Place your clean jar on the scale. Add 60g whole wheat flour (or rye flour).

Pour in 60g lukewarm water (75-80°F / 24-27°C). If you don't have a thermometer, it should feel slightly warm to the touch, like comfortable bath water.

Stir with a spoon or spatula until no dry flour remains. Scrape down the sides.

Place a rubber band around the jar at the level of the mixture, or draw a line with a dry-erase marker. This is how you'll track the rise.

Cover loosely — the starter needs air exchange, not a sealed environment. Place somewhere with a consistent temperature around 75-80°F (24-27°C). Inside your oven with only the light turned on is the classic trick.

Look at the jar. You may see some small bubbles on the surface or along the sides. You may see nothing. You may even see a slight rise. All of this is normal.

Remove and discard all but about 60g (roughly ¼ cup) of starter. Yes, this feels wasteful. It's necessary. Without discarding, the pH balance won't develop properly.

Add 60g unbleached all-purpose flour and 60g lukewarm water to the remaining starter. Stir until smooth. Scrape down the sides.

Move your rubber band to the new mixture level. Cover and return to your warm spot.

If it doubled and looks alive, that's the false rise. If it didn't do much, that's also fine. The actual yeast colonization hasn't started yet.

Remove all but 60g of starter. Add 60g all-purpose flour and 60g lukewarm water. Mix, mark, cover, and rest. Same routine.

If you see dark liquid on top (hooch), pour it off for a milder flavor or stir it in for more sourness. Either way is fine. It just means your starter is hungry.

Remove all but 60g. Add 60g all-purpose flour and 60g lukewarm water. Mix, mark, cover, rest.

If your kitchen is below 70°F, your starter will be slower. Try the oven-light trick or move it to a warmer spot. If above 80°F, it may need feeding every 12 hours instead of 24.

Has the starter risen at all since yesterday's feeding? Even a 25% rise with bubbles is a very good sign.

How long after feeding did it take to peak? This pattern helps you plan baking later.

Same routine. 60g starter, 60g flour, 60g water. If your starter is peaking within 8-10 hours, consider switching to twice-daily feedings to accelerate yeast colonization.

60g starter, 60g flour, 60g water. This is your test feeding.

This is your test feeding. Mark precisely and check every hour or two. You're looking for the starter to at least double in height.

Drop a small spoonful of starter into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, it's full of gas and ready to leaven bread. If it sinks, keep feeding for a few more days. NOTE: The float test isn't perfect. Some active starters are too wet to float. The most reliable test is consistent doubling after feeding.

A ready starter smells pleasantly sour, like Greek yogurt or mild vinegar, with a yeasty, almost fruity quality. If it still smells like acetone or nail polish, it needs more time.

Store the starter in the fridge. Feed once a week: discard all but 50g, add 50g flour and 50g water, let it sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours until you see some bubbles, then return to the fridge. Pull it out 24-48 hours before you plan to bake and feed it 2-3 times to wake it up.

Keep it on the counter at room temperature. Feed once or twice daily: discard all but 50g, add 50g flour and 50g water. Use it for baking when it's at peak rise (doubled, domed top, lots of bubbles).

Feed your starter, then stick it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks without feeding. When you return, discard most of it, feed it, and give it 2-3 days of regular feedings to bounce back. For longer absences, spread a thin layer on parchment paper, let it dry completely, and store the dried flakes in a zip-top bag. Rehydrate later by adding water and flour and re-feeding for 3-5 days.