Sourdough Starter Ratios - (2024)

FAQs

Sourdough Starter Ratios -? ›

Recommended feeding ratio 1:4:4 or even 1:5:5. Feeding it only once a day, or in a low feeding ratio can lead to an over fermented starter. And it's not only the flavour/odour that will be rather sour, but also the wild yeast activity is compromised.

The most common feeding ratio is 1:1:1 (sourdough starter: flour: water). This is also known as a 100% hydration starter. For example, let's say you have 40 g of sourdough starter in a jar. To feed it, you'll add 40 g of flour + 40 g of water.

The most common feeding ratios for daily maintenance are 1:1:1 or 1:2:2. Your feeding ratio should provide enough food for your starter to make it to the next feeding, without starving. You can keep a very small amount of retained starter. Some people keep as little as 5-10 grams as their carry-over amount.

Most commonly, the issue here has to do with temperature (which is very important). If your sourdough starter is kept at a low temp, even 70°F (21°C), it will slow fermentation activity and appear to be sluggish, taking longer to rise and progress through the typical signs of fermentation. The solution: keep it warm.

If you have too much starter compared to the additional flour and water you're adding, your hungry starter consumes all the nutrients and then it's not as bubbly.

The colony of wild yeast and bacteria inside your starter jar are fairly resilient, however, like most living things, they can be overfed. When you overfeed a sourdough starter you dilute the natural population of yeast and bacteria, making your sourdough culture weak and inactive.

Sourdough starters should be fed a minimum ratio of 1:1:1, meaning equal WEIGHTS of starter to flour to water. If you feed your starter this way and keep it at a consistently warm temperature 78ºF, your starter should peak and become active/bubbly in about 3-4 hours.

How to increase a starter. If your recipe calls for more than 227g (about 1 cup) of starter, feed it without discarding until you've reached the amount you need (plus 113g to keep and feed again).

Allow the starter to rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. You'll probably have to wait longer than you'd expect (up to 24 hours). But, given enough time, the starter should rise and double in size.

If you get good bubbling and the starter doesn't double, that's OK. Feed the starter again - this time discard half the starter, add 1/4 cup, or 50 grams, of water and stir the starter. Then add 1/2 cup, or 50 grams of whole grain flour and stir again.

What can ruin a sourdough starter? ›

Long term lack of feeding at room temperature can absolutely ruin your starter. Contamination: The yeast and bacteria in your sourdough starter are willing and capable of keeping some contamination at bay.

Can sourdough discard be used as starter? While sourdough discard can't replace an active starter in a recipe that relies on a robust leavening agent, it can be revitalized and used to create a new starter.

So, a sourdough feeding ratio is the relative amount (referring to weight) of old sourdough compared to fresh flour and water. Typical feeding ratios are 1:2:2 or 1:3:3 (old sourdough: fresh flour: water). However, even extreme ratios like 1:50:50 would still work.

There is no single best ratio, but I've found a ratio of 1:5:5 fed twice daily at 12-hour intervals to produce a sourdough starter that's strong and healthy. This ratio corresponds to 20% ripe starter carryover, 100% water, and 100% flour (a mix of whole grain rye and white flour) at each feeding.

When starting to build your starter you can leave it a bit thinner but once you start making bread you will want it THICK, You want your sourdough starter to be the consistency of thick pancake batter. if it's too thin add a scoop of flour. If it is too thick add water to find the right consistency.

The level of hydration will affect your final product, especially the texture. Enjoy an open crumb? You'll want to use a higher hydration dough. I prefer my loaves to be around 70% hydration, but sourdough recipes can range anywhere from 60% to 90%.

With the Peak-to-Peak method, you ignore the clock, watch your starter's activity, then discard and feed your sourdough starter as it is peaking.