Sourdough Day 17: Willy and Nilly Finally Started to Smell Better!

Sourdough Day 17 and I have NEWS — Willy and Nilly finally started to smell better. Our two little starters have been doubling for a while, but that smell! Really! However, the smell is so much better today! Y’all, I was almost ready to throw in the towel. I’m not going to lie. But they came through for me, and I think I finally figured out their sweet spot: the top of the fridge in my utility room. Middle of the night, I moved them up there, and that was it. They didn’t like the cupboard. They didn’t like sitting next to the ice machine (I thought the warm air blowing out would help — nope). But the top of the fridge? That’s where Willy and Nilly want to live, and I am not arguing with them.

Today’s feeding was 1:4:4 — discarding both Willy and Nilly down to 20 grams, then feeding 80 grams of flour and 80 grams of water each. Willy, of course, gets his whole wheat flour because he is Jason’s starter — the whole reason this sourdough journey started in the first place. Jason is on a Mediterranean diet, and I wanted to make him homemade bread. So here we are on Day 17, still feeding, still watching, and finally — FINALLY — seeing the kind of activity that makes me think we might actually get to bake soon.

After this feeding, the plan is to feed again in 12 hours and see how they respond. If Willy and Nilly are still doing well tomorrow, I may start building them up a little bit. We are getting close, y’all. I can feel it.

One thing I want to note — fresh jars are on the agenda too. Keeping things clean is part of keeping a healthy starter, and on sourdough day 17, these jars have earned a good wash (I did wash them around day 9, but they need it again!).

This has been one of the most unexpectedly fun and surprisingly emotional little projects I have taken on. Who knew a jar of flour and water could make you want to cheer and cry at the same time? If you are just finding us and want to follow along from the very beginning, you can find every single day of the Sourdough Journey right here on the website. Pull up a chair — there is always room at my table. See you on Day 18!

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 17 — 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!