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My Sourdough Starter Looked DEAD for 2 Weeks Then Magically Doubled Overnight

I started my first sourdough starter from scratch about a month ago. For the first 14 days, it barely bubbled and smelled like old socks no matter what I did. I almost threw it out three times, but then on day 15 it suddenly doubled in size after a feeding and smelled fruity instead. I think the warm weather finally kicked in and gave it the boost it needed. Has anyone else had a starter that took forever to get going and then just exploded with activity?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.sage1mo ago

Was your kitchen maybe a little drafty or colder at night those first two weeks? I had the same thing happen with my first starter, and it was totally the temperature. Even a few degrees cooler can make them go dormant and stinky. Once we hit a warm streak and I moved it to the top of the fridge, it took off like crazy. Keep feeding it regularly now that it's active and you should be good. Have you tried switching to a whole wheat or rye flour to give it extra nutrients?

margaret3041mo ago

Your warm weather theory makes no sense since it would've been warm the whole time you had it.

jade_singh1mo ago

I'm jumping in on your "makes no sense" comment, because I actually think there IS a weird angle here. The thing nobody's mentioned is that a starter can change its own environment through evaporation, you know? Like, if you had it in a warmer spot near the stove or something those first two weeks, the water could've been evaporating faster and leaving the flour too dry for the yeast to thrive. Then later, a humidity shift (maybe from rain or running the dishwasher more) could've balanced it out. I've definitely had starters stall out in dry heat then perk up when the kitchen got steamy.