How to Feed a Sourdough Starter

At its core, feeding means removing some of your existing starter and replenishing what remains with fresh flour and water. A common and dependable ratio is one part starter to one part water to one part flour by weight, often written as 1:1:1. For example, keep 50 grams of starter and add 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour. Stir until smooth, and you have given the culture a fresh meal. Using a scale makes this precise and repeatable, which your starter will reward with consistent behavior.

The portion you remove before feeding is called discard, and beginners often wonder why they cannot just keep adding flour to the whole jar. The answer is that without discarding, your starter would grow enormous and become increasingly acidic as waste builds up. Discarding keeps the volume manageable and the acidity in check so the yeast stays happy. You do not have to throw discard away, though, since it can go into pancakes, crackers, and many other recipes.

Timing your feedings depends on how you store your starter. If you keep it at room temperature and bake often, it will need feeding once or even twice a day, because the warmth keeps the microbes active and hungry. You will know it is ready for another feeding when it has risen to its peak and begun to fall back down. Feeding at peak, when the starter is bubbly and domed, keeps it at its strongest.

If you bake only occasionally, storing your starter in the refrigerator is far more practical. The cold slows the culture down so dramatically that it only needs feeding about once a week. Before you plan to bake, take it out, give it one or two feedings at room temperature to wake it up, and wait until it is lively and doubling again. This flexible approach means you can keep a starter for years without daily upkeep, feeding it heavily only when you are ready to bake.

A healthy, well fed starter smells pleasantly tangy and yeasty, rises predictably after feeding, and bounces back quickly even after neglect. If yours seems sluggish, try feeding it more often, using a bit of whole grain flour for a boost, or keeping it somewhere warmer. Do not panic over a layer of dark liquid on top, called hooch, which simply means it is hungry and ready to eat. With regular feeding and a little attention, your starter will stay strong and dependable for the long haul.