Days 2 & 3: Bringing the Starter Back to Life

After feeding the starter for the first time, I wasn’t expecting much to have happened when I checked it the next morning. Which was good, because indeed, nothing happened lol.

So I fed it again that morning and then once more about 12 hours later, in the evening. Each time, I discarded some of the starter and then fed it equal parts flour and warm water. For example, the first time I fed it, I used 15g of starter, 15g of warm water, and 15g of flour, bringing the total to 45g.

The next time, I removed 25g, leaving 20g of starter in the jar, and then added 20g each of water and flour. This kept the starter at a manageable amount while giving it plenty of fresh food to get going again. To my surprise, the starter started bubbling and doubling in size after that second feeding. I continued that same process to slowly increase the amount of starter in the jar and to be sure that the starter was “healthy” before I planned to bake. 

Now, I’ve fed it one final time before I hopefully have enough starter to bake an entire loaf. The recipe I’m planning to use calls for about 165g of starter, so I want to make sure I have enough for the bread while also saving some to continue feeding and storing in the fridge until the next time I bake.

The actual baking process is quite lengthy, mostly because there are several points where you have to let the dough rest and rise. So while there isn’t necessarily a ton of active work, there is a whole lot of waiting. 

Undeniably, I’m a little nervous to try making a loaf for the first time, but I’m also very excited at the thought of having fresh homemade bread very soon. Fingers crossed!