Hi Brittany! I am so sorry for the delayed response. I took a few days off. It is a wonderful sign that your starter is doubling so quickly. I recommend staying on schedule because the goal is to create consistency and building a stable culture. Once your starter is fully mature and you’re using it regularly for baking, you can absolutely move to a twice-daily feeding schedule if it’s consistently peaking at 12 hours. A starter like that is a very active and healthy starter! But for now, patience is your best friend. I hope this helps! Please keep me updated.

Hi Steve! Yes, absolutely! Once your starter has matured the refrigerator is a wonderful place to store it, especially if you don’t bake every day. I do recommend feeding daily (or at least 3-4 times a week) at room temperature for at least the first month or so. This just helps the starter build a strong and stable culture before being slowed down by the cold. Once refrigerated, it can be stored safely for up to 10 days before needing another feeding.
One thing to keep in mind: when you’re ready to bake again, pull it out of the fridge and plan on giving it about 2 feedings or until it’s back to its bubbly best. It just needs a little time to wake up after being cold.

I actually have a full post on maintaining your starter long-term that walks through the refrigerator storage process, feeding schedules and so much more. I think you’ll find it really helpful but don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions! https://www.thefedupfoodie.com/how-to-maintain-sourdough-starter/

Hi Lauren! After day 7, once your starter is ready or if you’re continuing to develop it, you’ll want to discard about half of it each day, then feed it 150 g flour + 150 g water. This keeps the balance right and helps it stay strong and active. You can keep feeding like this daily at room temperature until you’re ready to bake and then switch to your regular maintenance routine.

Also, this post breaks the maintenance process and many of the questions that pop up during this stage. https://www.thefedupfoodie.com/how-to-maintain-sourdough-starter/

I hope this helps and happy baking!

Hi Nancy! Great question. For this starter, you don’t need to be exact when discarding. It’s meant to be more of an eyeball method. Simply discard roughly half so there’s room for the next feeding. This starter is very forgiving, and precision isn’t required for it to stay healthy and active.

Hi Theresa! I really appreciate you asking, and it doesn’t sound like you’re doing anything wrong. It’s meant to be very thick, almost like a paste. That consistency is intentional and helps build a strong, stable fermentation early on.

The thickness can also vary depending on the flour you’re using. Some flours absorb more water than others. As it ferments, it will naturally loosen and become more bubbly. If it ever feels too stiff, you can add a very small splash of water.