Appreciation post: My sourdough starter took 12 days to actually bubble.

Followed the guide saying '3-5 days'. Fed it twice a day with rye flour in my 68-degree kitchen. Anyone else's starter take forever in a cold house?

3 comments

3 Comments

rosew372mo ago

Welcome to the club of impatiently staring at a jar of flour.

piper_wells652mo ago

I've been baking sourdough for three years now and I never stare at the flour. The starter will rise when it's ready, watching it doesn't help. People act like it's some delicate science project but it's just flour and water. Honestly, I just set a timer and go do something else.

wright.drew1mo ago

Man I gotta push back hard on this one. Yeah it's "just flour and water" but the whole point is the live culture, not the ingredients themselves. That starter is full of wild yeast and bacteria that react to temperature, humidity, even the time of day you feed it. If you're just setting a timer and walking away you're gonna end up with weak bread that doesnt taste as complex as it could. I've killed two starters by not paying enough attention when the temp dropped in my kitchen. Watching it lets you catch those tiny bubbles or that faint sour smell before it goes flat. But hey, if you're happy with your bread that's all that matters.