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As someone who has explored sourdough baking for a while, I can share some useful tips that helped me maintain my starter without stress. Many beginners worry about feeding their starter daily, but once the starter is mature, it actually thrives in the fridge and only needs feeding about once a week. This really decreased my flour usage and baking prep time. A common misconception is relying solely on the float test to check if your starter is ready to bake with. From personal experience, I've found that whether it floats or sinks isn’t the best indicator of vitality. Instead, I focus on whether my starter doubles in size within 4 to 6 hours after feeding. This 'doubling test' gives me a reliable sense of the yeast’s strength and readiness. It’s also important to be cautious with sourdough dough around pets. My neighbor once told me their dog got very sick after eating raw sourdough dough because the fermentation continues in the stomach, potentially causing dangerous bloating or gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), a medical emergency. So, always keep your starter and dough out of pets’ reach. Learning to maintain a manageable starter size helps avoid flour wastage and the need for huge jars. I keep my starter around 50 grams, which is perfect for my baking frequency. Feeding it just before baking and storing it in the fridge otherwise has made sourdough baking enjoyable and sustainable for me. Finally, if you ever forget to feed your starter, don’t panic. Starters are quite resilient and can often be revived with a few feedings. This flexibility helped me keep going even when life got busy. Sourdough baking is rewarding, and these practical insights have made my experience much smoother and more enjoyable.