I created Regina, my faithful Sourdough Starter back in 2020. It has been almost 5 years to the date and she continues to yield amazing breads and bakes that I am happy to share with my family, friends and community. But I will be honest with you, if something were to happen to Regina, I am not sure that I would start another starter from scratch. Not that it is a difficult thing to do, but because it does take some time (about two weeks) and you can always find someone (a local baker, neighbor or friend) who is willing to share a portion of their active starter with you. I know I have shared many little offsprings of Regina to people who wanted to try their hand at Sourdough.

Having told you this, I do understand that one of the more overwhelming aspect of sourdough may be the maintenance of a starter, especially if you are a home baker who bakes only a handful of times a month. This is why, before providing a recipe to create a starter from scratch, I have come up with a sourdough starter maintenance schedule that I hope will help you in your sourdough journey.

Sourdough Starter Maintenance

You have obtained a sourdough starter from a neighbor or your local baker, now what? Maintaining a sourdough starter is simple, with a consistent routine. Because your starter is a mix of flour and water that houses wild yeast and bacteria, it needs regular feeding, proper storage, and a clean environment. If you are home baker who only bakes sporadically, storing your starter in the fridge is best.

The following maintenance schedule is recommended for home bakers who make bread once a week.

Remove your starter from the refrigerator 12–24 hours before you plan to bake.

Feed the Starter: Using a clean jar, feed the starter with enough flour and water to yield the amount required in your recipe. For example, if your recipe calls for 100 gr. of sourdough starter, weigh about 25 gr. starter + 50 gr. water + 50 gr. flour. Mix well and let it sit at room temperature until it doubles in size (4–12 hours, depending on your room temperature and starter activity). The unfed portion of the starter can be placed back in the refrigerator for future use in a discard recipe. I keep a discard jar in the refrigerator at all times for this purpose.

Prepare for Baking: Use the amount of starter needed for your recipe.

After Baking: Feed the remaining starter once more with equal parts flour and water. Let it sit at room temperature for 1–4 hours to ensure some activity. Return the starter to the refrigerator for storage until the next baking session.

Skipping a Week: Feed your starter once a week even if you’re not baking. Discard half into your discard jar, feed it, and return it to the refrigerator after 1–2 hours.

Reviving an Inactive Starter: If your starter has been unattended for a while, it may have developed a dark liquid with a strong acetone smell. This liquid is called “hooch” and it is a normal sign that the starter is hungry. To revive it, just give it a couple of feedings at room temperature (every 12 hours) and it should come back to full strength.

Other useful things to note:

• Mark your Starter: use a rubber band to mark the level of your freshly fed starter on the jar, this will give you a good indication of how much it has grown.

• Flour Choice: Use the same type of flour consistently (e.g., all-purpose, whole wheat, or rye) to keep the starter balanced. Because bread only uses a handful of ingredients, with flour being the main one, I would recommend you try to use the best available flour that you can find. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find local flour mills that will enable you to purchase high quality flour. If you are in the Indiana/Illinois and surrounding areas I would recommend the use of Janie’s Mill Flour. This is an organic, stone milled flour that I use in ALL my bakes.

• Container: Store in a clean, loosely covered jar or container to allow airflow but prevent contamination.

• Watch for Signs of Health: A healthy starter is bubbly, doubles in size, smells tangy or slightly fruity. If it develops a bad odor, mold, or discoloration, discard and start fresh.

• Use Straight From the Fridge: if your cold starter continues to show signs of activity, you may try using it straight into the Overnight Bread Recipe, then feed it again as per the usual schedule for storage.

For more information on what tools and equipment you might need to help you in your sourdough journey, make sure to follow the link below: