If you’re new to sourdough baking, you’re bound to have questions, especially about your starter.
Think of your starter as the heart of your sourdough: it’s what brings the rise, flavour, and magic to your loaf. In this blog, I’ve answered some of the most common questions I get asked to help you feel more confident as you get started.
We have a full process on how to make your own Sourdough Starter at home here
Also if you are not from Australia like me you may call Wholemeal Flour Whole Wheat.
What flour should I use to make my starter?
You’ve got a few options when it comes to flour. I started with rye, but found it soaked up too much water and didn’t suit my routine, so I switched to wholemeal, and haven’t looked back.
Wholemeal flour is a great choice when creating a starter from scratch. It’s rich in natural nutrients and microbes, which means it often gets your starter bubbling faster. Once your starter is active and strong, you can switch to a 50/50 mix of wholemeal and white flour if you like.
You can use plain white flour from the beginning, it might just take a little longer to build strength. But alot of people use a white starter instead.
Do I have to bake with the same flour I use to feed my starter?
Nope! Feeding your starter with wholemeal flour doesn’t mean you have to make wholemeal bread.
I currently feed my starter with wholemeal (for the nutrients and consistency), but I bake with strong white flour because it’s more forgiving and easier to work with. It gives you a softer, more classic loaf texture. I will experiment with wholemeal though
And if you’re wondering, no, using a wholemeal-fed starter doesn’t make your bread taste like wholemeal (unless that’s what you’re baking with).
What does "feeding" mean, and do I need to do it daily?
Feeding your starter means giving it fresh flour and water, and usually discarding a portion first (called the “discard”).
Think of your starter like a little kitchen pet or plant, it’s a living culture and needs care. If it’s kept at room temperature, it will need to be fed daily to stay healthy and active.
When you’re first creating your starter, daily feeding is essential. But once it’s established, you can keep it in the fridge and just feed it the night before you want to bake. This slows things down and fits in better with a busy schedule.
What if I miss a feed?
Ideally, you want to feed your starter daily if it’s on the bench, but life happens!
Missing a feed (even two!) won’t necessarily ruin your starter. Try to feed it around the same time each day to build a habit. If you’ve missed a feed and it’s looking or smelling a bit off, don’t panic.
Don’t throw it out! Pop me a DM on Instagram here and we’ll work through it together. In most cases, it can be brought back to life.
What should I do with the discard?
Don’t toss it, there are so many delicious ways to use sourdough discard!
You can make crackers, pancakes, muffins, pizza dough, flatbreads, and more. I personally love turning my discard into crispy crackers (I’ve got recipes here on the blog)
I even made some flatbreads the other day that were so good. Keep an eye out, we’ll be adding more discard-friendly recipes as we go.
Can I use plain or all-purpose flour?
You can, but make sure it has enough protein. Look for at least 11% protein or higher.
Higher protein means stronger gluten development, which gives sourdough its structure, rise, and chew. It makes life easier and gives you a better bake.
In Australia, you’ll need to check the nutrition panel on the back of the pack. Look at the protein per 100g if it says 11.9g, that means 11.9%. Don’t rely on front-of-pack labels like “bread flour” or “pizza flour”, always check the back as they are not all the same.
(And yep, unlike Italy, we only have one kind of “plain” flour here!)
When is my starter ready to use?
A strong, healthy starter will:
-
Be bubbly and active
-
Smell slightly tangy (but not unpleasant, but this is a matter of smell some think the way it smells is terrible to be honest)
-
Double in size within 4–6 hours of feeding (depending on your kitchen temperature)
Most starters are ready around 7–10 days after you begin. But it can vary depending on the flour you use and the weather. As we’re in Autumn here in Australia, it’s a little cooler, so mine needed a few extra days to get strong.
Final Thoughts
Making a sourdough starter can feel a bit mysterious at first, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it becomes a natural part of your rhythm. Be patient, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, I’m always here to help.
If you’re making a starter or feeling unsure, send me a message on Instagram @_ashleysplace_ I’d love to cheer you on!
And don’t forget to check out my discard recipes and sourdough tips over on the blog and socials. There’s plenty more to come.