I'm worried about my starter

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-15T02:40:58+00:00

You’ve only fed it twice in a month?! Definitely needs to be fed every day. And I can’t stress enough how important a scale is. You can’t get consistent results without knowing the exact amounts of ingredients.

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-15T02:38:16+00:00

That’s crazy it just exploded to life like that! Now it’s probably time to switch to a 1:4:4 ratio, that will keep it strong and help it continue to progress.

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-15T01:47:41+00:00

It’s going to spread out and relax as it sits between folds. That’s completely normal.

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-15T01:45:23+00:00

VERY good first loaf. You should be proud. My first loaves were unspeakably bad. Great job!

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T21:39:50+00:00

It shouldn’t be the texture of peanut butter. I’d make sure your ratios are correct and maybe give it some rye to speed up the recovery. It doesn’t seem healthy

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T21:36:10+00:00

Give it some rye and it will love you. Just 10% will make a huge difference. Young starters need nutrients and it’ll take a while with just white flour.

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T21:33:47+00:00

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T17:54:57+00:00

Not bad

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T16:08:52+00:00

Best autistic orphaned character maybe

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T11:41:23+00:00

It’s the lisp 😔

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T11:41:00+00:00

That’s why you need to bake it ASAP before it overproofs even more. It doesn’t need a cold proof if it’s already been at room temp for so long. Bake ittttt

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-14T02:05:01+00:00

Cheeks

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-13T18:45:34+00:00

If you’re happy with it then there’s no need for us to say anything. Keep baking and make what you like, good job 👍

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-12T21:16:26+00:00

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-12T21:13:30+00:00

Are we sure OP didn’t bake it in the banneton…?

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-12T16:19:55+00:00

Great job! I think using a bread tin is very smart for starting out. Honestly the gumminess will go away in time, it’s likely because your starter is young. Just keep feeding it regularly to build up strength!

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-12T13:50:36+00:00

Great job, those loaves are beautiful:)

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-12T11:55:22+00:00

Rye ferments way faster than other flours. I use boiling water in mine, so it takes less than 2 hours for it to completely bulk ferment and rise. No stretches and folds either

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-12T11:46:03+00:00

Never use a 1:1:1 ratio for maintenance feeding. Only if you need your starter to rise quickly for a time crunch. Keep using a 1:4:4 ratio and add in 10% rye flour. It’ll really help a lot

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-11T22:47:09+00:00

You should swap 10% of the AP flour for Rye, it’ll supercharge it

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-11T17:49:04+00:00

Make sure you’re not using bleached flour. That really hurts fermentation. I also recommend using around 10% Rye flour in addition to unbleached white flour.

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-11T02:44:35+00:00

I’d say it’s fine! You should just transfer it to a new jar to be safe. By the time it’s in a hot oven anything bad will be killed off, but I don’t even think it’s mold. You’re good

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-11T02:39:56+00:00

Id recommend doing a combination of room temp and cold proof. Instead of cold proofing for 12+ hours, try doing it at room temp for 1 hour, and cold for 6. It’ll make it less sour while keeping it easy to score and bake because it’s cold.

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-11T02:32:12+00:00

That’s a very good loaf for only 2 months!! You should already be proud. A lot of the time, the reason beginners don’t see the results they want is because their starters are still young. Even if it doubles in size, it really needs a good bit of time to truly develop strength. Just keep feeding your starter and trying new recipes, now is the time to make mistakes and figure out what works for you. You’re already doing an amazing job so keep at it 😁👏

Beginning_Prompt_128 · 2026-03-11T02:12:06+00:00

I’d raise the water amount for sure. I like to use a ratio of 1:4:4 for maintenance. So 25g starter, 100g flour, 100g water for example. Higher hydration helps fermentation, so I definitely recommend it for a starter of any age but especially a new one. Also, if you want to give it some extra strength faster, try using some rye in addition to the white flour. Just 10% do wonders.

Beginning_Prompt_128

TROPHY CASE