Day 7: it has a name now

Hobby Corner · Sourdough

A starter is ready to bake with when it roughly doubles within four to eight hours of a feeding and smells pleasantly tangy, not sharp like nail polish remover. Some starters need a few more days. Patience beats any recipe.

By now you will refer to it as 'she' or 'he', or by a name. This is normal, and also a warning sign.

Signs it is ready

• It doubles in size between feedings.
• The top is domed and bubbles run through the whole jar.
• The smell is fresh and slightly tangy.
• It behaves the same way two days in a row.

Write down what happened each day, even when the answer is nothing.