HOW TO FIX YOUR SOURDOUGH STARTER | Troubleshooting common issues

Making a sourdough starter can be a frustrating process, especially if you don't know where you're going wrong. In this video, I help you troubleshoot most of the common issues that you may see with your starter, and teach you how to correct them.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:34 - Q1 - Why use whole wheat flour? Is it absolutely necessary?
1:28 - Q2 - Do you need to keep your starter at a specific temperature? What if the temperature of my room varies throughout the day?
2:34 - Q3 - What do I do if a liquid forms on top of my starter?
2:58 - Q4 - Should i feed my starter every 24 hours, or just when it begins to fall?
Q5 - Doesn't Exist
3:56 - Q6 - I've followed all of the instructions, but my starter still isn't active. What do I do?
4:53 - Q7 - My starter is too sour/not sour enough. What do I do?
6:02 - Q8 - What do I do if my starter doesn't pass the float test?
6:36 - Q9 - Do I have to discard my excess starter?
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How to Make and Maintain a Sourdough Starter: • HOW TO MAKE AND MAINTA...
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[@digi-edltd7598]

There are millions of sourdough videos out there but this is definitely one of the best for a beginner like me. So clear and the timestamps are brilliant.

[@TheRegularChef]

That's the goal, I'm glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@FatherAndSonsTV]

Khristian Serrano I completely agree.

[@milosmajinovic8034]

I have a starter for maybe 15days now. Because of colder environment (i think), almost nothing hapened in first 7-8, althogh i fed it regulary. Than i placed it in some temperature isolation container, with jar of hot water, and it keeps warm atmospere inside. And things staryed to happen. But my problem is, my starter never proofed more than 50-60% maybe. Do you think your advice could be solution to my problem?

[@kokuou]

A quick note about not getting rise after several days. This happened to me; I was getting some small bubbles and like maaaaybe 10% rise after feeding it once a day, regardless of if I did a 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 feed. The starter also had a very sour smell, almost vinegary. This continued into the 7th and 8th day. Finally, after getting frustrated and searching on the internet, I came across some advice that I might be overfeeding. The advice given was to stop feeding since the bacteria were clearly creating the acidic environment needed, but that the yeast might not be waking up as fast. After stopping feeding for 48 hours, my starter finally had a yeasty smell with small bubbles, and after 72+ hours, i finally had a 50% rise. I then did a 1:1:1 feeding, and 24 hours later, i had more than a double rise and it's been fine ever since. I haven't seen this advice many places, but it definitely helped me when I was getting no rise. 😊

[@genecivillico]

I'm having this exact problem and will try this and report back!

[@kokuou]

@@genecivillico Oooh, good luck! As a side note, I didn't feed it at all during the 72 hours, but I did give it a stir every 12-24 hours.

[@andrea3v]

Had also a similar issue. I got a nice rise in day 2 and then nothing for 4 days straight. Still had some activity (bubbles forming, brownish liquid on top). I've been inoculating with a 1:2:2 ratio every 12 and 24 hrs. Temperature around 22 °C (72 °F). So over feeding and rather low temp pushing the bacteria rather than the yeast could definitely be a problem. Will follow your advice and stop bothering it for 3 days or so... Thanks!

[@genecivillico3677]

@kokuou question: for your 1:1:1 feed at 72 hours, did you do a discard? Also: are you using all purpose flour like me? I wonder if this is a factor in this no-rise bad bacteria scenario

[@kokuou]

@@genecivillico3677 I did do a discard. I think I kept 50g, and did a 1:1:1. I'm using 100% whole wheat, but I do have a second experimental one that's using half AP as well and it's faring fine.

[@anxiousbeetroot]

In 7 minutes I have gotten more information than the 100 articles I have read trying to troubleshoot my starter, thank you!!!

[@TheRegularChef]

Haha no problem, I’m glad I could help!

[@michelesaint1662]

Same! Over a week of frustration.

[@coryrutland4322]

Agreed. This was super helpful.

[@theawes0me0ne]

Thank you!!! Just baked my first sourdough loaf, the flavor was great but it didnt rise very well. I will take your tips and work on my starter to see if I can get it more active.

[@dinky..]

This was really helpful! Thank you! 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@BixbyConsequence]

Thank you for this video. I had a starter for a long time but lost it to disuse. Recently bought a packet to get going again and despite dozens of feedings the starter just wasn't active enough for bread. A couple of feedings with whole wheat did the trick. IT'S ALIVE!... IT'S ALIVE!!

[@waynerollack1026]

Lots of very good advice, thank-you for sharing. I enjoy you lessons.

[@bookmouse2719]

Thank you! Such clear explanations, it was great.

[@DianaMartinez-zi8ur]

Awesome video!!! Thank you so much for answering all these questions. I just created a starter recently. Mine took 13 days. I made my levain tonight to make a second attempt at baking ❤️

[@TheRegularChef]

Thanks a lot!! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Good luck with the baking!

[@paulimagicaable]

This is a brilliant video for me as I am such a newbie. Thank you dude !!!!

[@kdausu90]

Awesome video. You helped me save my starter!

[@TheJambajuice14]

Holy cow thank you!! This is so helpful

[@atlas_kane]

This is so great! Learned a lot

[@jmwilson6792]

I think I'm in love. Nothing like a guy that knows his sourdough.

[@deliadsantiago9895]

Great informations! You answer and clarify lots of questions about sourdough starter. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheRegularChef]

No problem, I’m glad you found it helpful!

[@hailthehales]

D🚭🚭7v

[@greentea995]

My sourdough starter was extremely runny and had no activity during day 4 and 5. But after I found your channel and followed your tips, it TRIPLED in size and it is ready for baking! Thank you so much for your help and the guide you've created is extremely resourceful and helpful for sourdough newbies like myself. Keep creating more of such contents! :))

[@TheRegularChef]

That's great to hear, I'm glad the videos have helped you out!

[@kristiellsworth5030]

Thanks for this helpful video!

[@TheRegularChef]

No problem, I'm glad it was helpful!

[@djquinn11]

Great job Charlie!

[@dextermorgan1367]

Perfect Video ! Thx man !!!

[@dohasrecipes7977]

So helpful, thanks

[@gianaseppanen]

Thank you so much for the info! I've been using a sourdough starter for about two months now. I've just made my third actual sourdough bread. I've been using it mostly for pizza dough! I have to say my favorite discard recipe is the King Arthur Flour Pancake recipe.. It is sooooooooo amazing!

[@TheRegularChef]

Awesome, I'll have to give that one a try!

[@mudwellies1]

I make that recipe but use all whole wheat flour and my family still loves it!

[@sbm1961]

So glad I came across your video - just as I was ready to give up for the 2nd time on trying to achieve a successful sourdough starter! Relieved to hear you say that the "float test" is not the "holy grail" of using my starter to bake with. So my question is, "If my sourdough starter is doubling in size and I choose to bake with it, do I just scoop out the top portion of the starter or should I take it from the bottom of the jar or do I mix the entire starter up and then weigh out the amount needed for my recipe"? thank you so much!!

[@pamfraim9597]

Thank you! New subscriber 👍🏻

[@TheRegularChef]

I’m glad you enjoyed, welcome to the channel!

[@JuRstin7]

Bro you answered my questions, thanks

[@michelesaint1662]

I watched this yesterday and applied several tweaks. 5 minutes ago, I thought for a moment I had worms or moths but it was finally AIR BUBBLES! 🍻 Cheers!

[@freelivingtennessee]

I use all purpose white flour and a lot of the time its bleached bc there hasn't been a lot of selection at the grocery store since covid supply chain issues. My starter is about 2 months old. Doesnt double in size and I do about a 1:2:1.5 ratio of starter flour and water. The thing is it works just fine. I just did a great loaf of no knead sourdough last night and it came out great. I started out with a wheat feed for my starter but transitioned to an all white flour feed so that's prob why its working so well but I like the end result of an all white flour loaf. Just wanted to share that in case it helps anyone

[@stopit9180]

Cool, thanks for the information. Nicely presented.

[@DANVIIL]

I've left my starter in the fridge for 4.5 months and then used it to make my levain in 2 days and my bread's oven spring was amazing. I know people who've left it in the fridge for 12 months and it was fine.

[@87800542]

Were you feeding the starter while it was in the fridge? Thanks

[@couz10]

Thanks brother! 🙏🏼👍🏻

[@sahilahm2558]

You are such an awesome person, you need more views and subscriber

[@TheRegularChef]

Haha thanks a lot, I appreciate it!

[@esalenchik]

Really , thanks. I made crumpets yesterday with 1 cup of discard, 1/4 t salt, 1t sugar and 1/2 t baking soda. They took ages to cook on the griddle, but it was worth it 🤓

[@lindawilson3071]

I made sourdough crumpets and coulnt get them cooked all the way through either.

[@esalenchik]

Linda Wilson Cooking them is a long slow process, but I think it’s worth it. Maybe 15 minutes to before I turn them and then about 2 minutes for a little browning in the other side.

[@semedoeduardo1]

Great videos, loved your channel! Very informative and well explained ;)

[@TheRegularChef]

I appreciate it, I’m glad you find them helpful!!

[@FatherAndSonsTV]

Seriously Charlie, thanks for this incredible video. I purchased dehydrated starter off eBay, apparently some 140 year olds, and it said to do a 1:1:1 ratio at the 6th day, but mine stayed in pure liquid form and never rises and has about 1/2 inch of hooch. For 6 days I kept adding 50g of flour and 50 grams of water, but nothing happened except bubbles, but it was extremely liquid and the bread I made with it was horrible. Honestly, I was about to quit, but looked for something to see if I could fix it. I did the whole 25g starter, 100g flour and 100g water and within 2 days it rose in size 200%, passed the float test and I just made three loafs using your recipe, but using sprouted whole-wheat instead of regular. It rose perfectly, and my 3rd is in the oven now. Thank you so very much!!!!!!!

[@TheRegularChef]

Haha that's great to hear, I'm glad I could help!

[@paulineclarke5940]

Many thanks ❤

[@blaqfish]

Do you have any content that shows the steps as well as conversation. That is helpful to see each step as you are speaking. Thank you

[@thecuckooviolinist7376]

Thanks!

[@pallavijayswal]

Your videos are so helpful... Thank you so much 😊 I am following your exact recipe to begin a starter. I live in India and temp here is near 25-29 degrees C. The starter was alive and predictable for 3 days. This has changed on Day 4. I changed the starter to a new jar and it has stopped all activity. Did I make a mistake?

[@johnkeepin7527]

One of many interesting guides to this topic. Around Q3, I suspect that the liquid that tends to float on top (it does in mine) is an oil (“wheatgerm oil”), from the cereal grain via the flour, hence it’s lower density than that of water, resulting in it floating on top. So far, I’ve just stirred it in so it goes into the bread. The amount of it probably varies depending on the flour used.

[@MaggiesMusings]

I think they call that 'hooch'. It's alcohol produced by the fermentation process.

[@lauracooper6549]

I’ve decided that I’m going to strictly stick to your guidelines and I also bought the Tartine Bread book. There are way too many conflicting opinions out there and my head was about to explode! The 1:1:1 ratio yielded me zero activity, and so many people ascribe by that. It wasn’t until I switched to feeding more to a lesser amount of mature starter that I saw any activity. It was almost immediate too!

[@ibolyakontor7199]

thanks very helpful information. My question would be what happens if I use a larger amount of starter?---I would like it to be more sour and yeasty

[@olusialovesgod9724]

Hello, so what do you do when the starter has gone though the week of feeding twice daily (water/flour) and discarding and it’s bubbly but won’t pass the float test? I have tried to bake with it and it’s not rising like it should. I used high quality flour from a farm organic whole wheat einkorn and spelt flour. The water was warm as well and I have been consistent. The loaves of bread I have baked one einkorn and one spelt seemed heavy and not moist at all. I’m not sure what to do I’ve tried the float test a few times and it’s not working. Currently I have two starters one spelt flour/einkorn and the other just einkorn and both aren’t passing the float test but bubbling. I recently bought jovial all purpose flour einkorn and the whole wheat einkorn flour and figured I’d switch to using high of these together. Not sure what else to do now? I’ve been feeding twice a day 1/4 cup water 6 tablespoons of water . Please help - thanks in advance !

[@SparkyOne549]

I live in the Pacific Northwest coastal area. I have a whole wheat starter. It does fine in the summer, but any other season, it has struggled. It’s taken me a number of years to figure out what it likes. Long story short, it loves 86F. In the time I’ve had my starter, I’ve had 3 different ovens. In the non summer months I would put it in the oven with the light on and had an instant read thermometer to monitor the temps, the first 2 ovens got over 110F! If I didn’t have that thermometer, my starter would have died. So I left the door ajar, and too much heat would exit the oven so I couldn’t control the temp. Then I got my new oven last year, I left the thermometer in the oven and it stays a constant 86F with the door shut the whole time. My starter LOVES IT. But it still takes 12 hours to rise enough to bake with. Think I will mess with the ratios to improve that. I use a 100% hydration. I do not agree regarding the colder the bulk proof and or final proof the sour it is. I have proofed mine for over 24 hours, very little sour. Bakers out of Italy explain that it has to do with your starter, Which I agree to, at least for my climate. I’m not going away that info.

[@ilik2spit]

Thaaaaaank youuuuu

[@sh1yo7]

I use a little workaround in terms of discard. I just feed my starter as much flour as the levain for my bread needs to be. After using it, I am left with a tablespoon or so that goes back to the fridge until the next bake. That way I don't have discard :)

[@collingwood46]

totally agree. I do the same so have no discards

[@aprilblues3202]

Best method imo! Never have to discard and always have a nice, bubbly and active starter

[@ChernakFamily]

Thank you for your sourdough videos! I made 2 pretty good loaves last week using your technique and will try again this week. My starter to peaks at about 80% (i.e. almost doubled but not quite) in about 4 to 6 hours. I am using ratios that are different than yours but I can't get my head around how to adjust to "correct" the timing to be more like 12 hours. I save 200g starter and add 100g water (distilled) and 100g 50/50 mix of AP unbleached flour and WW flour. I do this every 24 hours. My house is cool at night; 65 to 68 degrees F and about 70 during the day. ANY recommendations would be appreciated! Thank you.

[@TheRegularChef]

No problem, I’m glad you enjoy them! Basically, if you want your starter to rise slower, you should reduce the amount of starter you save each day. And if you want it to rise faster, you keep more of your starter each day.

[@goingbacktoourroots]

Do you have videos on GF sourdough?!? I keep getting mold on top of mine (it is cold winter here, starting over I’m putting it near my heat pad in a dark pantry with my kombucha..... but any other tips?)

[@margiehodges1720]

That was a really informative video. Thank you! I've just made my first starter but put it in the fridge when it was ready so I haven't used it yet. My question is about using the discard to bake bread. In what manor would it be used? As a portion of the flour in a recipe in addition to the yeast? Curious about recipes. Thanks so much!

[@lanael7278]

Whole wheat flour is high in phytic acid, that's why I'm looking into sourdough breads, where bacteria degrade lots of phytates. Thank you for your sourdough tips!

[@nerliYaleks]

hi! i made sourdoudh starter a couple of months ago, and i feed it every 24h a 1-20-20 ratial. is taht too much? i did that since i noticed it was quite sour and not rising too much when i fed it 1-5-5

[@unstoppabledoris]

Thanks for this chef, my sourdough has been less visually active bc of the season changing. I hope to hype it up for Thanksgiving next week.

[@chrimsonevans2016]

Mine does phenomenal for the first couple of days tripling in size and so many bubbles but then I do the first discard and while it stays insanely bubbly and may rise a tiny tiny bit it doesn’t double or triple no matter what I do. I put it in a warmer spot, I add more flour and less water, I don’t discard as much or maybe discard more. Soooooo many bubbles in my starter but it just won’t rise and when I do the float test the smaller bits that kind of just flop in the water after the bigger blob will float but the big blob 1/2 tsp sinks… is it okay or do I need to do something I haven’t done yet

[@m27238]

hello, I am using dry sourdough starter is bubbling from the begging but not rising, what could be the problem, and how do I make it rise?

[@shobarbaba]

hello! i refrigerated my starter on day three and took it out, fed it like normal and it’s the end of day five today but i saw close to none activity. is my starter dying/dead?

[@greglee1585]

Thank Charlie for this video. I am currently taking your on line course and am loving it. I unfortunately I don’t know how to send you a question, so I am using this video to send it. My question is on discard. You said it’s great to use. What happens if you don’t use it all, can you keep on feeding it or should it be thrown away. I currently have two jars in the refrigerator and a container on the counter of discard that I use and then feed what’s left. I am wondering if this is not the best idea. Thank you

[@TheRegularChef]

Hi Greg, I’m glad you’re enjoying the course! Generally, you’ll need to throw some of your excess starter away because it’s hard to make use of all of your discard. Later in the course, I discuss some ideas for how to use your discard, but again, you’ll likely still have some left after that. To minimize the amount I throw away, I like to store my starter in the fridge most of the time so that I don’t need to feed it as frequently. P.S. My email is [e-mail] in case you ever need to contact me!

[@greglee1585]

@@TheRegularChef Thanks Charlie! It’s probably the reason I am not get the rise in my Detroit pizza that I’ve been looking for.

[@jungminshon3355]

While making the starter mold appears. Do i have to dump all? Can i use it to make another starter?

[@sarahchester9157]

I have been keeping my starter in the fridge. I don't want it out of fridge as it means have to look after it too often. Is that ok? Also, do you stir the starter well, when you add the 100g flour mix & water, each time?

[@alphacentauri2506]

Can I use rye flour for starter?

[@yvonnepaget611]

How long does a started take to rise mine is 4 days old it had bubbles from 2 day now the bubbles have dissolved what can I do

[@kensparkle]

If my starter has water on top, do I have to discard and start afresh?

[@waltermontoya1508]

My starter rose beautiful from day 2 to 3 but then it just stopped and the hooch appeared everyday. Haven’t change anything on the feedings (1:1:1)

[@agnieszkalaskus7150]

My starter never raised properly trying to warm it up in the oven at 25*C, any suggestions, have been struggling with this for over a year of trying mainly during Baking season of Autum, Winter and early spring, is my kitchen holding unstable temperatures? I have virtually ran out of ideas how to get this right

[@944gemma]

Ice job Charlie.

[@danielariquezes5650]

Thank you for this video! So I've been using rye flour+ regular ap flour, and it bubbles nicely but i don't see it really rising. Is there something wrong with it?

[@TheRegularChef]

No problem, thanks for watching! Hmm, well the fact that it bubbles is a good sign but it should be rising as well. How long ago did you start it? And what ratio of starter:flour:water are you using?

[@danielariquezes5650]

@@TheRegularChef today i used 25g starter, 50g rye, 50g ap and 100g water. Kept in oven. Does rye slow it down maybe? Thanks in advance!

[@TheRegularChef]

Daniela Riquezes That all sounds pretty good, it sounds like it just needs more time to develop. Rye should work just fine, especially if it’s whole wheat rye but even if not, it should work. How long ago did you start this starter?

[@danielariquezes5650]

@@TheRegularChef 2 weeks ago aprox... But i stopped feeding it for like 3 days and just started again on Saturday

[@TheRegularChef]

Oh okay, yeah it probably just needs more time then, so I’d keep feeding it as you have been and it should eventually become more active. The bubbles are a good sign, so you know there’s definitely some activity going.

[@SuperDavidEF]

On the question about the acidity, I've found that the biggest difference in acidity for my dough is whether I use whole grain in the starter or not. I always use unbleached white flour in my starter because it makes the bread a lot milder. When I've used whole grains in my starter, the resulting bread is more sour. The use of whole grains when making the bread dough doesn't affect acidity, but the use of whole grains in my starter does. Whole grains are full of nutrients, and will cause the starter to be stronger and healthier. So it is definitely a trade-off if you like your bread less sour. But white flour can also maintain a starter for many years. It just doesn't ferment as quickly or make very sour bread.

[@TheRegularChef]

Interesting, I never thought about that but it makes sense! I did notice that the white flour starters seemed to be less acidic than the ones using whole grains.

[@kathy2147]

David Fleener that’s interesting because I am a newbie to making sourdough & I could not get a starter to double w/ white flour. Had to buy whole wheat from Pennsylvania and like magic , my starter started up almost immediately. I am now trying to keep the boule bottom from burning in my Dutch Oven and getting a more mature starter.

[@laurenday3267]

Hey! I'm on day 17 of my starter. It was doubling at a small quantity I'd feed it 1T each water and flour. So I decided to give it a larger feed of 1C each flour water. I've been doing that for several days. 1/4c starter to 1c flour and water. My flour is unbleached and my water is filtered from my fridge. The next day it is bubbly, very runny, and has not grown. Not growing at all. What have I done wrong?!

[@chinaski2020]

If you don't have a water filter and don't want to be buying bottled water for this, you can always just boil tap water and use that. Boiling gets rid of anything that might kill the yeasts and bacterias you want. Just make sure you let it cool down a bit first. Alternatively you can really just leave a glass of tap water out overnight and the chlorine etc evaporates off.

[@scoop2591]

If your city water uses chlorimide instead of chlorine there's a problem Chlorimide does NOT evaporate...I know it's what my city uses. 😡

[@a.katherinesuetterlin3028]

I don't know what my city uses, but I also live in an older building with older pipes, and the water contains this yellowish mineral that I noticed collected on some river rocks I was using in a fountain I had. I also noticed that the hard water also killed the plants I was trying to grow and maintain. So, my recommendation is spring for a Brita pitcher, or bottled spring water (not filtered via reverse osmosis). Yes, it can seem pricey, but it's worth it to make sure your sourdough efforts are successful. Just doing a quick cost-benefit analysis has me still coming down on the side of making my own stuff. 😅 I like knowing what goes into my food, and I love that making sourdough anything is just as much an art as it is a science, and come on, there's nothing like homemade, handcrafted goods that smell divine. 😁😁

[@thisguy2973]

I’ve been told the opposite in that boiling(distilling) water removes not just chlorine, but also the minerals that make your yeasts produce co2.

[@mudwellies1]

I used my starter in fridge that I use KA method to make your starter and used 25 g starter, 100 grams of flour and cold water to make your 1:4:4 starter. I don't understand how much I am supposed to discard when I feed it?

[@ggestner]

LOVE your tutorials. My aunt recently gave me a starter and I have made a few excellent loaves on my very first attempts at sourdough using your Tartine method. My question is - since, I keep the starter in the fridge (I only bake once a week or so), how soon should I feed it before I'm planning to use it? And then do I bring it out of the fridge before using? Isn't making a levain basically like feeding it anyway? Thanks!

[@TheRegularChef]

Thanks, I'm glad you like them! I usually like to remove my starter from the fridge about a day before I plan to use it, and give it one feeding before actually using it in the bread. But yeah, making the levain is essentially the same as feeding the starter, so it's not 100% necessary to keep the levain separate, but I do it that way just to make the process more organized

[@ggestner]

@@TheRegularChef Thank you!!

[@ricardokoga4398]

Hi ! Tks for the tips...trying mine from Brazil.. great vídeo! My starter is doubling after 8 or 10hours... is this a problem? I Mean most recipes i saw people let it bulkrise about 4hs out of the fridge... but their starters also doubled within 4hs... I wonder if I need to increase my bulkrise timing...

[@TheRegularChef]

No that’s perfectly fine, it all depends on what your feeding ratio is and what temperature your starter is at. With the feeding ratio I use, my levain doubles in about 12 hours.

[@marciapayne8228]

I used someone else’s directions online and they didn’t mention discarding until day 5. My starters were doubling in size on day two but not since then. Do I need to start over ? If so I need your recipe.

[@TheRegularChef]

As long as you still have some bubbles forming, it's not completely dead and you shouldn't need to start over. You can just keep feeding as usual and it should become more active eventually. I do have a starter recipe on my channel though if you're interested!

[@michellewright2392]

Just wanted to comment on your answer to the "do I have to discard before feeding". You said something about YES, because it'll get too big. However, I have a 2 gallon glass jar that I keep my starter in so I do not discard everytime before feeding. Should I be???? TIA

[@user-bw1hk2eu2d]

Thanks for the informative video!!! When I feed it every 24 hours at 144, my bread gets so sour, and when I raise the water temperature it sinks earlier and gets sour again before I use it, any solution pls? And I find keeping 25 gm is still too much for me, can I keep 10 gm only?

[@TheRegularChef]

No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed! Hmm, yeah you can definitely go down from 25 grams if that seems to be too much. Reducing the ratio should also help to make the starter less sour. I'd recommend gradually decreasing to 20 or 15 grams first and see if that helps. Also when you're making the bread, try performing your rises at a higher temperature, so the bread will rise faster which should make it less sour.

[@user-bw1hk2eu2d]

@@TheRegularChef Thanks for the reply! I'll try! One more question, after taking it out of the refrigerator, do I have to refresh+build it? Can I just scoop how much I need and build it directly for baking?

[@TheRegularChef]

No problem! Yeah, when you take it out of the fridge, you’ll want to feed it and wait for it to rise again before using it in your bread. So I’d recommend taking it out of the fridge a day or two before you plan to bake so it has some time to get used to the room temperature again.

[@alfie450]

Hello, thanks for your great video. I started my starter a week ago with wholewheat flour and have been feeding it with whole-wheat flour only. Is this okay? I saw a huge rise on day three but now it’s stagnant. Wondering if it’s because I’m only using wholewheat. Still some bubbles. I’m on day 7. Thanks!

[@assass8958]

I’m in the exact same situation rn, what ended up happening? Did it become more active, were you able to bake with it?

[@alfie450]

@@assass8958 No it died unfortunately. Am yet to try again but will probably use a mixture of flours next time. Hope yours goes okay.

[@kellievalencia8366]

What if my starter just started to double within 24 hrs? Does it need to double within 4-6 hr to use it? When do you know when it’s time to use it? I feed in morning and by the time I wake up in the morning it is doubled. I have been feeding with whole wheat flour and 1:1:1 ratio. I am also using spring water

[@moon_studiosyt1340]

My starter was doing fine, just a bit slow, I fed him 2x a day and when the heating was turned on I put him on a radiator for a bit and now he's growing really fast (I'm not convinced it's actually Bob (yes I named him lol) and it's actually the flour fermenting) and smells awful, is he dead or can he be saved? I'm using gluten free flour so I can make bread for my mum cos she had celiac

[@slientgatsby2758]

My starter was been left in the fridge for 1 week and then be fed and exposed to 100F for 2 hours accidentally. It was 2.5 rise within 5 hours previously. But now it’s barely double now. I switched from 50/50 all purpose and whole wheat flour to 100% whole wheat flour and it barely grow now. Can you please provide some suggestion to save it?

[@cecilia2737]

Hi I fed my starter 1:1:1 it will doubled in 3 hrs but became sour . My sourdough loaf is always super sour due to long fermentation. How to overcome this? I hope to eliminate the sourness. Would you be able to help? Tks!!!

[@TheRegularChef]

Hi! To make your starter less sour, you can use a lower feeding ratio, so I’d recommend something more like 1:4:4, and you can also let it rise at a higher temperature to speed up the fermentation. I talked about this at 4:53 in the video, so you can watch that part for some further explanation.

[@Julieryantiffany]

My starter was doing great the first few days. Then I tried using unbleached flour instead of whole wheat and now it won’t rise at all. Did I ruin it? Should I try whole wheat flour again at the next feeding

[@Paul-viking]

I created sourdough starter using Rye Flour, also add some caraway seeds. Once the starter matured, started using all purpose flour for feedings.

[@jerlynyeo]

Hi! I am growing my starter but it’s the 4th day and still super smelly. I think it’s in the Leuconostoc stage. It doesn’t rise after I feed it, just turns really liquidy. 1. Should I continue feeding it after every 24h? 2. Should I keep the starter discard? If i incorporate it into my discard recipes will it turn my baked goods smelly also? Thanks!!

[@TheRegularChef]

Sorry for the late response, but yeah I would just keep feeding every 24 hours and it should be fine! I wouldn't recommend using the discard until your starter is fully developed, because it might give the food a strange flavor, like you mentioned

[@jiberri]

Is the freshness date on flour critical? How much past the date do you think is OK to use?

[@eleanoraddy4683]

Smell it. Your nose knows.

[@CalmMountainRange-jp6xs]

My starter seems to work but it’s been developing a slight skin on the top each morning. Is that ok ? It also doesn’t seem to bake a good quality bread. I’m frustrated…

[@thepiecesfit5049]

My current sourdough starter is out of control. I keep 20g and feed 60g bread flour and 60g water. In about 6-8 hours it triples in size. Just when it’s falling two hours later it grows a bit more practically overflowing out of my jar. I know it’s a good problem to have but how do I slow it down a little so I can feed it once every 12 hours?

[@Luke-ri8od]

can i swap flour during the feeding, i am using rye flour at the moment but it does not seem too be doing much after 10 days, would it be okay too swap it for whole wheat flour ?

[@TheRegularChef]

Yeah you can definitely do that! Are you using only rye flour, or a blend of rye and white flour? I’ve found that using a mixture of half rye or whole wheat and half white flour works the best.

[@Luke-ri8od]

@@TheRegularChef thanks for the reply :) i will use a mix of both its been about two weeks and it seems to be doing nothing :/

[@sh1yo7]

What really helped me in that situation was to just keep just a tablespoon of the old starter and feed that. Maybe you accumulated too much starter in the first place. You can make pretty good chocolate brownies with the starter surplus :)

[@Luke-ri8od]

@@TheRegularChef i have been feeding it with a mix of both flours now and it gets some bubbles in it over night and rises around 50 % of what it was before, i am unsure if it can be used as its not doubling in volume and does not float in water :?

[@TheRegularChef]

I would just keep feeding it and wait a bit longer before trying to use it. It sounds like it still needs to build up a bit more strength.

[@geoiabeyer8682]

Please help ! I’m at a loss! My starter rose after 3 days after 5th day it rose and fell fed it again and it did not rise as high? Now I’m lost!

[@MrsBlain-hh7wv]

I'm trying to make my first Starter, I have it in a plastic bowl. I started it last week and it's been bubbly, but doesn't rise much. Yesterday and today there has been hooch ontop the starter. Today there is a lot of hooch. I feel as if I'm doing something wrong. Does the bowl matter?

[@TheRegularChef]

The bowl should work fine, as long as you keep it loosely covered with a lid. That sounds about normal if you just started it last week, sometimes it can take up to 2 weeks or so before it really rises. Just make sure you're gradually reducing the amount of starter you maintain each day, because the hooch indicates that your starter is fermenting very quickly. I have a full sourdough starter recipe video that you may want to check out to compare with what you're doing.

[@LoveIECheer]

my starter is SUPER sour/a bit foul smelling? because of the flour shortage i was unable to feed it for a few days and when i was finally able to...it just hasn’t been the same since. It is still predictable and active but it is just very sour smelling. should i just start over? my starter is AP flour. I use a 1:4:4 ratio and i have a hard water filter. I keep it at room temperature.

[@TheRegularChef]

I don't think you'll need to start over. It's normal for the starter to be pretty sour smelling, but if it does seem overly sour, I'd just try feeding more frequently for a couple of days (every 12 hours rather than every 24 hours), or feed with a lower ratio (1:6:6 or lower) for a few days and see if that helps.

[@davidlacziko1516]

I had the same problem, and it was all because of the flour. I used 5 different types until I found the one that worked. Also I use a 1/10/10 ratio now.

[@jpbianco7838]

Hi trying do make my sourdough, this is my second attempt, My dough make the hooch and started to get a smell I can see some bubbles but it don't rise at all I'm on my day 4 , What should I do PLEASE

[@TheRegularChef]

Hi, that sounds about right for day 4, just keep going along with it and it should be fine! The bubbles are a good sign, so it should start rising more within the next 4-5 days

[@martinamesiarikova5350]

When taking out the sourdough starter from the fridge can I feed it straight away or should I wait until it's at room temperature. Also, When I feed it, should I leave it out for 12h or can I put it back to the fridge? thanks

[@TheRegularChef]

I like to wait at least an hour or two before feeding to let it come to room temperature. Then wait about another hour or two to let some activity build up before putting it back in the fridge.

[@Maher-]

I made a starter using 50/50 mix bread and wholemeal flour of 120g and 120g water , on the 3rd day i came to discard but the mixture was hard at the bottom and the water was on top like its been separated, i mixed it back and took out 50g and put it in a new jar then added 50/50 flour of 50g and 50g water but it didn't rise in 24h then i added 50g bread flour and 50 water, where did i do wrong that it stop from rising? Thanks

[@TheRegularChef]

Hi, that sounds about normal. After just 3 days, it most likely won't be rising yet so I think it just needs more time.

[@Maher-]

@@TheRegularChef thanks for the reply

[@DynamicBailey]

I’m literally just starting out as I purchased a start from a lady about 4 days ago. So why can’t you just split the start instead of getting rid of part of it each time you feed it? I’m just not getting it.

[@rochellemcintyre8417]

I’ve been attempting my first starter. I’m using whole wheat flour and doing a 1:3:3 ratio. I’m using filtered water that is about 85 degree F. My starter is nice and bubbly but it only rises a little and I never notice it fall. I’m feeding it every 24 hours and it’s been like 16 days. Any advice?

[@TheRegularChef]

I would try using a lower ratio like 1:4:4, it's possible that the starter is fermenting too quickly at that ratio

[@DaenaDanzig777]

Is bottled water ok for this?

[@JulietJensen]

What makes a thin and sour smelling sourdough starter ? I am just starting with a Kraut sourdough starter and its been about 7 days of feeding it. Im using wholewheat sprouted flour. It is bubbling but very tiny bubbles and thin consistency.

[@TheRegularChef]

That likely means that it's fermenting too quickly, so I would try reducing the ratio of starter to flour to water, which should help it to ferment slower.

[@kre421]

Can't find an answer to my question....I made a starter 4 days ago. I forgot to feed it last night on day 3, what should I do?

[@alyk.5525]

I’ve just started my sourdough 4 days ago or so but I’m having troubles with bubbles. It increases in size by 2-3x everyday, which I think is good, but there is literally not a single sign of bubbles!! It looks a bit like dough when it’s rested but not as smooth, but point is the signs of fermentation that I’ve seen in every video about sourdough starter aka bubbles and bubbles and bubbles are nowhere to be seen on mine. I don’t know what the issue is since it’s still doubling in size, any help?

[@TheRegularChef]

Hmm, well if it's rising there must be bubbles throughout, they're probably just very small. So that's fine, as long as it's rising consistently you should be good!

[@keondacook4387]

I am still having issues with my starter, ive had it for over a month. I received advice to increase how much I am feeding from 1/4cup/1/4 cup of water to 1 cup/1water, it rose the first day but now I am back where I started were it bubbles but does not rise. I keep the starter at 75 with Christmas lights since my apartment is typically kept at 68 degrees. any tips? I am feeding twice a day every 12 hours at the moment

[@keondacook4387]

I do get small amounts of hooch and lots of those mini bubbles prior to feeding but it never rises or floats. thanks

[@madisonsang2197]

My starter on the 2nd day rose and fell and looked rly active but I’m on day 6 and it hasn’t rose or fell at all what do I do

[@aprilblues3202]

Try discarding it until a small amount (around 50-75 grams) is left and feed it a 1:1:1 ratio. Keep in mind that it is possible to overfeed starter. If that happens, just leave it alone for a few days and then feed it and it should come back up to speed.

[@mennaahmed4501]

I am loving in a hot country so the temperature here is around 29-31 c and I started my starter 5 days ago and on the second day it really doubled in size and then didn't rise for rest of days It seems always runny and only bubbles are obvious but no rise Someone suggested to feed it twice a day but I am really confused please please help

[@TheRegularChef]

Yes, I think feeding twice per day may help. Or reducing the ratio of starter:flour:water in order to slow down the activity of the starter.