How to Feed Sourdough Starter: Complete Schedule Guide

Your sourdough feeding schedule determines everything. A well-fed starter rises predictably, produces consistent flavor, and gives you the flexibility to bake whenever you want. A neglected or overfed starter leads to dense loaves, unpredictable timing, and frustration.

This guide covers exactly when and how to feed your starter for three scenarios: daily maintenance, refrigerator storage, and preparing for a bake.

How Sourdough Starter Feeding Works

A sourdough starter is a living culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. When you feed it flour and water, you provide fresh nutrients that these microorganisms consume, producing carbon dioxide (the bubbles that make bread rise) and organic acids (the source of that tangy flavor).

The feeding cycle:

1. You add flour and water
2. Microorganisms consume the starches
3. Population grows, gas production peaks
4. Food runs out, activity slows
5. Starter deflates and becomes acidic
6. Repeat

The key to a healthy sourdough feeding schedule is timing. Feed too soon and you dilute your culture before it matures. Feed too late and the culture becomes overly acidic, which weakens the yeast.

Understanding Feeding Ratios

Before discussing schedules, you need to understand feeding ratios. These are expressed as starter:flour:water by weight.

1:1:1 (Equal Parts)

• Example: 50g starter + 50g flour + 50g water
• Peaks in 4-6 hours at room temperature
• Best for: Quick turnaround, warm environments, building up quantity

1:2:2 (Double Feed)

• Example: 50g starter + 100g flour + 100g water
• Peaks in 6-8 hours at room temperature
• Best for: Standard daily maintenance, moderate climates

1:5:5 (Large Ratio)

• Example: 20g starter + 100g flour + 100g water
• Peaks in 8-12 hours at room temperature
• Best for: Overnight rises, hot kitchens, less frequent feeding

1:10:10 (Extended Ratio)

• Example: 10g starter + 100g flour + 100g water
• Peaks in 12-18 hours at room temperature
• Best for: Once-daily feeding, travel, very hot conditions

Higher ratios give you more time between feedings. The tradeoff is that smaller inoculations take longer to mature, so your baking window shifts later.

Daily Feeding Schedule: Counter Storage

If you bake frequently (three or more times per week), keeping your starter at room temperature makes sense. This requires daily feeding but gives you a starter ready to use at short notice.

Standard daily routine:

Morning feeding protocol:

1. Discard or set aside all but 50g of starter
2. Add 100g flour
3. Add 100g water (room temperature)
4. Stir well, scrape sides, cover loosely
5. Let sit at room temperature until next feeding

Adjust for your kitchen:

• Below 68F: Use a 1:1:1 ratio or find a warmer spot
• 70-75F: Standard 1:2:2 ratio works well
• Above 78F: Increase to 1:5:5 to prevent over-fermentation

The goal is for your starter to peak once per day. If it peaks and collapses before your next feeding, increase the ratio. If it barely rises, decrease the ratio or find a warmer location.

Weekly Feeding Schedule: Refrigerator Storage

Most home bakers do not bake daily. If you bake once or twice a week, refrigerator storage reduces maintenance while keeping your starter viable.

Cold temperatures (38-40F) dramatically slow fermentation. Your starter can go 7-14 days between feedings in the fridge, though weekly feeding produces better results.

Weekly maintenance schedule:

Refrigerator feeding protocol:

1. Take starter out of fridge
2. Let warm to room temperature (30-60 minutes)
3. Discard all but 20g
4. Feed with 100g flour and 100g water
5. Cover loosely
6. Let rise at room temperature 1-2 hours until you see bubbles
7. Cover tightly and return to fridge

That brief room temperature rise ensures the yeast is active before going back into cold storage. Putting a freshly fed starter directly into the fridge can stress the culture.

Signs your fridge starter is healthy:

• Liquid on top (hooch) is normal after a week
• Smells sour but not rotten
• Bubbles visible in the culture
• Rises when fed at room temperature

Pre-Bake Feeding: Timing It Right

Here is where most bakers struggle. You need active, peaked starter for your dough, but getting the timing right requires planning backward from when you want to mix.

The principle: Use your starter when it has just peaked or is close to peak. This is when yeast activity is highest and acidity is balanced.

How to identify peak:

• Volume has doubled or more from feeding
• Surface is domed, not flat or sunken
• Bubbles throughout, not just on top
• Passes the float test (optional, not always reliable)

Standard pre-bake schedule (room temperature starter):

If you want to mix dough at 8:00 AM:

Pre-bake schedule (refrigerated starter):

If you want to mix dough at 8:00 AM:

Refrigerated starter needs extra time. Plan for an overnight room temperature rise after an initial feeding to fully wake up the culture.

Flour Choices for Feeding

The flour you use affects fermentation speed and starter health.

All-purpose flour:

• Neutral flavor
• Moderate fermentation speed
• Works for most bakers
• May produce a milder starter

Bread flour:

• Slightly more protein
• Similar performance to all-purpose
• Good choice if you have it on hand

Whole wheat flour:

• Contains more wild yeast and bacteria
• Faster fermentation
• More complex, wheaty flavor
• Can be used 100% or blended (try 25% whole wheat, 75% all-purpose)

Rye flour:

• Very fast fermentation
• Strong, tangy flavor
• Often used to boost sluggish starters
• Try 10-25% rye mixed with other flours

Optimal approach: Use a blend. 75% all-purpose or bread flour mixed with 25% whole wheat or rye gives you balanced activity and flavor complexity.

Troubleshooting Your Feeding Schedule

Starter peaks too fast

Problem: Your starter doubles and collapses within 3-4 hours.

Causes:

• Kitchen is too warm
• Feeding ratio is too small
• High proportion of whole grain flour

Fixes:

• Increase to 1:5:5 or 1:10:10 ratio
• Find a cooler spot
• Switch to more all-purpose flour

Starter barely rises

Problem: Minimal activity even after 12+ hours.

Causes:

• Kitchen is too cold
• Starter is too acidic (overly hungry)
• Flour has low nutrient content

Fixes:

• Move to a warmer spot (75-80F)
• Feed more frequently with smaller ratios
• Add whole wheat or rye flour
• Try a revival protocol: discard all but 10g, feed 1:5:5 with whole wheat, repeat twice daily for 3 days

Starter smells like alcohol or nail polish remover

Problem: Sharp, acetone-like smell.

Causes:

• Starter is very hungry and over-fermented
• Too long between feedings
• Yeast is stressed

Fixes:

• Feed immediately with a large ratio (1:10:10)
• Feed twice daily for 2-3 days until smell normalizes
• Reduce time between feedings going forward

Hooch (liquid layer) forms quickly

Problem: Dark liquid appears on top within hours of feeding.

Causes:

• Starter consumed all food quickly
• Too small a feeding ratio
• Warm environment accelerating fermentation

Fixes:

• Increase feeding ratio
• Feed more frequently
• Pour off hooch and feed immediately

Building Your Own Feeding Schedule

Every starter behaves differently based on your flour, water, environment, and the specific microorganisms in your culture. Use these steps to dial in your routine:

Step 1: Establish baseline timing

Feed your starter 1:2:2 at room temperature and note exactly when it peaks. Check every hour. This is your baseline fermentation time.

Step 2: Adjust ratio for your lifestyle

If your baseline is 6 hours but you want to feed once daily, increase the ratio. If it takes 12 hours and you want faster turnaround, decrease the ratio or find a warmer spot.

Step 3: Test before baking

Before committing to a baking schedule, do a test run. Feed your starter at the planned time and confirm it peaks when expected. Then you can confidently plan your bakes.

Step 4: Keep notes

Track your feedings, temperatures, timing, and results. Patterns emerge over weeks that help you predict behavior accurately.

Sample Schedules for Common Scenarios

Weekend baker (Saturday morning bake)

Twice-weekly baker (Wednesday and Sunday)

Daily baker (counter storage)

The Takeaway

A reliable sourdough feeding schedule comes down to three things:

1. Match your ratio to your timing needs. Larger ratios give you more time between feedings.
2. Account for temperature. Cold slows fermentation; heat speeds it up.
3. Plan backward from your bake. Know when your starter peaks and schedule your mixing time accordingly.

Once you establish a rhythm, maintaining your starter takes just a few minutes per feeding. The payoff is predictable, well-risen bread every time.

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