PSA: My sourdough starter failed 3 times before I learned this one trick

Last month I tried to start a sourdough starter from scratch, and it went flat every single time. Three years ago I watched my grandma in Portland keep a bubbly one on her counter for decades, so I thought it'd be easy. But I kept getting this gross hooch layer on top after week one. I finally called her last week and she told me I was using tap water with too much chlorine. Switched to filtered water and fed it twice a day, and now it's alive and doubling in size within 4 hours. My neighbors think I'm crazy for checking on it every morning, but it's working. Has anyone else struggled with starter issues from something as simple as water quality?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara4295d ago

So the hooch layer was from chlorine, not from overfeeding it?

angela_wilson785d ago

barbara429 basically learned the hard way that city water is murder on yeast. I spent a month blaming my feeding schedule when tap water was sabotaging me the whole time. Filtered water and a little patience, that is the real secret.