks

Learn how to feed, maintain, and care for a successful 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).

Without fail, the most intimidating aspect of sourdough baking is understanding how to feed and maintain your sourdough starter.

Without a strong starter, you can’t make sourdough bread, sourdough focaccia or anything else with a lofty rise. I discuss this in detail in my bestselling book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. However, I’ve written a quick guide below so you can tackle this now.

First, let’s qualify the following: this post assumes you already have an established starter, either made from scratch, purchased or gifted to you. You need trusted instructions on how to feed and maintain it for optimal use. Sound like you? Read on.

Here, you’ll find sourdough starter feeding instructions (at a glance) and (in depth) depending on how much instruction you need. I’ve also included tips on how to store & maintain your sourdough starter for optimal use. There’s a lot to cover, each section is connected to the next, so let’s begin with the basics: a simple definition and why ongoing care is important.

What Is Sourdough Starter?

In simple terms, a sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of flour and water. When it becomes bubbly and active, a small portion is used to make bread dough rise without commercial yeast.

Why Feeding Matters

Most bakers, especially beginners, don’t realize that you can’t just create a sourdough starter and walk away.

Expect to feed your starter every time prior to making bread dough and while not in use. Just like watering a plant or feeding a pet, it needs support from you. Here’s how to do it.

How To Feed Your Sourdough Starter (At A Glance)

1. Remove and discard half of your sourdough starter.
2. Feed what’s left in the jar with equal parts flour and water by weight (1:1:1 feeding ratio).
3. Let rise at room temperature (loosely covered or airtight) ideally 75+ F, until bubbly, active and double in size (2-12 hrs).

Understanding The Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratio

So, what you’ve just read above is the mechanical 3-step feeding process.

But the question is, exactly how much flour and water do you need to feed your starter?

Bakers feed their sourdough starter by ratio. Not specific amounts. Why?

Because all bakers work with different quantities of starter to begin with. I might have 250 g of starter, you might have only 50 g. Feeding by ratio streamlines the process for everyone, allowing you to scale up or down to suit your preference.

Let’s unpack this a bit more…

There are several types of feeding ratios in sourdough. The most common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (sourdough starter: flour: water) also known as a 100% hydration starter. That’s what you’re going to learn here. It’s an excellent starting point for most recipes including my famous sourdough bread recipe for beginners.

Here’s how it works: Let’s say you have 40 g of sourdough starter in a jar. To feed it, you would add 40 g of flour + 40 g of water for a total of 120 g (1:1:1). This is referred to feeding with equal parts by weight. You need a scale for this, not measuring cups, which go by volume.

Let’s quickly re-cap: we’ve defined sourdough starter, why feeding matters, feeding at a glance and touched on feeding ratios. Now, we’re going to discuss how to feed in depth which dives into the “why’s” behind the process.

Feeding Sourdough Starter (In-Depth)

Step 1: Remove and Discard

Discarding some of your sourdough starter is done before feeding for a few reasons: to refresh the acidity levels, to keep it balanced, and to control its overall growth in size. This step is important. The amount discarded doesn’t always have to be half. Just a portion. To do so, pour off or scoop out the discard with a spoon. Where does the discard go? If it’s extremely smelly or discolored, it goes in the trash. If it’s in good condition, you can save it to make a sourdough discard recipe.

Example: You have about 120 g of sourdough starter in a jar. Remove approximately half, about 60 g. The sourdough discard is in good condition so you can save it to make my fluffy sourdough pancakes.

But please don’t feel pressured to use the discard right away; the focus of this post is to teach you how to feed your starter. My intent is a simple introduction to possibility.

Before you begin: it’s best to 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 helps you learn how quickly it will rise and fall. 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.

Step 2: Feed The Starter

Back to the jar. You now have 60 g starter left. Feed what’s left in the jar with equal parts flour & water by weight following the 1:1:1 feeding ratio (sourdough starter: flour: water) or another feeding ratio of your choice (i.e. 1:2:2, 1:3:3 or 1:5:5).

Mix well with a fork or small rubber spatula, scraping down the sides until it turns into a thick, lump-free batter. Place the lid on top, loosely covered or airtight.

Texture is key. While feeding ratios are helpful, use them as a guide only. It doesn’t have to be exact. This is because your starter will look different on different days, due to the following variables: type/brand of flour used, temperature, flour absorption rate etc. So, if you’ve followed the feeding ratio and your starter is too thick, add more water to thin it out. If it’s too thin, add more flour. The texture is always adjustable. It should look like thick pancake batter.

Step 3: Rise & Activate

Place your starter in a warm spot to activate, ideally 75-80 F. The warmer it is, the faster it will rise.

Your starter is active when it shows the following signs: it doubles in size, small and large bubbles appear on the surface and throughout the culture, the texture is spongy or fluffy and smells pleasant. This can take anywhere from 2-12 hrs. depending on the strength of your starter, the quality of your flour, and of course, your surrounding environment.

What goes up must come down. An active sourdough starter, one that has doubled in size, will eventually fall back down. This is normal. There’s nothing wrong with your starter when it falls; it’s just past peak. It will only stay fully risen for 1-2 hours (this varies). Use your starter to make bread dough when it’s at peak height.

How To Store Sourdough Starter

Your feeding and maintenance 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 its 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.

A Few Things To Pay Attention To:

If you forget to feed your starter, it’s totally normal. Everyone does this. It’s not dead, and no, you didn’t ruin it. Keep feeding it in a warm spot. Starters are more resilient than you’d think. They need time and patience.

I’m often asked about flour. What’s the best one for feeding your starter?

For white flour starters, use good-quality unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour (my preference is the latter). 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 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 heartier, 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.

Bottom line: be consistent. Starters like routine. If your starter likes a certain flour, don’t change it.

Let’s move on to starter jars. Does it need to be airtight?

Currently, I use a 3/4 L 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. Oftentimes, I switch things up and use jam jars, glasses and/or whatever else is clean!

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. Or, 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.

Finally, 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 image below features two different starters I keep in my fridge: Country Starter (fed with 50/50 white flour + whole wheat) and my Basic Starter (all white flour).