🎉 Pop the (fermented) bubbly because you’ve officially graduated from the Starter Marathon! 🏆 You’ve mixed, waited, sniffed, stirred, worried, and fed… and now? You’ve got a living sourdough starter that’s all yours. Seriously, that’s a big deal – most people quit halfway (but not you, you bread legend 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️). ✅ Your starter = strong, bubbly, and ready for greatness. ✅ You = unstoppable baker-in-the-making. ✅ Next stop = homemade sourdough bread that makes your kitchen smell like heaven. 🎯 Celebrate with us: ✔ Drop a 🥳 in the comments ✔ Share a photo of your beautiful starter (bonus points if it has a cute name!) ✔ Tell us: what’s the first thing you want to bake? Now, let’s level up. Ready to transform that starter into your first rustic artisan loaf? 🥖👉 Join the Rustic Workshop here! Big cheers to YOU – the newest member of the Sourdough Masters Club! 🍞✨

Your Starter Is Ready! 🎉 Switch to a small jar (~200 ml / 6.8 oz) and prepare a flour mix for easy feedings: - 800 g white wheat flour (all-purpose or bread) - 200 g whole rye flour - Remember that the starter doesn't like changes, so in case you want to change the brand of your flour, you should do it slowly. Add new flour every time you feed your starter little by little. Daily maintenance (1-2-2 ratio): - 20 g mature starter - 40 g water - 40 g flour mix Feed twice daily (every 12 hours) for at least one week at room temperature to keep it strong and healthy. Your leftover starter can now be stored in the fridge and used in discard recipes—no need to throw it away!

Hooray, team! 🎉 We’ve officially made it to Day 4 of the Starter Marathon – the grand finale! 🥖✨ Today, we’re diving into: ✅ Daily maintenance – how to keep your starter happy and strong ✅ Switching to a smaller jar (yay for less mess!) ✅ How to store it long-term (room temp or fridge?) ✅ And of course… what’s next: BAKING your first sourdough loaf! Your starter is now your new baking buddy for life. It’s strong, bubbly, and ready to raise some dough (literally 😅). Excited for the big reveal? Drop a 🏁 in the comments if you’re ready to move to the next stage of your sourdough journey!

Alright, bakers, how are those starters doing after a few feeds? 💪✅ Post a photo of your jar ✅ Share: is it bubbly, rising, smelling different? ✅ Any funny names or observations? We love hearing your starter stories! Your starter is changing every day, and that’s the beauty of this journey. Remember: patience + consistency = happy starter. 📅 What’s next? On September 2nd, we dive into: 👉 Daily maintenance – how to keep your starter strong 👉 What to do next once your starter passes the readiness test So keep feeding, keep tracking, and keep sharing. Every bubble counts! 🫧 Drop those updates below! Let’s see how far your little microbes have come! 🥳

Feed your starter as usual and watch how long it takes to mature. A ready-to-bake starter should: - Mature in 4–6 hours at 26–30°C (79–86°F) - Triple in size with lots of bubbles - Show a wrinkled top as it begins to fall - Smell pleasant, like yogurt, honey, or milk (a slight vinegar note is okay; no funky odors) - Once it’s ready, you can keep it at room temperature in a smaller jar (~200 mL / 7 oz) and reduce the amount of flour for feedings. Congratulations—you’re ready for the next step!