Sourdough Starter Maintenance | Sourdough for Beginners

Hi, I am new to baking sourdough. I have an active 6 month old starter. I typically store it in the fridge. On the days I want to bake with it. I take it out, feed it, then use most of it. My question is, for the starter that i have leftover, do i feed it again, then put it back in the fridge? Or just put it in the fridge without feeding again? Thank you

I’m completely new to this snd about to start my starter. My 2 questions are.

how does the starter ever build up if you keep discarding a lot of it only leaving 25g?

Also if you don’t end up with 25g left after making your bread then can you add any of the discarded starter?

Many thanks

Could the starter be the same to do Wheat or Rye Bread? Could i feed my starter with rye? thanks for your support.

Your videos are amazing for beginners. You make it easy and easy less overwhelming. I do have a question though, I split my starter into two jars, one with regular unbleached flour and one with dark rye. The dark rye one smells horrid though, is that normal? It looks good, not like it's gone bad, but it just smells so strong.

So if I have been storing my starter on the counter with a loose lid like yours and want to store in the fridge now, do I need to have a jar with a tight lid or still use a loose lid ?

Hi! Is unbleached bread flour okay or it should be all purpose flour?

I named my sour dough started Betty

I would like to print the written instructions for maintaining your starter! Where do I find it?

I feed my starter unbleached All purpose flour with some whole wheat for the first time and it didn’t rise the next day is that normal??

Hi Bettie! I love your content and am absorbing the starter phases videos. I took your advise and saved a portion of my original starter before moving the the maintainance phase in case something went wrong and I think it has. The maintainance batch I’m currently making is very runny, hardly rises each day, and has timid bubbling and aroma. Today I started a new batch to compare. What do you think? By the way the batches are named Palatia, Palatia 2.0 and Palatia 3.0. The name derives from a distant relative.

Someone gave me a starter, but would never dbl but maybe 1/4". Thankful for your great informative videos! I'm starting a new starter as prior one got funkie. The issue I'm having is, watched a video prior to yours today, called The Perfect Sourdough Bread. It takes 5 1/2 hr to proof the dough. In the morning (awake up late - retired) feed starter & if takes 12 hrs to dbl, then too late to bake bread & have to start again the next day. Suppose I could wake up earlier, feed starter, go back to bed, LOL. What is a good schedule the day you want to bake a loaf of bread?

I just like leaving mine in the fridge if I don't use it for a day or 2 or even 3. Because It seems wasteful to just feed it daily for 3 days while not using it. Flour is so expensive 😭

You are absolutely wonderful. You answer every question I have. Thank you.

This is my 3rd starter. With your instructions- this one seems to be growing into a healthy starter!! Thank you ❤ The other ones I have followed had us feeding every 12 hours. Can you explain why you continue at only feeding every 24 hours?

If I keep adding discard to my discard jar in the fridge and want keep the discard in the fridge what are the ratios to feeding it every 7-10 days?

Why are you switching to all purpose flour?? I only use freshly milled flour

what to do if my starter is soupy and not firm

Hello Bettie, do I need to airtight my container for storing starter in the fridge?

Nice and detailed video. Great job. 😊

Thanks for making sourdough so much easier to understand! I do have a quick question though. After you remove starter to bake with do you feed the starter you are not baking with immediately or just on its normal "schedule"??? Thanks in advance for your help!

This was super helpful! Thank you!

So I watched all these videos in order so far and you state the float test in a previous video but I have not seen any float test in any of the eight videos so far????

Ok, so I got a little bit of starter from a friend and it’s been in the fridge for the past couple of weeks. I followed this video just now to feed it. So I can’t make bread with it yet? I need to feed it a few more times?

Hi Dear Bettie, thank you so much for your videos. I have a question regarding the starter. I am not baking often, so I store my starter in the fridge, I’m confused how many times I have to feed the starter before baking and what is the period of time between feedings. After I took some of the starter for baking, should I feed my main starter immediately? Also, can I increase the feeding ratio when I am planning to bake? I need to use 120 g of starter for my recipe, what would be the best ratio to feed it before baking? Normally I feed my starter with 1:4: 4 ratio. Thank you in advance for your reply

What scale do you recommend?

Your videos are clear and understandable!!

I accidentally ordered bleached flour, can I use it in an already active starter without damaging it? Help!

I prefer the European method, with no discard, this is nuts! I use quality costly organic flours such as spelt and einkorn.. not throwing out any of these and don't need to!!!

I fed my new starter this morning, but with a 1/3/3 of wheat flour only. I have now gone to the store to get the unbleached white flour. Can I feed it again tonight with the 1/ (25/50) /3 feeding to start the bread in the morning?

Hi Bettie, I did the hole beginners sourdough series with Rye flour for 10 days and it was successful, however in the maintenance stage with the Rye flour with the unbleached all purpose four it's not active like before at all, can I have some advice on how to get back on track?

Your videos have been amazing! I watch them everyday so I know what to do for my sourdough starter. I started one 3 weeks ago and it never got to the point of doubling in size. I do have bubbles and have had some hooch. I’ve tried feeding it more flour and water as well as feeding every 12 hours to get it going! I keep my house about 68-71 F, do you think the room temp could be too cool for it?

I have actually started a new one from scratch that appears to be doing better, so maybe the new one will work out if my original one doesn’t work.

I’ve been watching some of your videos and I love how you are very down to earth and explain things for the home baker to understand. I’m on day 8 of my starter and it smells strongly of acetone, I’ve dropped the ratios down to 1:3:3 so hopefully it will help. I was doing 1:1:1 and then when the smell started I went to 1:2:2 but I feel like hopefully it will get better soon.

Hi Bettie. I have followed your recipe and instruction for sourdough starter and I am doing pretty good. I am on day 10 and see bubbles in my starter, but it is not doubling in size in the suggested 4-5 hour window. I am patient and will continue daily 1:3:3 feedings until it is ready to bake with. My question is can I store the discarded starter in the refrigerator and keep adding to the discard container in my refrigerator for the next several days until my starter is ready to bake with? Thanks so much!

Your starter looks very thick. Is that how it should look?

You've covered everything involved with sourdough bread making. I've watched so many videos, researched, and ended up totally confused. I'm now confident that I will have success with sourdough. Thank you so very very much. Will keep you posted on how I go.❤️

i don't understand why you need to use unbleached all purpose flour from the store..

I'm overwhelmed right off the bat.
I should of searched just bread flour.
Well as long as I'm here. I just pulled my big sourdough bread. My starter was a cup then it 1.5 X's . Yep float test! I poured off a cup for my bread. Added a cup of pure water. Mix that up. Then next I weighed 425g white bread flour and 10g sea salt. Mix all up to a shag. Cover for 30min. Do that 4 times in 2 hours. Each time fold and turn. Gather all the dry crumbs. No much kneading. It's self kneading or whatever it does while u don't touch it when it's covered for them 30 min. Rising. It comes out nice and smooth. Next I rip a paper to fit my mixing bowl. Set dough back in it. Let rise to danger zone, before collapsing. Heat oven to 450°F with a 10quart cast pot.
Lift paper with sourdough into HOT kettle. Put back in over uncovered for 35 min.
Oh no , I forgot to razor a few slice to help it get bigger. Yummy!!
I started with some dead starter about a 1/4cup. I added 1/4 cup water with 1/2 bread flour. So I think it was every 12 hrs I fed it. But after I took out some. Maybe 1/4 cup. If u don't , you end up with to much. So I save it n give it away. 3 days. Wow look at them big bubbles. With just bread flour!!

Hi Bettie, when you store your starter in the fridge, do you seal the jar or not?

Hi Bettie, ☺️

I have a starter question for you (or the community ♥️) . I followed your guide fairly closely and had amazing — and somewhat predictable — results for about 10 days. Then I put my starter, Otis, in the fridge for a weekend trip. I fed Otis before I left Friday and allowed it to sit on the counter on Sunday before feeding it again. It’s been 2 weeks of daily feedings (lately in the oven with light on maintaining ~82°) and it still hasn’t seemed to return to the same level of vigor which it had consistently built over the days prior to refrigeration. I’m using whole wheat flour a ratio of 1:3:3 and it has been doubling at peak post refrigeration. Before my trip Otis was at least tripling at peak at ~75°. Is there something I should change? I’d really like to work with what I have if possible. Should I start over or keep working or is Otis pretty okay to use?
I appreciate any input. Thanks!

Bettie - you taught us that when we make a starter from the beginning we remove the rubber ring so that us not air tight as the yeast needs air. However when we are doing the maintenance and Mie baking immediately do we put it in the fridge with the rubber ring? Ie air tight. Please advise

Bettie can i just use bread flour instead of combination of whole-wheat and all purpose flour?

Thank you so much for this wonderful series! I feel so silly, but I don't understand discard 🤦🏼‍♀️. I have the jar my starter lives in, the jar I mix my levian in for the bake, and then.... ? Is the discard always the leftovers from the levian? Or is it leftovers from feeding my starter? What about my starter jar? Do I always feed in the starter jar? Thanks for helping out one confused new mama 😅

My starter is ready to bake with!,,❤️

I have just discovered Bettie! I love these videos. It make the whole sourdough process less intimating and allows me to rewatch certain steps. Thank you so much!

Wow, you are such a gifted teacher. I have watched so many videos, and you are the only one who thoroughly answers the questions I have. Thank you so much!

I've gone through this process 3 times now and each time, day 5, it dies - 0 growth. Up until then, it is doubling in size but the moment I changed the feeds, it dies and I don't understand why.

So what happens if I have been feeding mine with bleached flour and whole wheat? Do I need to start over or can I buy unbleached and pick up as normal? 😬

How should the discard be stored? Fridge?