Sourdough Starter Care & Feeding
Feed it. Learn its rhythm. Bake again.
A little care. Plenty of good bread.
Once your starter is established, keeping it going is simple. Keep a small amount, feed it to suit your baking plans and learn what it looks like when it is ready to use.
This guide is for ongoing care. If your starter has just arrived, follow the live or dehydrated starter instructions or the gluten-free activation guide first.
The basics, without the fuss
Keep around 30–50 g of starter. You do not need a large jarful between bakes. The examples below start with 50 g.
Weigh each feed. Digital scales make the quantities consistent. Flour and water do not weigh the same by volume.
Keep it warm while fermenting. Aim for 24–27°C, ideally around 26–27°C. Cooler conditions slow it down.
Cover with a loosely fitted lid. Use a clean jar with plenty of room for expansion and mark the level after feeding.
Always feed before baking. Let the starter come to room temperature and become active and aerated before adding it to your dough.
Use clean utensils and keep the jar away from direct sunlight, fruit bowls and compost bins. A rise band and thermometer help you see what is happening.
Feed for the flour you are using
These starting quantities are based on the flours we sell: good-quality wheat bakers flour (typically 12% protein or more), wholegrain rye and wholegrain spelt. Different flours absorb water differently, so they will not all produce the same texture.
The ratios below are starter : flour : water, all by weight.
| Starter and feeding flour | Ratio | Feed 50 g starter with |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat · bakers flour | 1 : 1 : 1 | 50 g flour + 50 g water |
| Rye · wholegrain rye | 1 : 1 : 1.2 | 50 g flour + 60 g water |
| Spelt · wholegrain spelt | 1 : 1.1 : 1 | 55 g flour + 50 g water |
| Gluten-free · brown rice flour | 1 : 1 : 1 | 50 g flour + 50 g water |
| Gluten-free Easy Rise · White Bread and Pizza or 1-to-1 Baking Flour | 1 : 1 : 1 | 50 g flour + 50 to 55 g water |
Mix thoroughly until no dry flour remains. The rye flour-to-water ratio is 5:6; wholegrain spelt is 1.1:1. These are different from the three-part feeding ratios because they describe only the fresh flour and water.
For gluten-free starter, use the flour and method in the gluten-free feeding guide. Brown rice starter can show much subtler activity than Easy Rise.
Choose a routine that suits your baking
On the bench: baking every day or two
- Keep around 50 g starter. Use the surplus for baking or a suitable cooked discard recipe once the culture is established and healthy.
- Feed using the quantities for your flour above.
- Mix, mark the level and cover loosely.
- Feed daily. In warm conditions, a starter that peaks and falls quickly may need feeding more often or a larger feed.
You are keeping a measured amount each time, rather than discarding an arbitrary half and allowing the jar to grow indefinitely.
In the fridge: baking less often
- Keep around 30–50 g starter after your bake and feed it using the appropriate ratio.
- Let fermentation get underway in a warm spot, then refrigerate with a loosely fitted lid.
- Refresh about once a week: retain a small measured amount, feed it and allow activity to begin before returning it to the fridge.
- Before baking, take it out, feed enough for your recipe and let it warm up and reach peak activity.
If it has been resting for a while or responds slowly, it may need another feed before it is ready to bake.
Freezer: a backup, not your everyday routine
Freeze a small portion of healthy starter as a backup. Keep your main culture in the fridge or at room temperature with regular feeding. This applies to gluten-free starters too.
To use a backup, thaw it, feed it and keep it warm. Allow a couple of feeds, or longer if needed, until activity is reliable again before baking.
Need more starter for your bake?
Keep your mother starter small and increase the fresh flour and water when you need a larger batch. First add together the amount your recipe needs + the starter you want to keep. Subtract the starter already in your jar, then divide the remaining weight between flour and water using your flour’s ratio (above).
Example: 180 g for your recipe, plus 50 g to keep
You need 230 g in total. Starting with 50 g in your jar means adding 180 g of fresh flour and water.
| Starter | Keep in jar | Add flour | Add water | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 50 g | 90 g | 90 g | 230 g |
| Wholegrain rye | 50 g | 82 g | 98 g | 230 g |
| Wholegrain spelt | 50 g | 94 g | 86 g | 230 g |
Rye and spelt quantities are rounded to the nearest gram. Once the starter reaches peak activity, use 180 g and retain about 50 g for next time. Allow a little extra if you tend to lose some on the spoon or sides of the jar.
This keeps the flour-to-water balance consistent while increasing the food available to your 50 g starter. A larger feed can take longer to reach peak, so allow enough time and watch the starter rather than the clock.
When is it ready to bake?
Wheat, rye and spelt
Look for a starter that has doubled or more after feeding, with bubbles throughout and a pleasantly fermented aroma. Use it at or near its highest rise, before it collapses.
A rise band helps you spot the change. Bubble size varies with flour and consistency, so big surface bubbles are not the only sign of activity.
Gluten-free
Look for active bubbles, aeration and a pleasantly fermented aroma. Brown rice starter may show only a subtle increase in volume. Easy Rise generally rises more visibly.
Do not wait for every gluten-free starter to double. Follow the cues in the guide for your starter and use the recipe developed for your flour.
Temperature, feeding quantities and flour all affect timing. In warm conditions, a traditional starter may reach peak around 3–12 hours after a feed, but this is a guide rather than a deadline. A cold starter or a larger feed can take longer.
The float test is not a reliable pass-or-fail test. Flour, hydration and handling affect whether starter floats. Judge the rise and activity in the jar instead.
Learn to recognise peak activity“Is this normal?”
There are bubbles, but hardly any rise
Check the actual temperature, flour and feed weights first. Below 24°C, fermentation slows. A very wet starter may release gas without holding much height, while brown rice starter naturally rises less. Mark the level after feeding and watch for a rise and fall before deciding it is inactive.
It smells sharp or like acetone
A sharp, solvent-like smell commonly means the starter is hungry. If there are no signs of contamination, retain a small amount, feed it and observe its next cycle. A starter that repeatedly peaks and falls well before the next feed may need more food, more frequent feeds or fridge storage.
There is liquid on top
Liquid can be a sign of hunger or separation in a wet mixture. Check the feed weights and whether the starter has already risen and fallen. If the culture otherwise looks and smells normal, refresh it. If you are unsure about an unusual colour or growth, send us a photo before using it.
It has already risen and fallen
If your starter is only just beginning to fall, it is still in our preferred baking window. If it has fallen substantially, feed it again before baking. A high tide mark on the jar can help you see where it reached. Learn why your starter rises and falls, and how to recognise its baking window.
Do I have to throw starter away at every feed?
No. Build what you need for baking and leave a small amount to maintain. When you are refreshing without baking, reducing the amount before feeding keeps the culture manageable. Surplus from a healthy, established starter can go into cooked discard recipes. Do not use contaminated starter.
I can see mould or unusual pink or orange patches
Do not bake with it or try to scrape off the affected area. Discard the contaminated culture, thoroughly clean your equipment and start again with an unaffected backup or fresh starter. Contact us if you need help working out what happened.
Ready for your next loaf?
A little help goes a long way
Sourdough is forgiving once you understand its rhythm. If something is not quite right, tell us your starter type, flour, feeding weights, temperature and how long it has been since feeding. A photo of the jar helps too.
Email ohcrumb@doughmygod.com.au or call 1300 991 822 and we will help you work through it.