Feeding A Sourdough Starter

I wanted to make a post to show how I feed my sourdough starter. (Also called refreshing a starter.) There are many methods out there. This is the method I use and I have been happy with the results. I currently have two starters. One I feed with whole wheat flour and the other I feed with rye flour. I have found that the rye starter yields a much better rise for yeast breads than the whole wheat starter. I use my whole wheat starter primarily for quick breads, pancakes, waffles, and muffins.

Step by step feeding  of a 100% hydration sourdough starter. (100% hydration = 50/50 water and flour.)

Step 1.
 I measure the amount of starter that I want to feed.

Step 2.
 I add the same amount of water. And stir it together.

 Step 3.
   I add the same amount of flour as I did starter and water.

Step 4.
  I then combine the flour with the water and starter. The consistency resembles thick pancake batter.

Step 5.
  I put my freshly fed starter into a glass jar and screw the cap down loosely (to allow air to escape).

Step 6.
   I leave the starter at room temperature if I am planning to make bread soon. The starter is going to rise. Once the starter doubles in size it is ready to use in bread baking. At this point it is called an "active" starter.

Step 7.

 An "active" starter is ready to use in bread making. When I have an "active" starter I bake bread or place starter in the refrigerator. The cool temperature in the refrigerator will slow down the yeast growth. 

Reminder: Sourdough starter stored at room temperature needs to be fed/refreshed everyday and starter in the refrigerator needs to be fed/refreshed every week.

 Starter can be fed more frequently, but, not less frequently.

I sometimes just, "measure," by eyeballing how far the starter comes up the side of the jar and just add enough water to double it's height and enough flour to reach the right consistency.