How to feed and keep your starter healthy

Over the years, I’ve learned that keeping a sourdough starter healthy is mostly about consistency and simplicity. Below is the routine I follow in my own kitchen — one that fits easily into daily life and baking several times a week.

JAR

I keep my starter in a glass jar around 450–500 ml in size. I prefer a jar with straight sides and a wide opening, which makes stirring easier and cleaning simpler. I never keep more than about 200 g of starter in the jar at any time.

This is the jar I use: Kilner Sourdough Starter Set

FLOUR

I feed my starter with strong white flour. Using the same flour consistently helps keep the starter predictable and stable.

This is the flour I use: Shipton Mill - White Bread Flour N0.1

WATER

I use normal tap water, if you have filtered water that should work even better.

The temperature of the water changes with the seasons:

-In summer, I use cool or cold water to slow fermentation.

-In winter, I use warm water (up to about 36°C) to help the starter become active more easily.

STORAGE

My starter lives in the fridge and only comes out when I’m preparing to bake. I’ve tried keeping it on the counter and feeding it twice daily, but I don´t think it improves performance.

If I’m not baking for a week or so, I still give the starter one maintenance feed and return it to the fridge.

FEEDING RATIO

My standard feeding ratio is normally 1:4:4 (starter : water : flour). This ratio fits my schedule well and keeps the starter balanced in flavour and strength.

If I’m not baking during the week, I still feed the starter once a week using the same 1:4:4 ratio to keep it healthy.

HOW LONG BEFORE BAKING DO I FEED MY STARTER?

Timing depends on both the feeding ratio and the temperature in the kitchen. With my usual 1:4:4 feed, the starter is typically ready in about 8 hours. In a warmer kitchen it may be ready sooner; in a colder kitchen it may take longer.

HOW DO I FEED MY STARTER?

For feeding I always use a 1:4:4 ratio, 10g starter, 40g water, 40g flour. This is how often:

-Twice a day, if the starter lives on the kitchen worktop:

When a starter lives at room temperature, yeast and bacteria are active all the time. After a 1:4:4 feeding, most starters peak in roughly:

6–10 hours in a warm kitchen
8–12 hours in a cooler kitchen

Feeding twice per day keeps:

acidity balanced
yeast population strong
fermentation predictable

Steps:

Add 10g of starter into a jar
Feed with 40g water + 40g flour
Loosely close the lid
Leave on the counter

-Once a week, if the starter lives in the fridge:

Cold storage slows fermentation dramatically. The starter becomes mostly dormant, so feeding once per week is enough to keep it healthy.

Steps:

Remove starter from fridge
Add 10g starter into a jar
Feed with 40g water + 40g flour
Loosely close the lid
Let it activate (often 1–3 hours)
Return to fridge

You don’t even need a full peak before fridging — just a little activity.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY STARTER IS HEALTHY?

A healthy starter will:

– Rise after feeding

– Show bubbles throughout

– Smell pleasantly tangy

– Have a light, airy texture at peak fermentation

These signs matter more than exact timing

MINIMISING DISCARD

I try to feed only what I need for baking while keeping a small amount of starter for next time. This keeps maintenance simple and reduces waste.

HOW MUCH STARTER, WATER AND FLOUR DO I USE FOR EVERY FEED?

The standard loaf size for me is made with 500g flour. For this, I use 75g starter (15% in baker’s percentage).

With the 1:4:4 feeding ratio, I take 10g starter and feed it with 40g water and 40g flour. This gives me a total of 90 g starter at peak. I then use 75g, and the remaining 15g left in the jar is moved to the fridge until next time.

Next time I want to prep the dough, I take the 15g starter out of the fridge, keep it in the jar, and feed it again. There is no discard in this workflow.

Should I want to prep 2 loaves using 1kg flour, I would feed double: 20g starter, 80g water, 80g flour.

This gives 180g starter, which is enough to prep the dough (150g starter) and keep 30g carry-over starter for the next feed.

WHEN I FORGET TO FEED THE STARTER AHEAD OF TIME

As an exception, I would decrease the feeding ratio to 1:2:2, in which case the starter would be ready to use in something like 5-6h instead.

FEED STRAIGHT FROM THE FRIDGE?

In winter, I prefer to let the starter sit at room temperature briefly before feeding to help offset the colder conditions. During the rest of the year, I usually feed it straight from the fridge without letting it warm up first.

LEAVING THE STARTER UNFED

My starter has stayed in the fridge for several weeks without feeding and has always recovered easily with a couple of regular feedings. When stored properly, sourdough starters are surprisingly resilient. Don’t panic if you’ve neglected it for a while — with consistent feeding, it will usually bounce back.

WHAT IS THE BLACK LIQUID ON MY STARTER?

The black liquid on your starter is called Hooch. And what is Hooch?

It’s alcohol and acids made by the yeast as they ferment
When it shows up, your starter is saying, “Hey… I’m hungry.”
The color can be clear, gray, or even pretty dark—that’s all normal

What to do with it?

Stir it back in if you want a more tangy, punchy loaf
Pour it off if you want things a little milder

It’s not bad or dangerous at all—just a sign your starter has burned through its food. If you see hooch a lot, it usually means it wants:

more frequent feedings, or
a bigger feed (more flour and water)

FINAL THOUGHTS

The most important part of sourdough starter care is finding a routine that works in your kitchen and sticking to it. Once you understand how your starter behaves, maintaining it becomes easy and predictable — just another part of the baking process.