My sourdough starter was flat for months until I changed one thing

I kept getting these dense, sad loaves that barely rose, and I couldn't figure it out. My starter would bubble a little, but it never really got going. The tip off was when I saw a video of someone feeding theirs, and they used warm water. I'd been using cold tap water straight from the sink for like six months, thinking it didn't matter. I switched to water around 85 degrees, and my starter doubled in size in just a few hours. It was like I'd been starving it the whole time. Now my bread has actual oven spring. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that totally change their results?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthew_dixon4d ago

Feel your pain, that sounds exactly like my first year with sourdough. I was convinced my kitchen was just cursed or something. Switching to a proper feeding schedule made all the difference for me.

bell.emma4d ago

Yeah the feeding schedule is key. I started using a kitchen scale for the flour and water, not just cups. That consistency finally got my starter to behave.