Feeding, also called refreshing, your sourdough starter ultimately becomes a series of personal choices. You have to adjust your starter feeding routine to match your baking frequency, the flour you plan to have on hand, the temperatures currently in your kitchen (which fluctuate naturally through the seasons), and also to time your sourdough starter ripening with your daily schedule. In this post, I plan to visit the question I get asked extremely often: how do I feed my sourdough starter?
This post will discuss what I'm feeding my sourdough starter (and will be updated should changes arise) and the schedule it follows. Since I often bake sourdough bread (just about every day!), keeping my starter in the strongest possible condition is beneficial. This means frequent feedings and keeping it at a warm temperature.
If you bake less often or want less commitment, there's a place for that, too. Please have a look at my weekend bread-making schedule for a low-maintenance way to keep your starter with the possibility of still baking bread on the weekends.
For a quick rundown, check out my YouTube video of my feeding process:
First, Create a Sourdough Starter
If you don't already have a sourdough starter, head to my easy sourdough starter creation guide to learn to make your own sourdough starter in around seven days. It's an easy process of mixing flour and water, discarding, and letting the mixture rest until stable and predictable fermentation happens each day.
What is Feeding a Sourdough Starter?
A sourdough starter needs a regular feeding of fresh flour and water to provide it with “food” for its metabolic activities. The wild yeast and bacteria in a sourdough culture use the flour to continue to function, reproducing and eventually creating the byproducts of fermentation we're after when baking bread: for the dough to rise (through carbon dioxide production) and for the flavor to be created (organic acids and other compounds).
Now that we know what it is let's look at how I feed my sourdough starter.
How Do I Feed My Sourdough Starter?
I use baker's percentages to communicate how I feed my starter in the same way I use them to convey bread formulas. All components of my sourdough starter are relative to the flour weight, which is always at 100%. This allows me to scale up or down my starter as needed—to, say, cover a large levain build for a big bake—while still maintaining the same ratio of ingredients.
Currently, I feed my sourdough starter the following ratio of carryover to flour to water:
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker's Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 20g | Ripe sourdough starter carryover | 20% |
| 100g | Flour (70g all-purpose flour, 30g whole rye flour) | 100% |
| 100g | Water | 100% |
I maintain around 220g of starter each day, translating to 20g carryover ripe sourdough starter, 70g all-purpose flour, 30g whole rye flour, and 100g water. I keep my starter in a large 3/4 Liter Weck jar and the jar in my small dough proofer daily.
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. Finally, cover the jar with its glass lid (it's not sealed shut, it just prevents air from getting inside) and leave it for 12 hours.
If you're curious, see why I think these jars are the best for a sourdough starter →
Adjusting Sourdough Starter Feedings Through the Seasons
Depending on the temperature in my kitchen, I might slightly adjust the amount of ripe sourdough starter I carry over during each feeding. For example, in the extreme heat of the summer, I might drop the amount of carryover starter down to 5 grams to ensure my starter doesn't ripen too quickly (i.e., discard more starter and use it somewhere else!). More ripe sourdough carryover left in the jar means a faster ripening time. On the other hand, less left in the jar slows ripening.
More ripe sourdough carryover left in the jar means a faster ripening time. On the other hand, less left in the jar slows ripening.
Conversely, in the coldest parts of the winter, I might bump the ripe sourdough starter carryover to 25 grams, even with my dough proofer holding my starter jar and warming to 76°F (24°C).
My Sourdough Starter Feeding Schedule
Now that you know what I feed my sourdough starter daily let's look at its schedule.
With the above flour, water, and carryover ratios, I need to feed my sourdough starter twice a day if kept at a warm temperature. I like to feed once in the morning at around 9:00 a.m. and once at night at around 9:00 p.m. This isn't a super strict schedule, sometimes I feed a little earlier and sometimes a little later, but generally, I like to keep to those times.
With this schedule, it means I can make the day's levain early at 9:00 a.m., and in the case of something like my , the levain will ripen and be ready for mixing around 2:00 p.m. In other cases, where I have an overnight levain, I'll make the overnight preferment at night around 9:00 p.m., and it's ready for mixing first thing in the morning.
The important thing is always to make a levain or mix a dough when your starter is ripe. This means making the levain with the ripe starter before feeding it.
In my case, I have two opportunities throughout the day to make a levain or mix a dough, at 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Recommended reading: Read on for more detail on my sourdough starter maintenance routine, including the signs I look for when my starter is ready for a feeding.
What's Next?
How do I feed my sourdough starter? Well, that's it! I'll keep this post updated with any changes to my feeding regimen, but if you're interested in reading more about starters, look at my sourdough starter collection, where I have a collection of maintenance routines, discard recipes, guides, and more.
If you're having issues with your sourdough starter, check out my roundup of the most commonly asked starter questions I've compiled over the last decade: 21 common sourdough starter problems with solutions.
If you want to get baking straight away with your starter, check out these recipes to get a loaf of sourdough bread on your table in no time.
Focaccia Pugliese (Focaccia with Potato)
Jalapeño-Cheddar Sourdough Bread
Easy No-Knead Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Starter FAQs
I have an in-depth sourdough starter FAQ with many questions and answers, but below are a few related to how I feed my sourdough starter.
How long after feeding my starter can I use it?
It depends on how you've fed it! If you feed it by carrying over a large percentage of ripe sourdough starter, it will be ready earlier. On the other hand, less carryover means it will take longer to ripen, assuming it's kept at the same temperature.
Why do you use rye flour in your sourdough starter?
I like using whole-grain rye flour to increase fermentation activity for a lively and strong starter. It's not mandatory, but a preference of mine: it results in a starter with the performance and flavor characteristics I'm after. If you're making a levain when baking, this will likely have a larger impact on a single bake (both in terms of flavor and fermentation performance).
Do I have to feed my sourdough starter twice a day?
No. You can scale back to once a day or even scale up to three times a day, whatever works for you and your schedule. I like to feed it at least once a day to keep it strong and ready for baking. If you aren't baking for a while, you could store your starter.
Do I have to discard my sourdough starter?
It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period. This discard can be used to make sourdough waffles, pancakes, cakes, or many other things!
As a seasoned artisan baker with a profound passion for sourdough, I've dedicated countless hours to perfecting the craft and delving into the intricate details of sourdough starter maintenance. My journey has led me to experiment with various feeding routines, flours, and temperatures, honing my skills to achieve consistent and exceptional results. I've shared my expertise through platforms like YouTube and comprehensive written guides, earning the trust of a community fascinated by the art of sourdough baking.
Now, let's break down the key concepts presented in the article:
1. Sourdough Starter Creation:
The article emphasizes the importance of having a well-established sourdough starter. It directs readers to an easy sourdough starter creation guide, involving a seven-day process of mixing flour and water, discarding, and patiently waiting for stable fermentation.
2. Feeding a Sourdough Starter:
- Frequency and Adjustments: Feeding, also known as refreshing, is described as a personal choice influenced by factors such as baking frequency, flour availability, kitchen temperature, and daily schedule alignment.
- Purpose: The regular feeding of fresh flour and water is crucial to provide the sourdough starter with the necessary nutrients for metabolic activities. This sustains the wild yeast and bacteria, resulting in fermentation byproducts essential for bread baking.
3. Baker's Percentages:
The article introduces the use of baker's percentages for feeding the sourdough starter, similar to conveying bread formulas. The components of the starter are measured relative to the flour weight, allowing for scalability while maintaining consistent ingredient ratios.
4. Current Feeding Ratio:
The author shares their current feeding ratio, expressed in baker's percentages:
- 20% Ripe sourdough starter carryover
- 100% Flour (70g all-purpose flour, 30g whole rye flour)
- 100% Water
5. Feeding Process:
The feeding process involves discarding the ripe sourdough starter down to a specified amount, adding fresh flour and water, and thoroughly mixing until hom*ogeneous. The jar is covered with a glass lid and left to ferment for 12 hours.
6. Temperature Adjustment:
The article discusses the need to adjust the amount of ripe sourdough starter carryover based on seasonal temperatures. Higher temperatures may require less carryover to prevent rapid ripening, while colder temperatures may necessitate increased carryover for faster fermentation.
7. Feeding Schedule:
The author maintains a feeding schedule of twice a day, around 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., ensuring a ripe starter for subsequent bread-making activities. The schedule offers flexibility but emphasizes the importance of feeding when the starter is at its peak.
8. FAQs:
The article addresses common questions related to sourdough starter feeding:
- Time for Use: The time it takes for the starter to be ready depends on the feeding method and temperature.
- Use of Rye Flour: The author prefers using whole-grain rye flour for enhanced fermentation activity and flavor.
- Feeding Frequency: Feeding twice a day is recommended for a strong and ready starter, but adjustments can be made based on individual schedules.
- Discarding: Discarding a portion during feeding is necessary to remove used "food" and maintain a healthy starter.
In conclusion, this comprehensive guide provides valuable insights into the art of feeding a sourdough starter, catering to both novice bakers and experienced enthusiasts. The author's use of baker's percentages and detailed explanations reflects a deep understanding of sourdough dynamics and the nuances involved in maintaining a thriving starter.
