New Sourdough Starter — Meet the Feisty Gift From a Friend!

Y’all. I was not expecting this new sourdough starter.

I had said my goodbyes to Willy and Nilly, decided to start fresh with Free Willy 2, and was just trucking along — and then my friend Sara messaged me out of the blue and said she had a really feisty, active sourdough starter and she wanted to share some with me. I nearly fell out of my chair.

So I drove over, she handed over a generous jar of the most active-looking starter I have ever personally seen in real life, and I buckled it right into the front passenger seat of my car like the precious cargo it absolutely is. She even sent me home with a little extra to help boost Free Willy 2 so I can get him going on whole wheat for Jason’s Mediterranean diet. And y’all — Sara gave me a piece of sourdough bread she had baked that same morning from this very starter. It was SO good. I have never been more motivated to actually bake a loaf in my entire life.

But here’s the thing. This starter needs a name — and she needs to go with “Cybil,” which is what Sara calls hers. So I need something feisty, sassy, and full of personality. And I need YOUR help.

Some names already floating around that I love:

• Lucy
• Alice
• Pearl
• Vera
• Nelly (which is SO close to Nilly — and I kind of love that connection)

Drop your favorites in the comments! Y’all did SO good naming Willy and Nilly — I am trusting you completely with this one.

Where Things Stand Now

So here’s where the sourdough journey is right now: I have two starters at home on their warmers. Free Willy 2 is getting a boost from the extra Sara shared, and he will be working toward becoming a strong whole wheat starter for Jason. And this new feisty girl — once she has her name — is ready to BAKE. Sara said I might be able to bake as early as tomorrow. Y’ALL.

After everything we have been through on this journey — the days of no activity, the oven-too-hot disaster, the acetone smell, saying goodbye to Willy and Nilly — the idea that I might actually have a loaf of sourdough bread in my hands by the weekend is almost more than I can handle. In the best possible way.

What’s Coming Next

This sourdough journey is shifting now. Instead of daily check-in posts, I will be sharing updates as things happen — when I bake, when I try new recipes, when something goes sideways (because this is me and something always goes sideways). One starter will stay whole wheat for Jason’s Mediterranean diet. The other will be my everyday all-purpose starter for all the sourdough recipes I want to try. I want to make bread, pizza dough, crackers, muffins — all of it. We are in the fun part now, friends.

If you are just joining the sourdough journey, you can start at Day 1 and follow along from the very beginning — it’s quite a ride. The King Arthur Baking sourdough guide is also a fantastic resource if you want to start your own starter from scratch. And if you need sourdough supplies for your own journey, find everything I use in The Sourdough Pantry!

A huge, heartfelt thank you to my friend Sara for sharing her starter, her bread, her advice, and her encouragement. The sourdough community is genuinely one of the most generous communities I have ever encountered. Y’all are my people.

More From the Sourdough Journey

• Pearl’s First Bake — Sourdough Sandwich Bread Reveal — What happened when this feisty new starter finally met the oven.
• Sourdough Starter Maintenance — Feed and Fridge — How I keep a starter alive and happy with a busy family schedule.
• Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe — The weekly loaf this starter was born to make, with a full printable recipe card.

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New Sourdough Starter — About the Sourdough Journey

The Sourdough Journey is Stephanie’s ongoing series documenting her adventures in sourdough — from her very first attempt at making a starter from scratch, through the dramatic highs and lows of Willy and Nilly, and now into a brand new chapter with two fresh starters and a feisty gifted starter from her friend Sara. One starter is whole wheat for her husband Jason’s Mediterranean diet. The other is an all-purpose starter ready to bake bread, pizza, crackers, and everything in between. The daily check-ins are behind us — now the real baking begins. Follow along at stephaniecooksforacrowd.com and come see what comes out of Stephanie’s oven next!