How often to feed your sourdough starter, based on where you keep it, how warm your kitchen is and the ratio you feed it.
Where do you keep your starter?
Kitchen temperature70°F / 21°C
61°F (cool)73°F86°F (warm)
Feeding ratio
Starter : flour : water, by weight. More food means a slower, longer rise.
Feed your starter
Ready to use after feeding, once it has doubled and looks domed and bubbly.
Guidelines only — trust your starter, not the clock. It’s ready when it has roughly doubled, looks domed and bubbly on top, and smells pleasantly tangy. Warmer speeds it up; cooler slows it down. Flour matters too: whole grain and rye ferment faster than white bread flour.
Starting from scratch? Our guide to creating a sourdough starter takes you from flour and water to a working starter in 7 to 10 days. Already have one? Our guide to how to feed a sourdough starter explains ratios, discard and what to do when you go away. Once it’s active, plan your bake with the Sourdough Bake Plan.
