Sourdough Day 16: Discarding to 20 Grams and Switching to 1:4:4

Sourdough Day 16 — and I genuinely did not think we would still be here, but here we are, and honestly? It’s all good. Willy and Nilly are still very much alive. They are doubling, they are bubbling, and they are doing what starters do. But there is still a strong smell hanging around, and I am still not seeing the rise and fall pattern two feedings in a row that tells me we are truly ready to bake. So today we are trying something new: discarding all the way down to just 20 grams and switching to a 1:4:4 ratio fed every 12 hours. We are going to feed them more, feed them more often, and hopefully finally get Sourdough Day 16 behind us with a real breakthrough on the horizon.

Let me catch you up on where Willy and Nilly are right now. They are both bubbling. They are both doubling. On Day 15 we moved them to a warmer spot in the house to see if that would help things along, and I do think they responded a little bit to the warmer environment. But the strong smell is still there — not the tangy, yeasty smell I am looking for, but that sharper, more funky smell that tells me the starters are not quite balanced yet. And I have not seen that consistent rise and fall pattern two feedings in a row that I need to see before we can even think about baking.

So we are switching things up again. Today I discarded both Willy and Nilly all the way down to 20 grams — yes, 20 grams, which looks like almost nothing in the jar, but that is exactly what the scale said and we are trusting the scale. From there, I fed them a 1:4:4 ratio, which means for every 1 part starter, they are getting 4 parts flour and 4 parts water. So 20 grams of starter, 80 grams of flour, and 80 grams of water. And going forward, we are feeding every 12 hours instead of once a day.

The thinking here is that more frequent feedings with a higher ratio will give the good bacteria more to eat and more opportunities to establish themselves — and hopefully push out whatever is causing that funky smell. I have been following along with some great sourdough troubleshooting resources and this approach seems like the right next step when you are dealing with a stubborn smell and a starter that bubbles but has not quite found its rhythm yet.

I keep my starters in those gorgeous Weck Tulip Jars — they are the perfect size for tracking the rise, they are easy to clean, and honestly they just make the whole sourdough process feel a little more special. If you are starting your own sourdough journey, I cannot recommend them enough. You can find them in The Sourdough Pantry!

Before we bake, I am watching for three things: doubling or tripling in size within 4 to 8 hours, a consistent rise and fall pattern two feedings in a row, and that smell shifting from funky to tangy and yeasty. We are not there yet — but Day 16 feels like a turning point. Willy and Nilly are still going strong. We are still in this. Let’s see what the next 12 hours bring. See you on Day 17! 🍞

More From the Sourdough Journey

• Sourdough Starter Maintenance — Feed and Fridge — How I keep a starter alive and happy with a busy family schedule.
• Day 21 — Goodbye Willy & Nilly, Hello Free Willy 2 — The dramatic turn Willy and Nilly’s story eventually takes.
• Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe — The loaf this whole journey is building toward, with a full printable recipe card.

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Sourdough Day 16 — About the Sourdough Journey

The Sourdough Journey is Stephanie’s series documenting her very first attempt at making sourdough bread from scratch. What started as one whole wheat starter named Willynilly became two — Willy and Nilly — before the journey took a dramatic turn. Now a whole new chapter of baking is underway with Pearl and Free Willy 2. Start at Day 1 and follow the whole story at stephaniecooksforacrowd.com!