Getting Started
with Sourdough

A new sourdough starter usually takes about seven to fourteen days to become consistently active, although every kitchen and starter is different. Temperature, flour, water, and feeding schedule all affect how quickly it develops. Your starter is ready to bake with when it reliably doubles in size after feeding, has plenty of bubbles, and smells pleasantly tangy rather than harsh or unpleasant.

A quiet starter is often too cold, underfed, or still developing. Keep it somewhere comfortably warm and feed it consistently using fresh flour and water. Whole wheat or rye flour can sometimes help a sluggish starter become more active. Avoid feeding it again too quickly, since repeatedly diluting a weak starter can slow it down even more. Give it time to show signs of activity before the next feeding.

A starter kept at room temperature generally needs to be fed about once every twenty-four hours. In a very warm kitchen, it may peak and become hungry sooner. A starter stored in the refrigerator can usually be fed about once a week when it is not being used regularly. Before baking, bring it to room temperature and feed it until it is rising predictably and showing strong activity again.

Tap water works well in many homes, especially when it does not have a strong chlorine smell. If your starter seems slow or repeatedly struggles, try filtered water or leave a container of tap water uncovered overnight before using it. Water should be room temperature or slightly warm. Very hot water can damage the natural yeast and bacteria that keep your starter active.

Unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour both work well for maintaining a sourdough starter. Bread flour contains more protein and can provide additional strength, while whole wheat and rye flour contain more nutrients that may encourage activity. You do not need an expensive specialty flour. Consistency matters more than choosing one perfect type, so use a flour that is easy for you to keep on hand.

Poor rise is commonly caused by a starter that was not active enough, dough that needed more fermentation time, or dough that fermented for too long and lost its structure. Look at the dough rather than relying only on the clock. During bulk fermentation, it should become smoother, lighter, slightly domed, and visibly aerated. Temperature also matters, since dough develops much more slowly in a cool kitchen.