A sourdough starter is so easy to make-all you need is water and flour and a week for them to work together and create a thriving colony of healthy, probiotic wild yeast. The starter will reward you for years to come with tasty sourdough breads, waffles, pancakes and more, with no need for added yeast. Stir up a batch today--it's truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Table of Contents
What is a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is a natural culture made with flour or water that can be used to leaven baked goods like breads instead of commercial yeast. To make a sourdough starter you mix the water and flour and let stand for a week, feeding it a little more flour and water every day. The flour already contains good bacteria and over time, as the starter ferments, it also captures wild yeast bacteria from the environment, creating a lively colony of beneficial microorganisms.
When you add sourdough starter to baked goods instead of bread, you don't just get a natural leavening agent; you also get its powerful health benefits. There are billions of yeast bacteria in a sourdough starter and they are great for your gut. When a sourdough starter is added to a batter or dough, these bacteria break down the starches in the flour, making the baked good easier to digest and also giving it a distinctive, delicious tang. Some studies show that sourdough can be eaten by people with celiac disease who cannot normally tolerate gluten while others show that breads made with sourdough are better for diabetics because they don't cause blood sugar to rise as high as regular bread would. (If you do have these health problems, though, check with a doctor before making changes to your diet.)
I've been nurturing a sourdough starter for almost a decade now. After I first made it, my jar of commercial yeast sat in the freezer while I experimented with not just breads but sourdough pancakes, sourdough waffles, pretzels, English muffins, sourdough biscuits, sticky buns and so much more. The sourdough made eating these treats not just more fun and delicious, but also more guilt-free.
In this post I'm sharing my best tips - learned over years of experience - on how to make and maintain a foolproof sourdough starter. This is an extraordinarily easy recipe that anyone can make. But it is not a process that can be rushed. When you start a sourdough starter from scratch, you will need seven days before you can use it.
Be sure to name your starter. 🙂 Mine was named George by a reader, and over the years I've smiled many times as you've come back to tell me the names you've given your starters: Georgina, Crunchy, the Hulk and Tina (after quaranTine :)) among others.
Recipe card
Sourdough Starter Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup bottled or non-chlorinated water
- 3 cups (approx) Unbleached all purpose flour (for feeding. Or bread flour or whole wheat flour)
Instructions
- Measure out the whole wheat flour into a large bowl or a crock. The container you use should be large enough to hold the sourdough starter as it rises and bubbles. Also make sure you use a glass or ceramic or sturdy, food-safe plastic container.
- Measure out the bottled or non-chlorinated, room-temperature water. Chlorine can inhibit the formation and growth of yeast, so it's rather important that your water be as non-chlorinated as you can get it.
- Now add the water to the flour and whisk together to mix well. You should not have any traces of flour.
- Cover the sourdough starter loosely with a kitchen towel.
- If the weather where you live is cold, place it in a warm spot, like on top of a radiator or in an oven with the light on. It was rather warm here when I started George so I could leave him out on the kitchen table, but this time - with temperatures kissing the 40s - I have my new starter in the oven with the light on. Keep in mind that it may take longer for the yeast to develop in the starter in cooler weather.
- Leave your starter alone for 24 hours. When you look at it, you might see some bubbles, or there may be none, especially if you are in cooler temperatures. Either way, mix the starter well with a whisk or fork, measure out half a cup of the starter, and discard* it. (You can use the discard in flatbreads or unleavened breads, and from day 4 you can use it in sourdough waffles and pancakes)
- After discarding a portion of the starter, add half a cup of unbleached, all purpose flour and ⅜ of a cup of non-chlorinated water. Use warm water (not hot) if you are working in cool temperatures, as I am. Mix well and again, leave in a warm place. You will start noticing that your starter lightens in color with the addition of all purpose flour.
- By the third day you should see some activity in your starter and also a fruity aroma. Once again, discard half a cup of starter and add half a cup of all-purpose flour and 90 milliliters of water (⅜ of a cup).
- Continue the process for the next three days (try and do this at the same time of day- for instance, I began my starter Sunday morning, so I have to try and feed it around the same time every day, although an hour here or there won't be amiss). Your starter should have started to thrive by now, rising after you feed it, and eventually settling down. King Arthur Flour, where I got my initial recipe, recommends discarding and feeding your starter twice after day 3, but I found that doing it just once was okay, especially since it was quite warm when I made my starter. This time, with cooler weather, I might feed the new starter twice depending on how it goes.
- By the seventh day, your starter, if it's healthy and bubbling, should be ready to use. When I made George, I used the "discard" portion of the starter to make waffles, and they turned out great. If your sourdough starter is still slow in developing, increase feedings to twice a day and continue to keep it warm. It will eventually strengthen.
- Once your sourdough starter has matured, you will need to feed it once every week. I mix the starter well, take out the amount of sourdough starter I need to bake with, and replace it immediately in the proportion of 1 cup of flour to ¾ cup of water. For example, if I take out ½ cup of sourdough, I replace it with ½ a cup of flour and ⅜ths of a cup of water. After feeding the starter, I leave it on the counter for a day, and then refrigerate it.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
Ingredients
- Flour. Use whole wheat flour to begin the starter. Whole wheat flour gives your sourdough starter a stronger start because it's full of micronutrients and friendly bacteria. You can also use all purpose flour, bread flour or rye flour. (If you want to make a starter without gluten, see my recipe for a gluten-free sourdough starter).
- Water. Use distilled or filtered water to both make and maintain the starter. Tap water usually has chlorine in it, and chlorine can kill the wild yeast.
How to make sourdough starter (day by day, with pictures)
Day 1
Measure out 1 cup of whole wheat flour into a large bowl or a crock. The container you use should be large enough to hold the sourdough starter as it rises and bubbles. Measure out ¾ cup of bottled or non-chlorinated, room-temperature water. Chlorine can inhibit the formation and growth of yeast.
Add the water to the flour and whisk together to mix well. You should not have any traces of flour.
The sourdough starter should look like this after mixing.
Cover the starter loosely with a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm spot. A temperature of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 27 degrees Celsius) is optimal.
Day 2
On the second day, you might see some bubbles in the sourdough starter, or there may be none, especially if you are in cooler temperatures.
Either way, mix the starter well with a whisk or fork, measure out half a cup of the starter, and "discard" it. Add ½ cup unbleached, all purpose flour and ⅜ cup or 6 tablespoon or 90 mils of warm, non-chlorinated water. Mix well and again, leave in a warm place. You will start noticing that your starter lightens in color with the addition of all purpose flour.
Day 3
By the third day you should see some bubbling activity in your starter and also a fruity aroma. There may also be some darker liquid on top.
Mix the starter, discard half a cup and feed by adding half a cup of all-purpose flour and ⅜ of a cup of water (90 mils or 6 tbsp).
Day 4
On day 4 the sourdough starter should look quite bubbly and active.
Once again, mix the starter, then discard half a cup and feed by adding half a cup of all-purpose flour and ⅜ of a cup of water (90 mils or 6 tbsp).
Day 5
On the fifth day the sourdough should get quite bubbly, especially about 10 minutes after you feed it. If your sourdough starter isn't showing much activity you can bump up the feedings to twice a day to help it gather strength.
Day 6
The sourdough should be quite strong now and should rise easily after feeding.
Feed the starter once or twice on the sixth day, depending on how strong it is.
Day 7
By the seventh day, your starter should be ready to use. It should look healthy and bubbly, like in the picture above. If your sourdough starter is still slow in developing, continue feeding twice a day and keep it warm. It will eventually strengthen.
How to use sourdough starter
To use the starter, mix it well, especially if some of the liquid has separated on the top. Then take out about the amount of sourdough starter you need to bake with, and replace it immediately. So if you take out 1 cup of sourdough, you should "feed" the remaining starter by adding to it cup of flour and ¾ cup of water.
Keep in mind that if you make my sourdough recipe and bake a recipe for sourdough bread from another cookbook or blog, you should first check what the hydration---or water-to-flour ratio---of their starter is. So, for example, if the starter they used has a lower hydration, you might need to cut back on the liquid in the bread recipe when you make it. If it has a greater hydration, you might need to add more liquid.
Here's a picture of my mature sourdough starter, a couple of hours after feeding, and then a day after he was last fed. He rose overnight and was beginning to fall back in the morning.
How to feed sourdough starter
It is good practice to feed your sourdough starter each week so it's ready--or close to ready--for baking at any time. But if you forget to feed it for a couple of weeks, or even for a month, don't panic. You might be able to revive your starter so long as it's not moldy and you refrigerated it in an airtight container. Don't go too long without feeding it, though, and do it as soon as you remember.
Sourdough starter FAQs
Sourdough starters in different temperatures perform very differently. For instance, if you're in 90+ temperatures, your sourdough might ferment too fast and taste extremely tangy within a day or two. On the other hand, in a cooler climate, you might not see any activity at all for a few days after beginning.
To get a strong and healthy starter that'll give you the best results when you bake and taste your baked good, you want to try and keep your sourdough starter in a room where the temperature is between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 26 degrees Celsius).
After seven days. You might find that the starter ferments more quickly in warmer temperatures, but to get the best flavor, try and keep your sourdough in a room at a temperature no more than 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Feed it every day for seven days.
Yes and no. You can make a sourdough starter with any proportion of water and flour but the hydration will matter for the baked goods recipes you'll make with it because it will change how much liquid you will need to add to that particular recipe.
If you do accidentally add more or less water to your starter, don't worry, it won't go belly up on you. Just continue feeding it in the right proportions in future and it should be fine.
You will know it's ready when it starts to rise within six to eight hours of feeding and gets really puffy.
The sourdough starter, once it begins to bubble, will have a smell similar to buttermilk. It should smell fresh and somewhat fruity, and not moldy or spoilt.
A sourdough starter will keep for years, even decades, and there are sourdough starters out there that are family heirlooms. A mature, well-established sourdough starter is a treasure - one day you might pass on this gift of good health to your sons and daughters.
For the first seven days, between feedings, leave your starter outside at a room temperature of no more than 80 degrees F. Make sure it's covered with a kitchen towel.
If you find that your starter is forming a hard crust on top, but otherwise appears to be developing nicely, stir it, feed it, and cover it with something more airtight or even cling wrap after the first couple of days.
Once your starter is ready, you can store it in the refrigerator. Each time you feed it, leave it out at room temperature for a few hours or until it gets puffy and expands, then put it back in the fridge.
No. One of the reasons you discard a portion of the sourdough each time you feed it because you don't want the sourdough starter to keep growing. The other is that your starter will grow stronger if there's more food for the hungry yeast in your starter. If you don't discard, there will be more hungry yeast cells competing for the same food and they won't grow as strong, see?
You don't have to waste a drop of your discard. See my post on easy recipes for sourdough discard. You can also add the sourdough to flatbreads like this sourdough roti from day 1.
You can also share your discard with a friend so they have their own sourdough starter without making it from scratch. Just give them a quarter to a half cup of discard and ask them to begin feeding it, preferably with a cup of flour and ¾ cup of water.
Troubleshooting tips
- Not enough starter for a recipe. If a recipe calls for, say, two cups of starter, just make sure you feed your sourdough starter the day before with more flour. Stick with the correct proportions of water and flour.
- Sourdough starter not bubbling after a few days of feeding: This could be caused by cool temperatures. Remember the ideal temp to maintain sourdough is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. In cooler temperatures it might take a while and extra days of feeding for your starter to kick off.
- Sourdough starter getting too bubbly, too tangy, too fast: Just as cold temps will delay your starter process, extremely hot climates will make it act like it's on steroids. Again, make sure you move the starter to a cooler part of your house, where the room temperature is no more than 75 degrees.
- Sourdough bread made with starter doesn't taste tangy enough. There could be two reasons for this: your sourdough starter is either really new, or your starter was just fed. Starter that's just been established will not taste tangy enough because it just hasn't been around that long. But don't fret, it will still have loads of flavor and with regular feeding you will get there. And you'll still be able to make great bread and other baked goods with the starter. If your starter is mature with a lovely tang, but you recently used most of it up and fed it and then used it again the next day to make bread, you might find that the starter simply doesn't have the same tang (although it will develop faster once your sourdough has matured further).
- Brownish/grayish/blackish, hooch-like liquid forming on top: This does not mean your sourdough starter has gone bad, it just means it's hungry. When you are still creating the starter, just stir it back in and feed your starter. Once your starter is established, and you see the liquid on top, you can either stir it back in or, if it's too strong-smelling, pour it off, then feed the starter.
- Sourdough smells like acetone or nail polish remover: This just means the starter--or rather the bacteria in your starter--are hungry, and it's time for feeding.
- Forgot to feed starter: Not a biggie, just feed it immediately and continue feeding according to schedule.
- Added too much water to starter. Is it spoilt? No. You can't spoil a starter by adding too much water to it. See the hydration tips in my FAQs above for more detail.
- Neglected the sourdough and now it looks dry: Don't beat yourself up if this happens, it's happened to me, more than once. An established sourdough starter is extremely hard to kill. To revive a dry but not moldy sourdough starter, pour some filtered water into the container, let the sourdough starter sit for some time, and then try to stir it until you have a smooth paste. You can discard some of the starter at this point and feed it for 2-3 days, twice a day, to build up its strength. (I once spent two to three days soaking and crushing my dry sourdough starter between my fingers to crumble it up (it was my gluten-free starter which dries more readily), but I brought it back to life and it's bubbling away now. :)) Try not to get to this point, though!
- Sourdough starter has pink or orange streaks and it smells moldy: If you have an established starter that gets moldy, you may be able to save it in some cases. If the mold is only on top, carefully skim the layer of mold off and save a small amount of the clear starter underneath. Place the retrieved starter in a new container and feed it a few times to build up its strength. But if the mold has penetrated through into the entire starter, just discard it and start over.
Megan Lonsdale says
Am I supposed to stir in the liquid each time I feed the starter? I'm on day 3 and it's smelling funky!
Vaishali says
Yes!
Megan Lonsdale says
Thanks for the quick reply! I'm on the morning of day 4, and today the liquid is more clear and smells like sourdough--so exciting 🙂
Anonymous says
After the starter has been stored in the fridge for a few days does it need to be "refreshed" in any way before using for baking? My starter has been very slow to do anything but it has been pretty cold. I have been using the discard every day to make crackers which are delicious!
Vaishali says
Yes, if you plan to bake a bread with your refrigerated starter and it's been a few days since you fed it, you should feed it about 8 hours prior to making your dough (unless the recipe specifies that you can use the unfed starter)
Owen says
Hi Vaishali, thanks for sharing your recipe. My starter (Sally) is 2yo now and doesn’t rise and fall at all but still produces small bubbles and tastes fine. My bread (although a bit hit and miss) tends to rise initially but then shrink a lot during baking and cooling so I end up with a small dense loaf. Can you suggest a way to freshen Sally up please
Vaishali says
Hi Owen, you could try feeding Sally regularly for three or four days--twice daily would be great. That way she'd regain her strength.
I have some great sourdough discard recipes here: https://holycowvegan.net/five-delicious-vegan-recipes-for-sourdough-discard/
James J Blumer says
Can I just use whole wheat flour for the entire process?
Vaishali says
I don't know if that would work for sure, but you could try with a portion of your sourdough. That way you won't waste it all if it doesn't work.
Sarah says
Thank you for sharing this recipe and being so helpful for those who need some hand holding like myself. I am on day 4 and it looks watery on the top, no bubbling. Yesterday, I put less water because you said you used 90mm of water which calculates a little over 1/3 for me. So that is what I used rather than the 1/2-3/4 cups. Have I messed something up or continue feeding it?
Vaishali says
Hi Sarah, the amount of water shouldn't make a big difference--it will just give your sourdough a different consistency. You should start seeing bubbles a couple of hours after feeding, not rightaway. If your sourdough starter doesn't look like it's gone bad, but is just not bubbling, continue feeding it and you should see results.
Anonymous says
Thank you for your responseZ. How do you know when it has gone bad.?
Mario Per. says
Hello.
How are you? I hope all is well.
After reading your recipe a few times to make sure I understood the process, I was left with one question.
If at each time you feed your Sour Dough Starter, you feed it with All Purpose Flour and Water, aren't you, at the end, or at least after several feeding have nothing left of the Whole Wheat flower in the your starter?
If that is the case, why do you need to start your Starter with Whole Wheat?
Vaishali says
The whole wheat has more nutrients and organisms to get your sourdough starter off to a strong start. After that you can just use regular all purpose flour. The probiotic bacteria digest the starches in the flour.
Sharron says
I'm in the process of making my starter. however because it is a little cool in our home I've been putting it in the oven with the light on. I am finding that when I take it out of the oven to feed it the top has a little harder surface. Is that normal? Today I'm on my 10th day and I still don't have that really big bubbling I have small bubbles is that normal also?
Vaishali says
It's probably just drying out because the bowl is not covered tight. Cover the top tightly with a lid or cling wrap.
Small bubbles are fine!
Sarah says
Hi, thank you for sharing your starter recipe. I would like to share my starter with a friend. So on step 6 when you divide it, can I use the *discarded* version as another starter? I assume I can and just follow the same steps.
Vaishali says
Yes, you definitely can share the discard with another person and they can make their own starter using it.
chris dattilio says
Could you tell me please I don't see it anywhere and I thought I read everything.
How many cups of sourdough starter do you have at the end?
Wondering so I know what I can bake at that time.
Thanks!
Jan says
What do you do if you are gone or unable to use you starter weekly? Is there a process to freshen it?
Anonymous says
I can be stored in a refrigerator for and only be fed once a week.
Jaz says
Hi! I started on 19th March so I am on Day 6. I think I need to up my feedings as it hasn't grown yet. I tried to make the pancakes but I think I left them rising for too long and the whole thing went off :')
Lindsay says
Ahhh! I accidentally turned on my own where my starter was! (Day 4) it preheated to 300 degrees before I realized it. Have I killed my starter? Do I need to start over?
Vaishali says
If your starter was heated, it would've killed the yeast, unfortunately, so you will need to restart.
Debbie says
I just found your site and I don't know how to leave a comment yet so I hope it's okay if I ask a question here on your reply...? Can I use your whole wheat sourdough starter recipe with regular white flour? Thanks for a reply, I can't wait to start this starter! It looks beautiful!
Vaishali says
Yes, certainly!
Debbie says
Thanks!
Chris says
Hi sorry I haven't figured out how to make a comment by itself either can you maybe say how for the few of us that can't figure it out LOL.
I do have a question you did say on here it was okay to use regular all-purpose unbleached flour I would assume.
So what is the purpose of using the whole wheat in the starter because by throw on some away everyday you don't end up with much whole wheat in it because you add all purpose to it every day.
Does it just start better or faster with the whole wheat?
Vaishali says
It's because whole wheat has more nutrients and sourdough-friendly organisms than all purpose which helps give the starter a strong start.
Brenda Vincent says
ndCan I use organic whole wheat flour. a Vincent
Vaishali says
Yes!
Lacey says
When you store it, do you cover it? If it's in your fridge uncovered, does it pick up strong scents like onions etc?
Vaishali says
Yes, cover it!
Andrea says
I am on day 5, I'm seeing some/few bubbles but definitely not as many as in your pic. The smell has also mellowed out a bit. I am feeding it 2xs a day. I had hooch on day 2 and 3 but that stopped once I moved to 2 feedings per day. Is there anything else I can do to make it more "active"? Do you think it's dying? Thanks!
Vaishali says
Continue feeding, it should be fine.
Aubrey says
We love bread, especially sourdough, but we’re all gluten free in our house now. Store-bought gluten free bread is so very expensive and doesn’t taste great, so I would love to make my own. Is it likely that a gluten free flour - maybe a 1:1 substitute blend - would be successful in making starter?
Vaishali says
Here's my gluten-free sourdough starter recipe: https://holycowvegan.net/gluten-free-sourdough-starter/
Barbara DeBoer says
I am at day 5 and my starter is bubbly with a slight brownish liquid. I don't think it has doubled but definietly working. It smells like flour and not fruity. It is not a bad smell just kind of floury from the whole wheat. Is this bad or is it just not fermented enough? I did make pancakes last night which were very good.
Vaishali says
Some brownish liquid is fine. If the starter worked with pancakes I'd say you are doing fine.
Anonymous says
I made my first loaf of bread and it turned out great. A nice tang but it only ever smelled like yeast so I wasn't sure it would be there. Maybe not as high as a yeast bread but still nice size. I was on day 7 but my starter was really bubbly.
rebecca says
Hi, just started this. I'm looking at my starter 24 hours later. Mine looks a bit mouldy . Lots of pinprick dots like mould. is this normal?
Vaishali says
Mold shouldn't form in a day but if you think it's moldy you should throw it away and start over.
Cris says
Hello! This sounds so good to make. Is the container you are using for longer storage about the size of a cookie jar?
Christine says
Hi, I'm wondering if it does need to be whole wheat flour or can I use AP flour to start?
Vaishali says
Yes certainly can start with AP flour!
Christine says
Hi, I'm wondering if it does need to be whole wheat flour or can I use AP flour to start?
Caro says
I was wondering if I can use cassava flour instead of wheat?
Deb C says
When you mention using discard for recipes is that during the first 7 days or after?
Vaishali says
Mostly after. You can use the discard in flatbreads and after 3-4 days in waffles and pancakes, but it won't be strong enough to make a bread rise unless it's been around for at least a week.
Andrea says
Thank you for this! During this time of people panic buying yeast and flour I'm glad I can make a dough without yeast. Excited to try this soon.
Sarah says
If I only have all-purpose flour (no wheat or bread flour) will that work? Thanks!
Vaishali says
Yes, it'll work very well.
H says
I'm on day 3 with all purpose white flour only and not seeing any rising. Should I start again?
Christina Marquez says
Hello. Can I use freshly ground flour, or will that cause it to go rancid?
Lauren says
Hey I've been following this and mine tools great on day 5. I'm excited to start trying recipes, going to do the sourdough waffles with discard portion tomorrow. Could I share my starter at all with someone ? If so how would I go about doing it ?
Vaishali says
You can give your friend the discard portion - a quarter to a half cup is enough-- so she can begin her own!
Ally says
Mine had lots of bubbles and rose a lot on day two but I haven’t seen much activity since then and I’m now on day 5 is this normal or did I do something to kill it
Vaishali says
There should be some bubbles, especially around 10-15 minutes after feeding the starter. How does it smell? The starter should have a fresh, sourdough-tangy smell and it shouldn't look moldy or discolored. If it doesn't smell or look bad, I'd continue feeding the starter. Be sure to keep it in a warm place between feedings.
Natalia Wallace says
Do I have to take it out of the fridge for a while before I remove some and feed it every week? Does it have to reach room temp is my question.
Thank you!
Vaishali says
No, you can use it cold. When you add the water, make sure you use lukewarm.
Erica says
Hi! I'm brand new to diy sourdough starter. I've been following your directions perfectly and tomorrow is day 7. I am VERY excited to try all of your recipes but have a couple of questions.
1. Your recipes say recently fed or unfed. So if I'm feeding it weekly or more, when is it considered recently fed or unfed? And when you do it weekly, say I take out 2 c. Can I use that throughout the week in recipes? Or do you take it out just as you need it?
2. If I want to share my starter with a friend, I'll give her some of my discard but what do I tell her to do? Keep it covered in the fridge and feed weekly?
Thanks for your sourdough wisdom!
Vaishali says
Hi Erica, if you fed it the morning of baking or the night before, that would be recently fed. If you fed the starter a week back, that would be unfed starter. And you just take what you need right when you need to add it to a recipe.
To share with a friend, just give a portion of the starter to her and she should start feeding it on a weekly basis, or each time she takes some starter out to use.
Hope that helps, and all the best on your sourdough journey! 🙂
Stuart Paterson says
What hydration is this starter? I see a few people talking about 100% hydration etc.
Rochelle says
Ive never had a starter where I had to discard half by the second day. I’ll have to try it! What hydration is this? Seems to me that 1/2 C of flour to 3/4 C of water fo feedings is
Thank you for sharing this!
Cecilia says
Hello Vaishali,
Thank you from your recipe! It's very clear and easy to follow. I am on day 5 of my starter and I was wondering if the consistence is the right one. It has lot of bubbles before and after feeding but it's rather liquid and I once saw a friend's started and was more like chewing-gum... I would be greatful if you could indicate what is the right consistency and if too liquid is not right how do I make it less so.
Thank you again from sharing your recipe!
Cecilia
Vaishali says
Hi Cecilia, the consistency of your sourdough will depend on the hydration -- the amount of water you use. There's no right way or wrong way with this, some people prefer higher hydration, which means the sourdough will be more fluid, others like it to be very thick, almost like dough. The amount of water we are using here should give you a fluid but still quite thick batter, like pancake batter but gummy.
Cecilia says
Dear Vaishali,
Thank you very much for your reply, it's very reassuring! I can't wait to start baking with my starter!