Sourdough Starter Names We Approve
A starter is a culture, not a prop, but I am fully pro-naming it. Anything that makes you more likely to feed it on schedule is good baking strategy. Consistency beats intensity. A starter fed regularly at room temperature will out-bake the most dramatic weekend “revival” every time.
Ours answers to a couple names depending on who is on shift, and yes, it has moods. Cold starter is slow. Overfed starter is lazy. Underfed starter smells sharp and sulky. If it smells like solvent, it is not evil. It is hungry. Feed it, keep it warm, and it will come back around.
Naming also turns fermentation into something shareable. Customers ask, you explain the 1:1:1 feed, and suddenly everyone understands that bread is mostly time management. The jokes are optional, but they help. I have heard “Loafah the Explorer” more than once, and I respect the commitment.
If you want one practical tip: learn what peak looks like. Mark the jar, watch for doubling, and use it when it domes and starts to flatten. That is the sweet spot. The starter does not care what you call it, but it will reward you if you learn to read it.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 50g ripe starter
- 50g bread flour
- 50g water, room temp
Instructions
- In a clean jar, mix 50g ripe starter, 50g flour, and 50g water until no dry bits remain.
- Loosely cover and leave at room temperature 8–12 hours until doubled and bubbly.
- Repeat daily. If not baking, store in the fridge and feed weekly. Name it something delightful.