aedeny/the-cook-book

    Sourdough Starter Tracker

    A sourdough starter is not a recipe — it is a culture you keep alive on a clock. This page holds the schedule, does the scale arithmetic, and remembers which day each of your jars is on.

    Ultimate Sourdough Starter

    A seven-day rye-led establishment schedule that settles into a once-daily maintenance feed. Rye flour carries more wild yeast and bacteria than white flour, which is why it leads the first mix and stays in every feeding.

    Stone ground rye brings the microbes; unbleached all purpose builds the gluten structure that traps gas. Bleached flour is treated with agents that suppress fermentation — do not use it.

    Establishment — 7 days

    Day 1

    First mix

    Not for baking yet
    • No carry-over — this is the mix that becomes your starter.
    • 100g stone ground rye flour
    • 150g water 29°C lukewarm (85 °F)
    250g in the jar 150% hydration

    1. 1Weigh your empty jar

      Without the lid. Write it down — every feeding from tomorrow onward is measured against this number, and it is the one thing you cannot recover later without starting over.

    2. 2Add 100g stone ground rye flour

      Stone ground rye carries far more wild microbes on its bran than white flour does, which is why it leads.

    3. 3Add 150g water

      Water goes in at 29°C — lukewarm (85 °F). Warm water keeps the culture in the range where it ferments predictably; cold water stalls it.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • Before you start, record your jar's weight without the lid. Every later feeding depends on that number.
    • There is no carry-over today — this is the mix that becomes your starter.
    While you wait

    Nothing appears to happen — and nothing should, yet.

    Wild yeast and bacteria living on the rye bran are waking up in water for the first time. They are multiplying, but from a population far too small to produce visible gas.

    Smell
    Raw flour, faintly sweet, a little nutty. Nothing sour yet.
    Look
    Flat and pasty. It may darken slightly. No bubbles, or a handful at most.
    fed peak at ~24 hours 24 hours

    Don't panic. A completely inert-looking jar on day 1 is the normal case, not a failed one.

    Day 2

    First feeding

    Not for baking yet
    • 70g mature starter discard the rest — scale should read jar weight + 70 g
    • 50g stone ground rye flour
    • 50g unbleached all purpose flour
    • 115g water 29°C lukewarm (85 °F)
    285g in the jar 115% hydration

    1. 1Discard down to 70g of starter

      Put the jar on the scale and remove starter until it reads jar weight + 70g. Throwing most of it away is the point: a small population fed a large meal stays vigorous, while a large population fed the same meal exhausts it and turns acidic.

    2. 2Add 50g stone ground rye flour and 50g unbleached all purpose flour

      Rye brings the wild yeast and bacteria; the white flour brings gluten for structure. Both matter.

    3. 3Add 115g water

      Water goes in at 29°C — lukewarm (85 °F). Warm water keeps the culture in the range where it ferments predictably; cold water stalls it.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • Discard down to the carry-over weight before adding anything: jar weight + 70 g is what the scale should read.
    While you wait

    A burst of activity — and it is not the yeast you want.

    This is usually the most dramatic rise of the entire week, and it is driven by Leuconostoc, a bacterium that thrives briefly in a neutral environment and then dies off. It is a false start.

    Smell
    Wet hay, old cheese, sometimes faintly like vomit. Unpleasant is normal here.
    Look
    Can double, foam and dome. Large irregular bubbles.
    fed peak at ~8 hours 24 hours

    Don't panic. If it explodes out of the jar overnight, nothing is wrong — and if it does nothing at all, nothing is wrong either. Neither outcome predicts your starter.

    Day 3

    First feeding

    same as day 2 Not for baking yet
    • 70g mature starter discard the rest — scale should read jar weight + 70 g
    • 50g stone ground rye flour
    • 50g unbleached all purpose flour
    • 115g water 29°C lukewarm (85 °F)
    285g in the jar 115% hydration

    1. 1Discard down to 70g of starter

      Put the jar on the scale and remove starter until it reads jar weight + 70g. Throwing most of it away is the point: a small population fed a large meal stays vigorous, while a large population fed the same meal exhausts it and turns acidic.

    2. 2Add 50g stone ground rye flour and 50g unbleached all purpose flour

      Rye brings the wild yeast and bacteria; the white flour brings gluten for structure. Both matter.

    3. 3Add 115g water

      Water goes in at 29°C — lukewarm (85 °F). Warm water keeps the culture in the range where it ferments predictably; cold water stalls it.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • Discard down to the carry-over weight before adding anything: jar weight + 70 g is what the scale should read.
    While you wait

    The stall. This is where most starters get thrown away.

    The day 2 bacteria have acidified their own environment past what they tolerate, and they are dying off. The organisms that replace them have not built up numbers yet. The jar is between tenants.

    Smell
    Sharper and more sour than yesterday, the cheesy note fading.
    Look
    Collapsed and slack. Few bubbles. Often completely flat for the full 24 hours.
    fed peak at ~12 hours 24 hours

    Don't panic. A dead-looking day 3 is the single most common reason people give up, and it is the most normal day of the week. Keep feeding exactly as scheduled.

    Day 4

    Water steps down

    Not for baking yet
    • 70g mature starter discard the rest — scale should read jar weight + 70 g
    • 50g stone ground rye flour
    • 50g unbleached all purpose flour
    • 100g water 29°C lukewarm (85 °F)
    270g in the jar 100% hydration

    1. 1Discard down to 70g of starter

      Put the jar on the scale and remove starter until it reads jar weight + 70g. Throwing most of it away is the point: a small population fed a large meal stays vigorous, while a large population fed the same meal exhausts it and turns acidic.

    2. 2Add 50g stone ground rye flour and 50g unbleached all purpose flour

      Rye brings the wild yeast and bacteria; the white flour brings gluten for structure. Both matter.

    3. 3Add 100g water

      Water goes in at 29°C — lukewarm (85 °F). Warm water keeps the culture in the range where it ferments predictably; cold water stalls it.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • Water drops from 115 g to 100 g — the starter thickens from here on.
    While you wait

    Quiet, and that is correct.

    Lactobacilli are taking over the now-acidic jar. They produce lactic and acetic acid rather than much gas, so they drive the smell forward long before they drive the rise. The reduced water from today makes the mixture stiffer, which helps it hold what gas does appear.

    Smell
    Clean sourness, moving toward yogurt or buttermilk.
    Look
    Thicker than previous days. A scattering of small bubbles under the surface.
    fed peak at ~12 hours 24 hours

    Don't panic. Still little or no rise on day 4 is on schedule.

    Day 5

    Water steps down

    same as day 4 Not for baking yet
    • 70g mature starter discard the rest — scale should read jar weight + 70 g
    • 50g stone ground rye flour
    • 50g unbleached all purpose flour
    • 100g water 29°C lukewarm (85 °F)
    270g in the jar 100% hydration

    1. 1Discard down to 70g of starter

      Put the jar on the scale and remove starter until it reads jar weight + 70g. Throwing most of it away is the point: a small population fed a large meal stays vigorous, while a large population fed the same meal exhausts it and turns acidic.

    2. 2Add 50g stone ground rye flour and 50g unbleached all purpose flour

      Rye brings the wild yeast and bacteria; the white flour brings gluten for structure. Both matter.

    3. 3Add 100g water

      Water goes in at 29°C — lukewarm (85 °F). Warm water keeps the culture in the range where it ferments predictably; cold water stalls it.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • Water drops from 115 g to 100 g — the starter thickens from here on.
    While you wait

    The first real yeast activity.

    Wild yeast tolerates the low pH that the bacteria spent four days creating, which is why it arrives last. Now it has an acidic, competitor-free environment to itself and starts producing carbon dioxide in earnest.

    Smell
    The sharpness softens and turns beery, fruity, faintly alcoholic.
    Look
    A visible rise — perhaps half again its height — with an even, foamy crumb of small bubbles.
    fed peak at ~8 hours 24 hours
    Day 6

    Carry-over steps down

    Not for baking yet
    • 50g mature starter discard the rest — scale should read jar weight + 50 g
    • 50g stone ground rye flour
    • 50g unbleached all purpose flour
    • 100g water 29°C lukewarm (85 °F)
    250g in the jar 100% hydration

    1. 1Discard down to 50g of starter

      Put the jar on the scale and remove starter until it reads jar weight + 50g. Throwing most of it away is the point: a small population fed a large meal stays vigorous, while a large population fed the same meal exhausts it and turns acidic.

    2. 2Add 50g stone ground rye flour and 50g unbleached all purpose flour

      Rye brings the wild yeast and bacteria; the white flour brings gluten for structure. Both matter.

    3. 3Add 100g water

      Water goes in at 29°C — lukewarm (85 °F). Warm water keeps the culture in the range where it ferments predictably; cold water stalls it.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • Less carry-over means a bigger proportional feed, which pushes the culture toward yeast and away from excess acid.
    While you wait

    Finding its rhythm.

    Carrying over less starter today means the surviving population gets proportionally more fresh flour. That pushes the balance further toward yeast and keeps acid from accumulating faster than the culture can use it.

    Smell
    Pleasantly sour and yeasty, like a brewery.
    Look
    A clear rise and a clear fall within the 24 hours. Web-like strands when you scoop it.
    fed peak at ~6 hours 24 hours
    Day 7

    Last establishment feed — and your maintenance feed from now on

    Bakeable
    • 25g mature starter discard the rest — scale should read jar weight + 25 g
    • 50g stone ground rye flour
    • 50g unbleached all purpose flour
    • 100g water room temperature
    225g in the jar 100% hydration

    1. 1Discard down to 25g of starter

      Put the jar on the scale and remove starter until it reads jar weight + 25g. Throwing most of it away is the point: a small population fed a large meal stays vigorous, while a large population fed the same meal exhausts it and turns acidic.

    2. 2Add 50g stone ground rye flour and 50g unbleached all purpose flour

      Rye brings the wild yeast and bacteria; the white flour brings gluten for structure. Both matter.

    3. 3Add 100g water

      Water goes in at room temperature. By now the culture is established and no longer needs warming to stay active.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • This is the last feeding before the starter is ready to use, and it is also the feeding you repeat forever.
    • The water is room temperature from here on, not warmed.
    While you wait

    Ready — and this is the feeding you now repeat forever.

    With only 25g carried over, the culture gets a fourfold meal and a full rise-and-fall cycle inside a day. Room-temperature water from here on: the culture is strong enough to set its own pace and no longer needs warming.

    Smell
    Tangy, yeasty, appetising. No cheese, no acetone.
    Look
    Roughly doubles, domes on top, then falls back. That full cycle is what tells you it is ready to bake with.
    fed peak at ~5 hours 24 hours

    Maintenance — every 12–24 hours, forever

    ∞

    Maintenance feed

    Bakeable
    • 25g mature starter discard the rest — scale should read jar weight + 25 g
    • 50g stone ground rye flour
    • 50g unbleached all purpose flour
    • 100g water room temperature
    225g in the jar 100% hydration

    1. 1Discard down to 25g of starter

      Put the jar on the scale and remove starter until it reads jar weight + 25g. Throwing most of it away is the point: a small population fed a large meal stays vigorous, while a large population fed the same meal exhausts it and turns acidic.

    2. 2Add 50g stone ground rye flour and 50g unbleached all purpose flour

      Rye brings the wild yeast and bacteria; the white flour brings gluten for structure. Both matter.

    3. 3Add 100g water

      Water goes in at room temperature. By now the culture is established and no longer needs warming to stay active.

    4. 4Mix until no dry flour remains

      Scrape the sides down so nothing dries out and crusts. Then mark the level — a rubber band round the jar, or a dry-erase line. Without a mark you cannot tell a rise from a guess.

    5. 5Wait 24 hours

      Lid resting on top, not sealed tight — fermentation produces gas that needs somewhere to go.

    • Once the starter is active, repeat this feeding every 12–24 hours.
    • Once a day, every 24 hours, is the easiest choice and the one to default to.
    While you wait

    The rise-and-fall cycle you will now watch forever.

    Fed, the culture consumes the fresh flour, inflates with carbon dioxide to its peak, then exhausts the food and deflates. The whole cycle takes roughly 4–8 hours at normal room temperature — faster in a warm kitchen, much slower in a cold one.

    Smell
    Tangy and yeasty at peak. Sharply acidic and solvent-like when it has been hungry for a while.
    Look
    Roughly doubled and domed at peak; flat, wrinkled and possibly liquid-topped when well past it.
    fed peak at ~5 hours 24 hours

    Don't panic. A dark liquid on top is alcohol, not mould. It means the starter is hungry — pour it off or stir it in, and feed.

    Using it for baking

    Bake with this

    Peaked starter

    4–7 hours after a feed, best at about 5 hours

    When it has roughly doubled and domed, just before it starts to sink back. After a maintenance feed at room temperature that is about 5 hours, but a warm kitchen gets there sooner and a cold one later. Watch the jar, not the clock.

    Not for raising bread

    Discard

    Taken from a hungry jar, right before a feed

    What you remove before a feeding is not waste. It makes excellent pancakes, waffles, crackers and flatbreads — anything leavened chemically or not at all. It simply cannot raise a loaf by itself.

    200g yours to bake with

    At peak the jar holds 225g, and the next feeding only needs 25g of it. Everything above that is surplus — so baking day and feeding day are the same event. Instead of discarding 200g, you bake with it, then feed what is left as normal.

    Which part

    The risen starter in the jar, taken at the top of its rise. That is the same material you would otherwise carry over or throw away — the difference is entirely when you take it. Scrape a hungry jar just before feeding and you have discard: it has already spent its gas and will not raise a loaf. Take it a few hours after a feed, while it is domed and full, and it will.

    Ready when all of these are true

    • It has doubled within about 5 hours on two or three consecutive feedings — once is luck
    • It domes and then falls back: a complete cycle, not just a scatter of bubbles
    • It smells tangy, yeasty and faintly beery — not sharply of acetone or nail polish
    • A spoonful dropped in room-temperature water floats

    The float test

    Drop a teaspoon of starter into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats it is holding enough gas to raise a dough. If it sinks, give it another hour, or feed it and test at the next peak.

    Before day 7, none of it. Through the first week the culture is still assembling itself, and the yeast population is neither large nor stable enough to raise bread. Feed it to the end of day 7, then let it prove itself over two or three maintenance cycles before you bake.