My sourdough starter was a flat, sad pancake for weeks.

I was about to give up, but then I read about feeding it with whole rye flour instead of all-purpose. The difference was immediate, it doubled in size within six hours. Has anyone else found that a simple flour switch fixed a stubborn starter?

4 comments

4 Comments

holly70916d agoMost Upvoted

Guess it just needed a more interesting diet.

avery_flores16d ago

Totally heard that rye flour trick before! A friend of mine was having the same issue with a sluggish starter, and switching to rye for a few feeds brought it right back to life. It's like the extra stuff in the whole grain just gives the yeast a better meal. Sometimes even using bottled water instead of tap can make a big difference if your water has chlorine. It's wild how one small change can turn the whole thing around.

lucast8116d ago

Actually, I've found rye can be too strong and take over the flavor. I stick with plain whole wheat to boost activity without changing the taste too much. It keeps things simple and still works great.

abbyp6116d ago

Ever try feeding it less often? I wonder if some starters get lazy with too much food.