Starter 101
Everything you need to create and maintain a healthy sourdough starter – from your very first feeding to reviving one that’s gone sluggish, gummy, or inconsistent.
Curious about the craft behind the crumb? Peek behind the scenes in Sourdough Troubleshooting and Sourdough Science.
Your 4-step starter journey
Sourdough Starter From Scratch
Built with nothing but flour and water in a muggy South Florida kitchen, no commercial yeast, no fuss. Follow the exact two-ingredient method from day one to a…
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How to Maintain (and Revive) Your Starter
Now that you've built your own starter, gotten one from a friend, or bought one from a fellow baker, keeping it alive is the part nobody warns you…
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How to Dehydrate (and Rehydrate) Your Starter
Sometimes you end up with more active starter than you actually need. Maybe you planned a big bake and scaled it back, or maybe you're about to travel…
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Why the Float Test Lies to You
Every beginner guide tells you to drop a spoonful of starter in water and watch what happens. King Arthur's own bakers tested that advice and found it fails.…
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Not part of the numbered journey above. Dip in whenever a question comes up.
Can You Use Tap Water for a Sourdough Starter?Most tap water works for a sourdough starter. Here is how chlorine and chloramine differ, what boiling cannot…
How to Make a Gluten-Free Sourdough StarterA day-by-day method for a gluten-free sourdough starter built from brown rice flour and filtered water, with feeding…
How to Freeze a Sourdough Starter (and Keep It Alive While You Are Away)A week away, a month away, or a whole season: here is how to rest your sourdough starter…
Which Flour Should You Feed Your Sourdough Starter? All-Purpose, Bread, Whole Wheat, or RyeAny wheat flour can feed a starter, but each one changes how fast it rises and how it…
Levain vs. Starter: What Is the Difference and When Should You Build One?Starter and levain are close cousins that often get mixed up. Here is the difference, why a levain…
Stiff Starter vs. Liquid Starter: How Hydration Changes Your SourdoughMost starters are fed at 100% hydration, but a thicker starter behaves differently. Here is how hydration changes…
How to Tell When Your Starter Is Ready to Bake WithYour starter has a peak, and baking at the right moment makes a real difference. Here is how…
Sourdough Starter Feeding Ratios Explained: 1:1:1, 1:5:5, and 1:10:10A feeding ratio is just three numbers. Here is what each common ratio does to your starter and…Get the Free 7-Lesson Starter Course
A short daily email series that walks you through your first week with a new starter, timed feedings, what "ready" looks like, and what to do if it stalls.
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