How to Feed Your Sourdough Starter
Simple Instructions for Keeping It Alive and Thriving
So you’ve got your sourdough starter—now what? Don’t worry, keeping it happy is easier than it sounds. This post will walk you through exactly how to feed it so it stays strong, bubbly, and ready to bake with.
What You’ll Need
Your sourdough starter (25g if you got one from me at the market)
25g of water
25g of flour (I recommend King Arthur Bread Flour)
A clean jar or container
A small spatula
A kitchen scale (trust me, it’s worth it!)
Feeding Instructions
1. Weigh your starter.
If you purchased one from me, you’re starting with 25g. Keep that amount in your jar and discard any extra if it grows too large. If you’re using a mason jar to store your starter in, you’ll want to put an empty mason jar on the scale and then zero it out.
2. Add 25g of water.
Room temperature is best. Stir gently to loosen up the starter.
3. Add 25g of flour.
I recommend unbleached bread flour for the best results—King Arthur is my favorite.
4. Mix until smooth.
You’re looking for a thick pancake batter consistency. Scrape down the sides and loosely cover your jar.
5. Mark the level of your starter.
Use a rubber band or dry-erase marker to mark where your starter begins. This helps you track how much it rises, which is a great sign of a healthy, active starter.
How Often Should I Feed It?
If you bake often: Keep it on the counter and feed every 12–24 hours.
If you bake once a week or less: Store it in the fridge and feed once a week.
When Is It Ready to Use?
Your starter is ready when:
It has doubled in size
It’s bubbly and airy
It smells yeasty, not sour or funky
This usually takes 4–8 hours after feeding if kept at room temperature.
If You're Not Ready to Bake…
Pop your starter in the fridge. Just remember to pull it out and feed it once a week to keep it healthy. When you’re ready to bake, give it a couple of feedings at room temp to wake it up.
Tips for Success
Use a kitchen scale for the most consistent results
Filtered water is ideal, but tap water works in most places
Stick with bread flour or all-purpose if needed—avoid bleached or self-rising flours
That’s it! Feeding your starter is just like taking care of a low-maintenance pet—one that pays you in bread.
Have questions? Check out my sourdough must-haves here or reach out on Instagram. Happy baking!
My Sourdough Baking Must-Haves
Everything I Actually Use in My Kitchen
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When I first started baking sourdough, I felt overwhelmed by all the gadgets and tools. After lots of trial and error, I’ve narrowed it down to just the essentials—the things I actually use every single time I bake. If you’re just starting out (or gifting a starter from the farmers market), these are my go-to tools that make sourdough simple, fun, and consistent.
All-in-One Starter Kit
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If you're gifting sourdough starter or starting from scratch, this kit includes a banneton, dough scraper, dough whisk, and other essentials. It’s a great bundle to save time (and money). If you purchase this starter kit, you will need everything else on this list except for the banneton basket and Danish dough whisk.
Banneton Basket
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This is what gives your loaf its shape while it rises. It also helps wick away moisture for a crisper crust. I like using mine with the linen liner for easy cleanup.
Danish Dough Whisk
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This is my secret weapon for mixing dough. It cuts through sticky dough much better than a spoon, and it’s a breeze to clean. I never bake without it!
Tall Whisk
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A tall, narrow whisk makes mixing starter or flour and water so much easier—especially in narrow jars. This one's simple but effective and keeps your hands mess-free.
Silicone Spatulas
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I use a small silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of my starter jar and bowls without wasting a bit.
Digital Kitchen Scale
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Sourdough baking is all about precision, and this digital scale helps make sure your ratios are spot on. It’s affordable, sleek, and easy to wipe clean.
Beeswax Bread Wraps
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After baking, I wrap my cooled loaves in beeswax wraps and store them in the freezer, ensuring I always have fresh bread on hand. They help keep the crust crisp while protecting the loaf from drying out—and they’re reusable and eco-friendly!
Dutch Oven
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A Dutch oven traps steam during the first part of baking, helping you get that deep, golden crust and perfect oven spring. This one is durable, beautiful, and gets the job done.
Wide-Mouth Mason Jars
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I keep my sourdough starter in wide-mouth quart jars so I can easily feed, stir, and clean them.
Final Thoughts
If you're just getting started, don't stress—grab a few basics and grow from there. You don’t need everything at once. But having the right tools makes sourdough baking way more enjoyable and way less messy.
You can find my go-to sourdough bread recipe right here.
Got questions? Come find me at the market or shoot me a message—I’m always happy to talk bread.
My Go-To Sourdough Recipe
There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh sourdough coming out of your own oven. Once you taste homemade bread, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought! In this post, I’m sharing my go-to sourdough recipe — simple, flexible, and perfect for endless flavor add-ins like roasted garlic and rosemary, or jalapeño cheddar. Whether you’re new to sourdough or looking for a reliable everyday loaf, this is the recipe I reach for again and again.
I started baking bread last year, and let me tell you — once you taste your own homemade sourdough, you'll never want to buy a grocery store loaf again. There’s just something magical about creating a beautiful, crusty loaf from simple ingredients.
Plus, the possibilities for flavor add-ins are endless. A few of my personal favorites? Roasted garlic + rosemary + parmesan, jalapeño + cheddar, or even just a classic plain loaf with a little extra sea salt on top.
This is my go-to sourdough recipe — the one I come back to again and again.
Ingredients:
500g bread flour
330g room temperature water
100g active sourdough starter
10g salt
Instructions:
Mix the flour and 320g of the water in a large bowl until just combined. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour (this is called an autolyse — it helps the dough develop strength naturally).
Add the starter, salt, and the remaining 10g water. Mix everything together until fully incorporated. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
Stretch and fold the dough 5 times, every 30 minutes. (This helps build the structure of the bread.)
Let the dough rise (bulk ferment) for about 6 hours at 75°F. It should look puffy and have grown noticeably in size.
Preshape the dough into a loose round, let it rest for 30 minutes, and then shape it again into a tighter ball.
Cold proof the shaped dough overnight in the fridge, covered, to develop flavor and make it easier to bake.
The next day, preheat your oven — with a Dutch oven inside — to 500°F for 1 hour.
When ready to bake, score the top of the dough with a sharp blade (this is where you can get creative with your designs!). Place the dough on parchment paper, drop 3 ice cubes between the parchment and the Dutch oven (for extra steam), cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes at 480°F.
Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 450°F, and bake for another 25 minutes until your loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Let the loaf cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. (I know it's hard to wait, but it’s worth it!)
A Few Notes:
Every oven is a little different, so don’t be afraid to adjust the temperature or baking time as needed.
If you’re adding inclusions like cheese, herbs, or garlic, fold them in gently during your second stretch and fold.
Have fun with the scoring — simple lines, a wheat stalk pattern, or even a heart design all look beautiful.
Homemade sourdough is one of life’s simple joys — and once you get into the rhythm, it’s easier (and more addictive) than you think.
Happy baking!