My first batch of sourdough actually worked this morning

My neighbor Ruth told me to stop fighting the starter and just feed it on a schedule. Has anyone else found that simple routine change made the biggest difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

bettyfox2mo ago

Oh the water thing. When I read "my starter is basically a weather vane" I had to laugh because my starter went completely bonkers during that week last spring when the city flushed the fire hydrants. Turned into this grayish bubbly mess that smelled like a wet dog left in a hot car. I took it to Ruth and she said "Betty when was the last time you changed your brita filter" and that was the real problem all along. I switched to using filtered water and now my starter acts like a civilized houseplant instead of a science experiment gone wrong.

emery_lopez2mo ago

My starter went from bubbly to total dead zone when I started feeding it on a schedule. Turns out Ruth's advice works for great for some people but mine wanted to be fed when it got hungry, not when the calendar said so.

the_karen2mo ago

Bet you anything it's the water temperature or mineral content changing things up, since tap water varies so much by season and location. A lot of people don't realize their starter is basically a weather vane for what's coming out of the faucet.