A healthy sourdough starter kept on the counter needs feeding once or twice a day, usually at a 1:1:1 ratio by weight (starter : flour : water). A starter kept in the fridge can go about a week between feedings. The best schedule is whichever one matches how often you actually bake.
A starter can look flat and exhausted after a cold night even when its culture is alive. If yours rises, collapses, or develops a layer of gray liquid, the next step is usually to review its feeding ratio and temperature—not immediately throw it away.
There is no single feeding schedule that works for every kitchen. Temperature, feeding ratio, and your baking calendar determine how often your starter needs food. This guide gives you practical starting points and shows how to adjust them.
What is a sourdough starter feeding schedule?
A sourdough starter feeding schedule is the repeating pattern of discarding part of your starter and adding fresh flour and water, set by how often you feed, what ratio you use, and what temperature the starter lives at. The schedule keeps the wild yeast and bacteria in your starter fed, active, and predictable enough to leaven bread on demand.
The basic feeding: what you actually do
Every feeding is the same three moves: discard, add flour, add water. Use a kitchen scale, not cups, because cups of flour vary by 20% or more depending on how you scoop.
- Stir the starter and keep a small amount (say 20g) in the jar. Discard or save the rest for discard recipes.
- Add flour (20g) and water (20g). That's a 1:1:1 feeding.
- Stir until no dry flour remains, mark the level with a rubber band, and cover loosely.
That's it. the rubber band is the most underrated beginner tool because it turns "does it look ready?" into "did it double?" which is a question with an answer.
If you want to understand why we weigh everything and talk in ratios, our guide to baker's percentages covers the same math your starter uses.
Ratios: 1:1:1 vs 1:5:5 vs 1:10:10
The ratio controls how fast your starter peaks. More fresh flour and water relative to the old starter means a slower, longer rise.
| Ratio (starter:flour:water) | Typical peak time at ~75°F | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1:1 | 4-6 hours | fast baking days, twice-daily feeding |
| 1:2:2 | 6-8 hours | once-daily feeding on the counter |
| 1:5:5 | 8-12 hours | overnight builds, once-daily with a cooler kitchen |
| 1:10:10 | 12-16 hours | long gaps, warm kitchens, vacation buffer |
those peak times are rough ranges, not promises. your kitchen temperature moves them more than anything else. a starter at 82°F can peak in half the time of one at 68°F.
Three schedules that work
Schedule 1: the counter starter (baking most days)
Feed every 12 hours at 1:1:1 or 1:2:2. Morning and evening. Use it at peak, when it has doubled and the top is domed or just starting to flatten. This is the schedule for a microbaker with weekly market days or a baker doing regular preorders.
Schedule 2: the once-a-day counter starter
Feed once every 24 hours at 1:5:5 or 1:10:10. The bigger ratio buys you the time. Pick a consistent hour, like right after you finish coffee. This is the sweet spot for most beginners because it takes about two minutes a day.
Schedule 3: the fridge starter (baking weekly or less)
Feed it, let it sit out for an hour or two, then refrigerate. Take it out once a week, discard, feed at 1:5:5, let it rise on the counter for a few hours, and feed it again before you bake. Cold slows everything down, which is the point.
Most home bakers should start on Schedule 2 for the first two weeks while the starter finds its rhythm, then move to the fridge if they only bake on weekends.
How to tell your starter is ready
Skip the "float test." a starter can float and still be past its peak. instead, use three signs together:
- It has at least doubled from the rubber band mark.
- The surface is domed or just starting to flatten, not collapsed.
- It smells pleasantly tangy, like yogurt or beer, not like nail polish remover.
A starter that has collapsed and smells sharp is past peak. That's not a disaster, it just needs a feeding and a shorter wait next time.
The contrarian take: you do not need to throw away half your starter every single feeding. the "discard" is only there to keep the jar from growing out of control and to keep the feeding math small and cheap. if you're keeping 20g and feeding 20g flour and 20g water, you're discarding very little, and you can do it at 10g too. the guilt about wasted flour keeps lots of beginners from baking at all.
Common mistakes that wreck beginner starters
Chlorinated tap water problems are overstated, temperature problems are not. most municipal tap water is fine. what actually stalls a starter is a cold kitchen. if your counter is below 70°F, put the jar in the oven with only the light on.
Using too much starter in the feeding. if you feed 100g of old starter with 50g flour and 50g water, you've created a very sour, very weak culture. keep the old starter small.
Sealing the jar tight. the gas needs somewhere to go. a loose lid or a coffee filter with a rubber band works.
Panicking at the liquid on top. that gray or clear liquid, called hooch, means your starter is hungry. stir it in or pour it off, then feed. it isn't a sign the starter is dead.
Switching flours constantly. whole wheat and rye starters ferment faster than white flour starters because they carry more nutrients and wild microbes. adding a spoonful of whole wheat to a sluggish starter is a classic fix.
Scheduling your feedings around a real bake
Here's the part most guides skip. work backward from when you want to mix your dough.
If you mix dough at 8am on saturday and your starter peaks about 6 hours after a 1:5:5 feeding, you feed it at 2am. that's miserable. use 1:10:10 and feed at 8pm friday instead, since the longer rise gives you a peak around the right morning window.
For a market bake, a simple rule: feed your starter the night before at a ratio that lands the peak when you wake up. test it once on a quiet weekend so you know your kitchen's timing, and write the numbers down.
Tracking this by hand gets old fast, especially if you're running a starter alongside a bakery business. the Crumb Coach app has a built-in sourdough starter tracker that logs feedings, ratios, and rise times so you stop relying on memory. you can get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Troubleshooting a slow or sleepy starter
If your starter isn't doubling after 7 to 10 days, work through this list in order:
- Warm it up. aim for 75-80°F. this fixes more starters than anything else.
- Switch to 1:1:1 twice a day for three days to build strength.
- Add a tablespoon of whole wheat or rye to one feeding.
- Check your scale. a 10g error on a 20g feeding is a 50% error.
- Be patient. some starters take two weeks to become reliable.
If it smells of rotten food, shows pink or orange streaks, or grows fuzzy mold, discard it and start over. those are signs of contamination, not hunger.
If your starter's hydration is something other than the 100% that equal weights of flour and water give you, the numbers in your recipe shift. our hydration calculator guide explains how to correct for it.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I feed my sourdough starter?
On the counter, feed it once or twice a day, depending on your ratio and how warm your kitchen is. In the fridge, feed it about once a week. If you bake every day, keep it on the counter. If you bake on weekends, refrigerate it between bakes.
What ratio should I use to feed my starter?
A 1:1:1 ratio by weight (starter, flour, water) is the standard beginner choice and works well for twice-daily feedings. For once-daily feedings or cooler kitchens, move to 1:5:5, which gives the starter more food and a slower, steadier rise.
Do I have to discard sourdough starter every time?
Yes, but only a little. Discarding keeps the jar from growing endlessly and keeps the food-to-starter ratio meaningful. You can keep as little as 10 to 20 grams and save the rest for pancakes, crackers, or flatbreads.
How do I know when my starter is ready to bake with?
Look for three signs together: it has doubled in volume, the top is domed or just starting to flatten, and it smells pleasantly tangy. Use the rubber band method to measure the rise instead of relying on guesswork or the float test.
Can I feed my starter with whole wheat flour only?
Yes. Whole wheat starters ferment faster and tend to be more active, but they also get sour sooner. Many bakers feed with a mix of white and whole wheat, like 80/20, for a balance of strength and mild flavor.
crumb coach was built for people who bake bread for a living or are heading that way, and starter care is one of those small daily jobs that quietly decides whether the week goes well. if you want help keeping feedings, ratios, and bake days in one place, the app's starter tracker is there when you want it.