Never lose a sourdough starter again

Clear, no-nonsense guidance for feeding, reviving, and baking with your own wild yeast culture, whatever shape its currently in.

This site is a practical home base for anyone keeping a jar of flour and water alive on their counter. Whether you just mixed your first starter or youre nursing a years-old one back from neglect, youll find plain-spoken feeding routines, troubleshooting steps, and ways to use the discard youd otherwise toss.

A display of diverse sourdough breads in a bakery or market setting.

Sourdough Baking

A freshly baked round loaf of sourdough bread with a crispy crust and scoring.

Guides

Meet Marta Olsen

A home baker who got obsessed with feeding and troubleshooting her own sourdough starter, reading its bubbles and smells like clues until it finally stopped smelling like nail polish.

Troubleshooting Guides

Work through sluggish rises, pink or fuzzy spots, and harsh vinegar smells with clear diagnostic steps that explain whats actually happening and how to correct it.

Feeding Schedules

Follow straightforward ratios and timing charts built for room-temperature counters, slower fridge storage, or anything in between, so your starter stays reliable and ready to bake.

Baking With Discard

Put every scoop of extra starter to work in pancakes, crackers, muffins, and loaves, with recipes designed around the amount youd normally scrape out and pitch.

It is a living culture, not a recipe

Temperature, flour type, and hydration all change how your starter behaves, so a single fixed formula rarely works for long. Instead, we teach you to read the signals it gives off, like rise speed, smell, and bubble pattern, so you can adjust feedings on the fly and respond to what your specific starter needs.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my sourdough starter not rising at all?

A starter that wont rise is usually too cold, underfed, or simply still young and building strength. Move it somewhere warmer, feed it fresh flour more often, and give it several days of consistent feedings before expecting reliable, steady bubbling.

How often do I need to feed my starter?

At room temperature, plan on feeding once or twice a day since warmth speeds up fermentation and hunger. If you store it in the fridge between bakes, a weekly feeding is typically enough to keep it alive and ready to revive.

Can I revive a starter that has liquid on top?

Yes, that dark or grayish liquid, sometimes called hooch, simply means your starter has run out of food and slowed down. Pour off most of it, discard some starter if its dense, and resume regular feedings to bring the activity back.

What flour works best for a new starter?

Whole wheat or rye flour contains more wild yeast and bacteria, so it kickstarts fermentation faster during the first week or two. Once your starter is active and reliable, you can gradually shift it over to all-purpose flour for ongoing feedings.