Sourdough Day 7: Willynilly’s Ratio Changes to 1:2:2

Sourdough Day 7 is here and Willynilly is showing some real signs of life! There are bubbles and air pockets throughout the starter, which tells me things are moving in the right direction. Today is also a big day because the ratio changes for the first time — we are moving from 1:1:1 to 1:2:2, which means a bigger discard and a bigger feed. Willynilly is growing up. 🍞

If you are just joining us, I started this sourdough journey from scratch in early March to make homemade bread for Jason, who is on a Mediterranean diet. My community helped name our whole wheat starter Willynilly, and we have been documenting every single day together. Welcome to Day 7!

What Happened on Day 7

Willynilly is definitely active — lots of bubbles and air pockets forming throughout the starter. The guide I have been following showed a clear rise and fall on Day 7, and I am not quite seeing that same sign yet with Willynilly. But that is okay! Every starter is a little different, and the bubbles tell me he is alive and working. We press on.

One thing I did notice today — Willynilly smells like nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol. If you have ever made a sourdough starter and experienced this, do not panic. It is completely normal. It means your starter is hungry and the acids are building up. A good feeding takes care of it.

The Ratio Changes on Day 7

Up until now we have been feeding Willynilly on a 1:1:1 ratio — equal parts starter, flour, and water. Starting today, that changes to 1:2:2. Here is what today’s feeding looked like:

Kept 50 grams of starter and discarded 130 grams. Then added 100 grams of whole wheat flour and 100 grams of water. The bigger feed helps strengthen the starter and encourages that rise and fall we are looking for.

It is a little bit like feeding a hungry teenager — you just keep increasing the portions and hope for the best. 😄

Now we watch and wait. See you on Day 8!

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 Willynilly’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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🌱 New to sourdough? Start with my Sourdough for Beginners guide — how to make a starter from scratch and bake your first loaf.

Sourdough Day 7 — About the Sourdough Journey

The Sourdough Journey is Stephanie’s series documenting her very first attempt at making sourdough bread from scratch — something she had never done before. She started this journey to make fresh homemade bread for her husband Jason, who is on a Mediterranean diet. Along the way her community helped name her whole wheat starter “Willynilly” — and together they cheered him on toward his first bake. What started as one starter became two, then took a dramatic turn — and now a whole new chapter of baking is underway. Start here at Day 1 and follow the whole story at stephaniecooksforacrowd.com!