THE FOUNDING CHAPTER · Explore the academy preview
Rise & RitualBY SOL & SAHARA GOODSMy learning
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The foundation · Beginner

The living starter

Maintain a starter that fits your schedule and recognize when it is ready to raise dough.

Lesson 2 of 4

Read a feeding ratio

Ratios describe starter, flour and water by weight. Hydration describes total water relative to flour.

Ingredients for this learning path

  • Unbleached flour
  • Whole rye or whole wheat flour, optional
  • Water
  • An established healthy starter, or flour and water to begin

Equipment

  • Digital scale
  • Clean jar with loosely fitted lid
  • Spatula
  • Elastic band or marker

The lesson

  1. At 1:2:2, feed 10 g starter with 20 g flour and 20 g water. With a 100%-hydration seed starter, the result remains 100% hydration.
  2. A larger feeding gives the culture more food and usually takes longer to peak under the same conditions. Do not interpret 1:10:10 as universally better.
  3. Use a clean, roomy jar. A domed top, abundant bubbles and consistent rise signal activity; a fallen tide mark tells you it has already peaked.

The baker’s note

Fit the ratio to when you want to mix dough, then verify with several feeds at your kitchen temperature.

Practice

Compare a 1:2:2 and 1:5:5 feed using small quantities.

Technique lessons may require a separate complete formula. Read the full path before mixing.

LESSON 2 OF 4 · 6 min read

Read a feeding ratio

Ratios describe starter, flour and water by weight. Hydration describes total water relative to flour.

Go to guided practice & lesson check

Let’s work through it

  1. At 1:2:2, feed 10 g starter with 20 g flour and 20 g water. With a 100%-hydration seed starter, the result remains 100% hydration.
  2. A larger feeding gives the culture more food and usually takes longer to peak under the same conditions. Do not interpret 1:10:10 as universally better.
  3. Use a clean, roomy jar. A domed top, abundant bubbles and consistent rise signal activity; a fallen tide mark tells you it has already peaked.

LEARN IT. TRY IT. MAKE IT YOURS.

Your practice bench

Read the whole lesson first, then work at your own pace. Check a step when you’ve practiced or reviewed it.

0 of 3 steps

STEP 1 OF 3

At 1:2:2, feed 10 g starter with 20 g flour and 20 g water. With a 100%-hydration seed starter, the result remains 100% hydration.

MAKE THE BAKER’S CALL

A 1:2:2 feed starts with 10 g starter. What do you add?

TAKE IT TO YOUR OWN KITCHEN

Your next small experiment

Compare a 1:2:2 and 1:5:5 feed using small quantities.

Record what happened in my journal
How do you feel about this skill?

Practice works here. Sign in to save it between visits. Answers are for practice, not a graded certification.

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Make it part of your practice

Compare a 1:2:2 and 1:5:5 feed using small quantities.

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YOUR BAKING JOURNAL

Remember what the dough taught you.

Record your temperatures, timing, observations and one thing to try next.

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