How to feed Starter
This is exactly how I maintain my starter (Velma) every week!
I start by taking it out of the fridge around 8pm. By 8am the starter is fully awake and ready to be fed. I feed it:
57g Whole Wheat Flour
56g All Purpose Flour
113g Room Temp Water
113g Active Starter
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. The leftover unfed starter can discarded or used to make a discard recipe.
If dumping I recommend scooping out as much as possible before washing!! Starter can clog your drains!! Rinse your jar with hot water and scrub out with your hand. Don’t use dish soap because it will affect your starter!! No soapy starters!!
Wipe any excess water out the jar and dump your fed starter back in. Be sure to mark where it falls so you can track its growth. You can use a rubber band or an expo marker!
Wait for your starter to double in size/reaches its peak to bake. Also make sure to not use all your starter when baking!! You don’t need the full 113g of starter to be left but just be sure to feed it as if there was!
If you don’t plan on baking everyday put your starter in the fridge to sleep. The night before you plan on baking take out and leave on the counter to wake up. By morning it’ll be ready to feed.
🫙 To make active starter it usually takes about 7-10 days. Day 1 combine the same measurements of flours and water as above. Cover and leave out in the counter for 24hrs. Day 2 weigh out 113g of the mixture and feed it the equal parts flour and water. Put back into a clean jar and leave alone again for 24 hours. Day 3 might fool you with a false rise but trust me your starter is not strong enough yet trust me!! Continue the same process of feeding it expect your going to feed it again in 12 hours. Continue this same method for about 10 days and you should have a bubbly active starter! 🫙
I hope this helps anyone that’s trying to get into sourdough! P.s It is also very important to name your starter for good luck! 😉
#mealprep #sourdough #lemon8challenge #bakewithkaylee #sourdoughstarter @Lemon8 Food @Lemon8 US
Maintaining a healthy sourdough starter is crucial for consistent baking results, and feeding it correctly makes all the difference. When I first started, I realized that using a clear jar and marking the starter’s level with a rubber band or marker—as described—helped me visually track its rise and understand its peak activity. This visual cue gave me confidence about when it’s best to bake. Another tip I've found helpful is adjusting feeding frequency based on your baking schedule. For example, if you bake frequently, daily feedings keep your starter vibrant and bubbly. But if you bake less often, refrigerating the starter to slow down its activity is perfect, as Kaylee mentions. Just remember to take it out the night before to let it warm and reactivate. One challenge many face is dealing with discard from feeding. Instead of throwing it away, I use the leftover starter in recipes — pancakes, crackers, or quick breads — to reduce waste and experiment with flavors. It’s a great way to get more from your sourdough culture. I also learned the importance of feeding your starter with consistent measurements, like Kaylee’s 57g whole wheat flour, 56g all-purpose flour, and 113g water. Using a kitchen scale ensures precision and stability in your starter’s behavior. Moreover, avoiding dish soap when cleaning the starter jar, as stressed in the article, prevents harming the beneficial bacteria and yeast. Lastly, naming your starter adds a personal touch and makes the process more engaging—plus it’s fun! Every time I feed and care for my starter, it feels like nurturing a living baking companion. Stick with the routine, be patient during the first 7–10 days while it activates, and you’ll be rewarded with a bubbly, strong starter ready to leaven delicious sourdough breads.
Can you just use whole wheat instead of a combo of flour?