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Sourdough Help & Advice

Welcome to our Sourdough Help & Advice hub. We grow and supply all of our sourdough starters by hand, so we know them inside out. Whether you’re just getting started or troubleshooting a sluggish loaf, you’re in the right place!

🍞 Getting started with sourdough

Sourdough is one of the most rewarding things you can make at home — but it does take a little patience while your starter gets going. Here’s what to expect:

  • Your starter is a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria. It needs regular feeding to stay active and healthy.
  • Feed it with equal parts flour and water (by weight) every 24 hours to begin with.
  • Keep it at room temperature (ideally 20–25°C) while it’s getting established.
  • It’s ready to use when it reliably doubles in size within 4–8 hours of feeding and has a bubbly, domed appearance.

🌡️ Temperature tips

Temperature makes a huge difference with sourdough. A warm kitchen speeds things up; a cool one slows things down. If your house is on the cooler side, try placing your starter near (not on) a radiator, or in a switched-off oven with just the light on.

🧐 Troubleshooting

My starter doesn’t seem to be rising. This is really common in the first few days — give it time. Make sure you’re using room temperature water (not straight from the tap if your water is cold or heavily chlorinated) and try using a mix of white and wholemeal flour for extra wild yeast.

There’s a liquid on top. This is called “hooch” — it’s just alcohol produced by the yeast and it means your starter is hungry. Pour it off or stir it back in, then feed straight away. Not harmful at all!

My starter smells very sour or alcoholic. It just needs feeding more frequently. Try twice-daily feeds for a few days and it should mellow out.

There’s pink or orange streaks. This is the one time to be concerned — discard the starter and get in touch with us for a replacement.

🛌 Storing your starter

Once established, you can store your sourdough starter in the fridge and feed it once a week. Take it out the night before you want to bake, give it a feed, and let it come back to life at room temperature before using.

🛒 Ready to get started?

Browse our range of sourdough starters and equipment — all tried, tested and recommended by us:

📚 Resources

💬 Still need help?

If you’re still stuck, we’re here! Our team has years of hands-on experience with sourdough and we’re happy to help.