Have questions about sourdough? This troubleshooting guide offers practical tips and tricks to achieve a bubbly, active sourdough starter.

Without a doubt, the most intimidating aspect of sourdough baking is understanding its key element: the starter.

What is a sourdough starter you ask?

Simply put: a starter is a live fermented culture of flour and water.

Once it becomes bubbly and active a small portion is used to make your sourdough bread rise- no commercial yeast is required. It’s a technique that can be traced back thousands of years when instant yeast was not yet available to bakers.

Doesn’t sound too scary, right?

But there’s a catch…

A starter is not just this “thing” you create and walk away from forever.

It must be kept alive and well with additional feedings (flour and water) to keep it bubbly and active. Remember, it’s a living culture which must be cared for with intent. Otherwise, your bread won’t rise. Think of it like a pet that needs to be fed daily, or a house plant that needs water and a sunny window.

At its core, sourdough is about understanding and committing to an ongoing relationship.

As with all relationships however, there lies a bit of uncertainty.

You might ask yourself: “Am I doing this right? Why does my starter look different than yours? Why is it taking forever to rise? Is it dead?”

That’s why I’ve put together this article for you.

Most of the information is already covered in my book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, but I’ve included additional details to answer any questions you might have and to open up the topic for discussion.

Two quick things before you begin:

1.) To streamline the process, this post assumes you have a working knowledge of a 100% hydration starter, made from equal parts regular wheat flour and water by weight. This is the most common type of sourdough starter. If you don’t have a starter, try my Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe.

2.) This post is also very comprehensive. To avoid losing your mind as you digest the details, take your time and read through it a few times until the aha moment strikes!

Because eventually, it will…

Troubleshooting Your Sourdough Starter

1.) Why Won’t My Starter Rise?

Another option is to wrap the starter jar in a heating pad. One of my kombucha readers (Hi, Melanie!) suggested this tip and it’s very clever. The heating pad maintains the starter at an approximate temperature which can be adjusted to your liking.

A proofing box can also be used to control the temperature. This is the one I use, which is great for your dough too (it FOLDS FLAT!).

If you don’t have a proofing box, place your starter in the oven (turned off) with the light on. But please make sure to keep an eye on it and turn the light off, if necessary. It can get very hot in there! Another makeshift proofing box option is to use your microwave; just place the starter inside (turned off) with the light on.

Finally, try using warm water in your feedings. Around 80-90 F is a good temperature.

Note: regarding temperature, if your starter is exceptionally strong and vibrant, it will have no problem rising in warm OR cold environments, even in the fridge. My starter is a workhorse and will rise ANYWHERE. This is because it’s mature, well fed and cared for starter. Keep this in mind as you continue to develop a relationship with your personal starter.

Ingredients

A sourdough starter is made from flour and water. For best results, always use quality ingredients.

For the flour, please use something that is unbleached, unbromated, and does not contain chemicals.

Most non-organic U.S. flours, including my preferred brand King Arthur Flour, are enriched with vitamins and minerals including iron, folic acid and other vitamins. This is okay to use. I also like Trader Joe’s all-purpose flour for feedings.

However, it’s important to note that not all flours perform the same. Flour from the UK is going to have different enzyme and mineral levels than flour from the U.S., Japan, Australian etc. Even organic flours perform differently.

That’s why when troubleshooting your starter, it’s best not switch back and forth between brands at first. It’s too confusing and you won’t know where you went wrong. Stick to one brand, try to rule out additional factors that might be giving you trouble, and then make changes from there.

For the water, try using filtered or bottled water to avoid any trace chemicals or chlorine if you think it’s having a negative effect on the rise. I don’t have to do this at home, my tap is fine.

Feeding Frequencies

Ever have those days where you’re just ravenous?

Starters can be ravenous too. If at one point your starter was all bubbly and happy, and now it’s not rising anymore, it’s possible that it needs a few extra feedings to boost the yeast development. Assuming you understand how temperature and ingredients can effect the rise of your starter, try feeding it 2x per day and see what happens.

Also, if your starter has been stored in the fridge for a while, it’s going to need several feedings at room temperature to become bubbly. Have patience!

2.) What Type Of Flour Can I Feed It With?

Feed your starter with the same flour from which it’s made.

Now, let me just clarify: every baker has their own way of feeding their starter. And one method is not necessarily better than the next (just different).

To cut through the noise with reliable results, feed your starter with the same flour that’s in the jar. For example, if your starter is made with all purpose flour, feed it with all purpose flour. If it’s made with rye flour, feed it with rye flour. Easy.

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By doing so, you’ll establish a consistent feeding routine and the rise time will become more predictable. Think about it this way: how would your dog feel if you fed him a different type of dry food each week? Starters are no different!

3.) How Much Flour and Water Does My Starter Need?

For a 100% hydration starter, feed it following a 1:1:1 ratio by weight.

For example, if you have 30 g of starter in the jar, feed it with 30g of flour + 30g of water. If you have 60g of starter, feed it with 60g of flour + 60g of water. Please use a kitchen scale for this! You can easily scale the initial starter quantity up or down, depending on how much you want to maintain now or in the future.

Again, every baker has a different method, but following a 1:1:1 ratio by weight will get you reliable results. Your starter will rise more predictably, and if you’re lucky, it will stay at its peak height for quite a while before it collapses.

First, make sure your starter is not near any fruit (for obvious reasons). Second, just relocate it. Sometimes, I keep mine in my bedroom and completely out of the kitchen where the main food sources reside- my husband thinks this is totally weird. Third, keep the lid on. This will not keep out the flies completely but it will help especially after you’ve moved the jar out of the kitchen.

If you have additional ideas on this one, I’m all ears! Please read the comment section below; you guys have THE BEST tips.

11.) Can My Starter Be Used With Gluten Free Flours To Make GF Bread?

Short answer: NO

Most sourdough starters are made from wheat flour and water, so therefore it contains gluten. If you want to bake gluten free sourdough you’ll need a gluten free starter. Remember that. I get many emails asking if my starter can be used to create gluten free sourdough, and it’s just not the real deal.

12.) If I Forget To Feed My Starter, Is It Going To Die?

Short answer: NO

No matter what I tell you here, the first time your starter gives you trouble, or it’s taking forever to rise, or whatever, you’re going to think it’s dead. I guarantee it. The Internet has scared people into thinking if your starter doesn’t rise instantly with a trillion bubbles on the surface, it’s completely broken and will never be usable again. EVER.

Please have a little faith. I have a starter that’s been siting in my fridge for over 1 year, unfed. I forgot it was even in there. After transferring it to a new jar, feeding it for several days in a warm spot, and just being patient, guess what?! It was still ALIVE!!! That’s all you have to do if you suspect your starter needs a little love. Starters are resilient creatures which require practice and patience.

Which brings me to my last point (hooray!)…

13.) Be Patient!

This is THE hardest tip to follow. But it’s undoubtedly the most important.

Who has patience these days when we have access to whatever we want on demand? Sourdough will teach you all about patience whether you like it or not. You can’t rush it. There are no shortcuts. No cheat sheets. Again, like parenting, eventually your 2-year-old will sleep through the night.

So, please read through these tips slowly and carefully and see what troubleshooting factors apply to your personal situation. Some days you’ll have a beautiful bubbly starter and other days it will act like a diva. And just remember: it’s usually a combination of factors that contribute to sourdough starter issues. Your starter behaves this way not to make your life miserable; it just wants you to pay attention. Take your time, feed it a million times if you have to, move it to a warmer spot, and just honor the relationship. It’s the only way you’ll learn.

My intent with this post was to include enough information to satiate your questions, without making you feel exhausted.

Believe me, this topic can go on for ages- there’s just so many scenarios. Feel free to comment below with additional thoughts and tips. Based on your feedback, I will make periodic updates to keep this post fresh and relevant! Happy baking, friends 🙂

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Category: WHY