The Ultimate Guide To Maintaining A Sourdough Starter

I'm so excited to share how best to maintain your sourdough starter! To be more specific, how best to maintain your base sourdough starter. Now, what do I mean by base sourdough starter? Let's get started...

Definition time: Base Sourdough Starter

Full disclaimer, base sourdough starter is not a general term. I have created it for the purposes of this post, LOL. Your base sourdough starter is your baby, even though sometimes, people call it "the mother". It's the thing that you create all of your levains from. It's the starter that you never let dwindle to zero.

My base sourdough starter has around a 1:1:1 ratio of sourdough to flour to water.

Everything I Address Below:

• What flour do I use?
• Levain vs starter
• How do I make my starter more active?
• Discard vs starter
• The feeding schedule
• Tips on feeding
• What does it mean when my starter is at "peak"?
• Should I do a float test?
• What water is best for my starter?
• What temperature should the water be at?
• What should my starter smell like?
• How to take a break from feedings
• How to freeze sourdough starter
• What about drying my sourdough starter?
• Help! My starter is gray or has liquid on it!
• Help! My starter is runny!
• When I don't have enough starter, what do I do?
• The truth about overfeeding
• Help! Fruit Flies!
• Help! Mold!

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What flour do I use?

Bread flour. Yep.

For my base sourdough starter, I always use bread flour. And on the off-chance that I've run out of bread flour, I use all-purpose flour.

But don't whole grain flours help fermentation?

I understand. You might wonder why so many people promote using a whole wheat flour blend (like half whole grain wheat and half all-purpose). I'm not totally against it, but usually, it's because they're solely making breads that are using some percentage of whole grains (like your typical sourdough boule). And by using a whole wheat flour blend always in your starter, you're building up that whole wheat flavor profile quite a bit over time.

Also, whole wheat flour is often promoted as optimal for a starter build because sourdough bacteria just loves whole grains. BUT, it's harder to maintain, especially for beginners! Refined flours like bread flour convert much easier into sugar, which is what is feeding the bacteria in your sourdough starter. And not only that, but runny starter issues as well as mold issues tend to present themselves more often when whole wheat flour is used.

Most importantly for me though, the quality of a whole wheat sourdough starter's sourness (as told from the smell) is not one I'd like in my sweet recipes that use up my discard, which lots of general bread makers are usually not making too often (but I am!!!).

Maintaining multiple kind of starters

A lot of serious bread makers (professionals and some non) maintain multiple different types of starters. They might have a white starter, a wheat starter, a rye starter, a spelt starter, etc. And each of these starters would have different proportions of starter:water:flour to accommodate each grain type. The reason they do this is because they are regularly making each of these types of breads with those starters (i.e. a rye heavy bread with rye starter, or a heavy whole grain wheat bread with wheat starter). And I have kept a whole wheat starter in the past...

But I just didn't feel like it was worth it for a non-professional environment (like a bakery or something where mass production is happening).

So look...the most important reason why I opt for using bread flour for my base sourdough starter is because I can make levains of any flour mix anyways.

Definition time: Levain

Your sourdough levain is an off-shoot of your base sourdough starter. Levains are what you make to optimize and grow a one-time-use starter for a specific recipe. For example, if I were to make this Semi-Rye Sandwich Bread, I would be making a levain that contains some rye flour:

• 120g water
• 100g sourdough starter
• 100g bread flour
• 50g rye flour

As you can also see, this recipe contains more water and more flour than just 100g, which means it's scaling up the starter. It also contains 30g more of flour than water, which means it'll be rather thick, and that will help the overall structure of the bread.

Then when it's time to make the bread, all of that levain will go into the dough, providing that fermented rye flavor and structure.

Levains are different for every recipe. And they provide a lot of different purposes, as you can see above (scaling, flavor, structure). Generally, because levains are scaling up a starter, they also are cutting back on the acidity present in the starter, which is ideal for a lot of breads.

An example levain:

In some levains for sweet recipes or sweet breads, some sugar content is added to the levain as well to really make the acidity unnoticeable. It really wouldn't be ideal to have an acidic taste in that cinnamon babka, now would it...

So for someone who might make a blend of savory and sweet sourdough recipes, you can make life easy and have your base sourdough starter be the most basic it can be (fed with just bread flour).

How do I make my sourdough starter the most active it can be?

The day before you use your sourdough starter, feed it twice.

"Wait, what?" you might think, "What did she say?"

Yes. The day before you make a bread, feed your starter once in the morning and once in the evening (about 12 hours apart). This twice in a day feed is really going to get things growing in your starter!

And this tip is specifically for making recipes that require your sourdough to rise a lot. So typical sourdough bread recipes, focaccia recipes, even this cranberry babka recipe or this cinnamon roll recipe made with squash, would benefit greatly from the twice a day feedings beforehand.

Twice a day feedings is what I do when I also just feel like my base starter needs a little pep in its step. If you've ever felt like "my starter just doesn't rise enough," give twice a day feedings a shot.

Recipes that only use discard, like this Lemon Bundt Cake, do not need the extra feeding.

Definition time: Discard

Sourdough discard is the starter leftover from feeding. So let's say you have 150g of starter from yesterday, and you're only going to use 50g of it for your starter today (i.e. to make a 50g starter, 50g water, 50g bread flour starter). You'd "discard" 100g of it. But wait! Don't actually discard it (unless you have no time, then please feel free). There are tons of good discard recipes out there.

Now, the only time I wouldn't suggest using discard is when you've just pulled your starter out of a "hibernation period" in the fridge. More on that in a bit...

Also, just so you're aware, when your starter is 24 hours after a feed, it's going to be quite liquid-y. This doesn't mean your starter is runny in a bad way (I'll discuss this "runny in a bad way" further along).

A feeding schedule that ensures a healthy lifelong sourdough starter:

On days I'm not planning on baking any bread, I feed my starter once a day like this:

• 50g water
• 50g starter
• 60g bread flour

I add that 10g extra of bread flour to ensure no runny-ness when I'm going 24 hours between feedings.

On days I'm planning to bake bread the next day or every day, I feed my starter TWICE a day (12 hours apart) like this:

• 50g water
• 50g starter
• 50g bread flour

But if your sourdough starter isn't peaking before 12 hours, stick to 24 hours.

On days I need a 1-2 week break, I feed my starter once like this:

• 50g water
• 50g starter
• 60g bread flour

Then I wait an hour or so and cover well and stick it in the fridge for the next 1-2 weeks. Don't worry, I write more on going on long-term feeding breaks below...

Tips for feeding your sourdough starter:

• Add the water to your container first. Then add the sourdough starter and mix it into the water so it dissolves almost completely.

• Then add the flour and mix THOROUGHLY until all is blended up. There should be no flour visibly present after mixing.

• Just lightly cover your container so oxygen is very available for the fermentation process. This will help your starter rise much higher!

• Thicker is better than thin. If your starter feels very liquid-y when you're about to feed it again, do the 50g water, 50g starter, 60g bread flour feeding listed above. Sometimes, I do every feed like this. There's really no harm to it and it won't affect your bakes at all (even ones that say to use a 1:1:1 starter).

More tips:

• Even though some of my photos have no markers, I do suggest using clear containers and markers to be aware of how much your starter is growing. Ideas for this are jars with a rubberband to mark the original line, or a clear tall takeout container and some painter's tape. If you use tape, you might even like to write the time you fed your starter.
• If you have no time to feed or you're suddenly busy or feeling overwhelmed, just pop your starter into the fridge for a day or a few. You don't HAVE to feed your starter before you set it in the fridge. It's highly unlikely that all your bacteria will die off. But if you don't feed it beforehand and it's post-peak, just feed it after max 3 days in the fridge and not an entire week.
• Change your container out for a clean one every time you pull your starter out from a fridge break. So, after a fridge break, I dispose of any gunk on top (more on this below), and in a new container, weight how much non-gunky starter I have, add that amount of water, and a little bit of extra flour and mix in the new container. That becomes my container for the next week or two until that starter comes out from a fridge break.

Definition Time: Peak Starter

Peak starter is when your sourdough starter is at its absolute puffiest and fluffiest! It's when the yeast is the most populated, and you can tell this when your starter is super bubbly and maybe even doming on top.

Peaked starter will usually be about twice the size of the original feed. Peaking will take around 3-6 hours (depending on temperature, see what temperature the water should be at below) from the original feeding time.

When your starter is peaked, this is the best time for you to use it in a recipe or to make your levain for a recipe! And if you're not ready to bake when it has peaked, stick it in the fridge until you are (max 2 hours).

If you're unsure if your starter is at its peak, aim to use it before full peak rather than after. So sooner is better than later. Sometimes, there will be lots of bubbles up the container about ⅞ to the top of your starter, and this is right before peak. Then peak happens when the bubbles are uniform all the way up to the top of the puffy bubbles.

Also, I just want to mention a really important statement for your starter's overall health and wellbeing:

Your starter MUST peak in between feedings.

Okay?! It's absolutely necessary. Or you won't have enough yeast to keep your starter going.

Now, moving on.

"Should I do a float test?"

A float test is when you drop a little dollop of starter into water and see if it floats. This is touted as a way to see if your starter is active enough to use for a recipe in that moment.

And the float test as a test is...quite simply, just fine. When you're not sure if your starter is peaked or not, you might like to do a float test. However, I feel like it is very obvious when your starter is quite active or is peaking, and if it's NEVER OBVIOUS, then it needs to be nurtured to be more active (see "How do I make my starter more active" above).

Or maybe it's just the first time you're using sourdough and you want to make absolute sure your starter is actually active!! Then go for the float test.

But wait...

The float test is actually something that tends to happen quite naturally in most recipes. Because most recipes start with water first, then starter, then flour, you'll naturally see if your starter floats in that second step. I simply wouldn't recommend wasting starter to do the float test unless you're an absolute beginner and just want to see what's up.

Now, what if your starter sinks to the bottom while you're making a recipe and you're worried it has no signs of life? It depends on a lot of factors to determine if you should proceed with the recipe or scrap your progress (which should just be water and starter, thankfully).

The factors that can make or break a float test:

• Flour type: Peaked whole wheat flour or rye flour-based starters may not form enough gluten for the starter to have the capability to hold together to float. These will most likely show at least some sinkage. With peaked bread flour-based starters (like the one I promote above), you'll pass the float test most of the time.
• Disruption to form: Your starter may not pass the float test if you've mixed it up first and disrupted the air inside your starter scooping it out. The starter must be kept quite undisturbed when moving from its container to the float test. I suggest using a spoon to gently scoop. Though, when a starter is SUPER A++ active, which it will be one day, you will be able to just plop that starter in and it'll float blissfully, its bubbles moderately disrupted or not.
• The age of your starter: If you have a super young starter, it may still need time to develop strength and may not float yet. Bread flour can help this strength, so just keep feeding and tending to it and it'll happen.
• Timing: Your starter may not be at peak, but may be considerably active. So if you put it in before peak or after peak, it could possibly not fully float. Ideal time is peak, baby.

Does water type really matter?

The jury is still out on this. Some people believe that using non-chlorinated water is best for sourdough starter, but I think most people wouldn't notice that much difference in their starter's activity.

I would use filtered water if you have it, but I wouldn't go so far as to use bottled water if you don't. Most tap water is fine if you don't live in a city or town with very heavily chlorinated water!

But if you're using tap water, I will suggest you do the following easy thing as often as possible:

Fill a glass or container with tap water and let it sit out overnight or during the day before feeding (without covering). This will let the chlorine dissolve from the water and ta-da, you've avoided most of the chlorine.

What temperature should the water be at?

Your water should be up to 80 degrees F (or 26C). This isn't an exact science, but it really shouldn't be too hot (above 85F) or too cold. It can be room temperature, especially if you're leaving your water out for a while uncovered.

Just know that the cooler the water, the longer your starter will take to peak. If you want your starter to peak as quickly as possible, use 80F water and place your starter in a warm place (around 78F). For a starter that peaks in 2-3 hours, I like to turn my oven on for a few minutes then turn it off and place my starter in there.

What should my sourdough starter smell like?

Your starter should simply smell a bit sour. I say this so simply because the way it smells sour will most always be a little bit different. Mine usually smells just slightly sour and quite pleasant when I'm feeding it outside of the fridge.

But when it comes out of the fridge after a break in feedings (which I talk all about in the next section, btw), it smells really sour.

The way my sourdough smells also changes if I move locations and my water changes. Or if I use a new brand of bread flour to feed it. So there are a lot of variables, and I suggest that you sniff it before feeding or use each time just to see how it shifts in smell!

"I need a break from feedings"

AKA "it's time for hibernation, my sweet baby"

Up-keeping a sourdough starter can be taxing. I get it. It takes a lot of time and dedication, and it takes a lot of flour to not only feed but to make recipes as well.

When you want a break, here's what to do:

1. Feed your starter and let it sit out for an hour
2. Cover it well and pop it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks
3. Repeat step 1 and 2, or resume room temperature feedings if you want to bake!

I know what you're going to say...1-2 weeks doesn't seem like a very long break. Truth be told, I've let my sourdough starter sit in the fridge for 3-4 weeks with no issue reviving it. However, I always have a back-up starter. So if you're going to be risky like me sometimes, you need to have a back-up plan. And here it is:

The starter back-up plan.

AKA I don't want to use my starter for a long time, or I fear it's going to die...

Put some starter in a plastic/ziploc freezer bag, seal it, and put it in the freezer. I have used starter from the fridge that was a year old and it revived. But I definitely wouldn't go beyond a year.

What about drying my sourdough starter?

Some people choose to dry their sourdough starter (dehydrating it) as a back-up. This method lasts in a tightly sealed jar for up to 5 years or so. But since I'm actively feeding my sourdough starter at least once a year, I have no issue with simply freezing my starter once a year.

I also like to think that my years of tending to this little being pays off in how its aged and matured over time. So if I lose my starter one day, I'll have a newer version of my starter in the freezer (at worst, a one year younger one) than a dried one from up to 5 years ago.

Drying starter is also a much more intensive process in both preparing it and later when you need it, rehydrating it. My biggest tip is that if you do have dried starter you're trying to use, I suggest making it into a powder to rehydrate it.

"Help! After my starter was in the fridge, it has liquid on top of it or is a little gray!"

This is normal. Even sometimes after a week, your starter might have some liquid floating on top. It's hooch! Alcohol! Dump the liquid and proceed to feed as usual.

Now, if you've left your starter in the fridge for a while, it might have a bit of a gray sheen to the top layer. Just scrape that layer off and dispose of it. Then transfer the non-gray starter from underneath to a new container and feed as usual.

Hooch or colorful matter on your hibernating starter is why I wouldn't use this discard for baking discard recipes. You want to dispose of the excess gunk, not consume it!

"Help! My starter is runny!"

Alright. By this, I hope you mean "runny in a bad way", which is totally different from your discard being runny after 24 hours (totally normal).

Runny in a bad way is when you're mixing your starter and it is the consistency of pancake batter or worse, even runnier. But DO NOT FRET! Runny starter is easily fixed.

You just do the 50g water, 50g starter, 60g bread flour feeding every 12 hours for a few days. Then keep feeding at the same ratio, but every 24 hours for a few days. Then if things seems really active and great, shift to 50g water, 50g starter, 50g bread flour every 24 hours. Easy!

When you just don't have enough sourdough starter for feeding:

You might not have that much starter to work with after a fridge break! Have no fear though, because you'll just work with what you have. So in a new container, you'll firstly measure out how much non-gunky starter you have (i.e. 7g). Then add that same amount of water (7g). Then add a few grams extra of flour (10g) because starters tend to get runny after being in the fridge. This also works when you have very little starter left over from using it in a recipe that just calls for a lot of starter!

For example:

• 12g starter
• 12g water
• 14g bread flour

Another example:

• 25g starter
• 25g water
• 30g bread flour

Why I don't overfeed my sourdough starter:

I'll be real, I've had times where I've only had 7 grams of non-gunky starter to work with. When this happens, I prefer to start building back up to 50g from a small amount. I do this instead of overfeeding. Overfeeding is when you make the ratio of starter:water:flour greater than 1. For example, 1:2:2 or 1:5:5. Other examples are simply: 20g of starter with 50g water and 50g flour.

And I rarely overfeed because:

1. It gets back up to large amounts way faster than you'd think. And there's less waste if I have to literally discard!
2. It takes longer for the yeast and bacteria to ferment when overfed. I also want to get back to my normal feeding schedule as quickly as possible!
3. I'm not usually in a rush, and you shouldn't be either. Because sourdough is a very time-oriented process. And it's typically a long-time oriented process. So bask in that! Use instant yeast for the recipes you want to rush bake! Because if you're rushing through sourdough's process, chances are it won't even taste developed because of the lack of time. Also, your sourdough won't even have enough fermentation to provide you with the health benefits it offers.
4. Most of the time, for breads at least, you're making a levain anyways. And a levain rarely calls for more than 100g of starter. If it even calls for above 60g or 70g.

To make it simple, I don't overfeed because that's what a levain is for.

"Help! Fruit flies want my sourdough starter!"

This is okay. If there are a ton, try to get rid of many as possible. You might have a lingering fruit fly or two still wanting that starter, but that's okay. You probably won't be able to get rid of them all. I also suggest closing your starter lid a little more tightly to see if that deters them a bit. But overall, fruit flies aren't an issue to your sourdough starter's health or yours when using your starter for bakes.

"Help! There's mold on my sourdough starter!"

Sadly, you'll have to dispose of your starter. Mold is a simply a no-go when it comes to sourdough starter. Pink, green, black, whatever color it is, just toss it and pull out some of that back-up starter from your freezer! Hello, that's what it's there for!!!

Alright, I created a simplified recipe card for maintaining your starter, in case you want to print it out or save it:

Hopefully this guide has solved all your sourdough starter woes and will keep your starter happy for life!