How to Feed Sourdough Starter | Easy Feeding Your Sourdough Starter - Cultures For Health (2024)

FAQs

How to Feed Sourdough Starter | Easy Feeding Your Sourdough Starter - Cultures For Health? ›

Feed starter with flour and water: If using a scale to measure ingredients, combine equal amounts by weight of starter, water, and flour. For instance, 50 grams starter, 50 grams water, 50 grams flour. If using measuring cups, combine 1 part starter, 1 part water, and a little less than 2 parts flour.

If kept around 76°F (24°C), this sourdough starter should ripen about every 12 hours. To give it a feeding, I discard the ripe sourdough starter in the jar down to 20g, add 70g fresh all-purpose flour, 30g whole rye flour, and 100g water. Then, I give it a thorough mix until everything is hom*ogenous.

There is no single best ratio, but I've found a ratio of 1:5:5 fed twice daily at 12-hour intervals to produce a sourdough starter that's strong and healthy. This ratio corresponds to 20% ripe starter carryover, 100% water, and 100% flour (a mix of whole grain rye and white flour) at each feeding.

The most common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (sourdough starter: flour: water). This is also known as a 100% hydration starter. For example, let's say you have 40 g of sourdough starter in a jar. To feed it, you'll add 40 g of flour + 40 g of water.

Leaving it out on the counter, it will need to be fed equal parts water and flour every 12-24 hours. Warmer homes or frequent baking will require more frequent feeding (around every 12 hours), while colder homes every 24 hours. Storing your sourdough starter in the fridge will require feeding around once a week.

stir your starter in between feedings - try stirring it twice in between feedings and really give it a chance to get oxygen into the mix. This will help to activate your starter without too much effort.

You don't have to waste flour on a daily basis if you want to maintain a sourdough starter. By adjusting how much you feed your starter and by choosing discard recipes, you don't have to discard your sourdough starter daily.

Combine flour, water, and levain in a 2:2:1 ratio, aiming for a DDT of 78˚F. Cover and let sit at room temperature until doubled in volume, which should take 4 to 6h with a healthy starter. Move to the fridge for up to 14 days and repeat.

Reviving a dormant sourdough starter is a simple process. Begin by discarding all but 1/2 cup of the old starter. Then, feed the remaining starter with fresh flour and water. The feeding ratio should ideally be 1:1:1 (starter:flour:water).

Yes, you can overfeed your sourdough starter. Audrey explains: “Every time you add more flour and water, you are depleting the existing population of natural bacteria and yeast.” If you keep adding more and more, eventually you'll dilute the starter so much that you'll just have flour and water.

How much should I feed my 2 cups of sourdough starter? ›

Feed the starter 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) water and a scant 1 cup (4 ounces, 113g) all-purpose flour twice a day, discarding all but 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) of the starter before each feeding. It should soon become healthy, bubbly, and active.

When we send out our dried sourdough starter packets, the instructions say to make it like a thick pancake batter. That is the viscosity we prefer. We recommend doing this with a 100% hydration - remember, that is 50% flour and 50% water.

Daily Feeding: If you maintain your starter at room temperature (around 70-75°F or 21-24°C) and want it to be ready for baking within a day or two, daily feedings are recommended. Discard a portion of the starter and feed it with fresh flour and water every 24 hours.

Typical signs of food spoilage and mold include pink, orange, or green colors, white fuzzy spots, or sometimes areas that are darker with white areas on top. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend throwing your starter away and creating a new one.

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACTIVATING A SOURDOUGH STARTER

flour and 1 Tbsp. of room temperature water in a quart-size glass jar and stir thoroughly. Cover the jar with a coffee filter or breathable material secured with rubber band and culture the starter in a warm place (70-80°F) for 12-24 hours.

If you don't discard a sourdough starter, it will continue to grow and accumulate in volume. Over time, the starter can become too large to manage, requiring more flour and water for feedings. Additionally, the acidity level of the starter can increase, potentially affecting the flavor of the resulting bread.

But all purpose, bread flour, whole wheat flour or rye flour are all suitable for feeding a regular sourdough starter successfully. Many people like to feed their sourdough starter a cheaper flour, particularly when in the establishment phase and going through quite a bit of it.

Fed sourdough starter refers to a starter that has been fed flour and water (preferably by weight). You should feed the starter equal or greater than its weight after discarding a portion. You should wait at least 2-4 hours or until the starter is at its peak before you use it in your baking.