Finally got my sourdough starter to double in 4 hours flat

I read somewhere that a healthy starter should double in size within 4-6 hours after feeding, and for 3 months mine barely moved. Then I tried feeding it with half bread flour and half whole wheat like my buddy from a bakery in Spokane suggested, and it took off. Has anyone else found a flour blend that just clicks for their starter?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorbutler23h ago

My starter's current favorite is plain white all-purpose mixed with a little bit of rye flour, which is funny because I've killed every other living thing I've ever tried to keep alive, including a cactus and three goldfish. The rye makes it smell like bread heaven and doubles in about 5 hours, so I guess I finally found a pet that won't die on me. Your buddy's whole wheat blend sounds solid too, maybe I'll give it a shot if I'm feeling brave. I switched to only filtered water after reading some blog and that helped more than I expected, but I still forget to feed it half the time and then have to pretend it's on purpose.

luna_craig5816h ago

The 5 hour doubling time is something special with rye. I noticed the same thing when I tried a little rye in my own starter, it just woke right up. Funny how you see this pattern everywhere, not just with bread. The things that actually thrive are usually the ones you don't overthink too much, like that neighbor of mine who lets her garden grow wild and it's the only healthy patch on the block. It's nice when something finally works out for you @victorbutler, even if it's just flour and water.