Drawn to its outside size
For temperature control around a starter jar
Brod & Taylor Sourdough HomeA small heating-and-cooling chamber for a jar, rather than a full dough bowl.
41 to 122°F, heats and cools8 × 10 in outside
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Sourdough starter too sour or too weak? How to fix it
Most weak starters are cold or underfed; most very sour starters are used long after their peak. Keep it at 75 to 78°F, feed it twice a day at 1:2:2 or 1:5:5 for a few days, and use it at its peak. That fixes both for most bakers.
Too weak: warmer (75 to 78°F, King Arthur's ideal), fed twice a day, a little whole grain in the feed. Too sour: higher ratio (1:5:5), use at the peak and keep it at a moderate temperature.
Weak or slow: causes and fixes
Check progress with a rubber band at the starting level; the feeding calculator keeps the amounts small.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Kitchen below 70°F | Warm spot, lukewarm water in a chilly kitchen; a jar warmer |
| Fed once a day or less | Feed twice a day, about 12 hours apart |
| Used or fed long after peak | Feed at the peak; keep the timing for a few days |
| Only bleached white flour | Unbleached flour with some whole wheat or rye (10 to 20% is our starting point) |
| Very young (under 2 weeks) | Keep going; most get stronger through week 3 |
Too sour: causes and fixes
Acid builds the longer a starter sits past its peak and the colder it is kept (cool starters lean toward vinegary acetic acid). For milder bread, feed at a higher ratio, use the starter at its peak, keep it at about 75 to 78°F, and keep the dough's bulk fermentation from running long. See bread that is too sour.
Smells that mean hungry
Nail polish, vinegar or strong alcohol smells mean the starter has run out of food. Feed it and they fade within a feed or two. These hungry smells are no reason to throw a starter out. Mold, pink or orange streaks, or a smell that is not the usual sour or alcohol smell are: see when to throw it out.
Questions bakers ask
Why is my starter not doubling?
Usually cool temperatures or not enough feeds. Warm it to 75 to 78°F, King Arthur's ideal, and feed twice a day for a few days.
How do I make sourdough less sour?
Use the starter at its peak, feed at a higher ratio, and avoid very long or cold fermentations of the dough.
Equipment for this job
Keep what you own when it does the job. These are the other exact models we profile.
Drawn to its outside size
OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food Scale
For seeing the display past a wide bowl
OXO Good Grips 11 lb Stainless Steel Food ScaleA pull-out display helps keep the reading visible under larger containers.
11 lb (5.0 kg), reads in 1 g steps