Liquid sourdough starter

Instructions

1. Day 1
   Use a digital thermometer to measure the temperature of your warm tap water. Make sure your water is at 25°C. Mix the bread flour and the water in your jar. Cover it with the lid, leaving a small gap so that air can still get in. Leave your starter at room temperature; it does not need to be refrigerated.
   
2. Day 2
   Add another 50 grams (⅓ cup) of flour and 50 grams warm water (25°C) to your starter. Mix, then cover it with the lid, again leaving a small gap. The starter may have a few bubbles and a slightly off-putting funky aroma. If your starter does not have any bubbles yet, do not give up; it may just take a little longer.
   
3. Day 3
   Repeat the process from Day 2. By now you should be seeing more bubbles, and the aroma should be stronger and more acidic.
   
4. Day 4
   Discard half of the starter, then repeat the process from the previous days. It should have started to look almost sponge-like.
   
5. Day 5
   You should now have a starter with plenty of small bubbles. It should also have a more pleasant, but still acidic, aroma. Again, discard half of the starter and feed it as per the previous days.
   
   If your starter still has no bubbles, it could be that it has been kept at temperatures that are too low. You should continue to feed it for a few more days; keep it in a warmer spot and ensure that you are using water at 25°C.
   
6. Day 6
   Your starter is now active and ready to use! It should have approximately tripled in size by this point. To maintain your starter, continue discarding half of the starter each day and feeding it with 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. The starter will be active approximately 8 to 10 hours after each feed.
   
   If you are going to be baking on an almost daily basis, your starter can be stored at room temperature and does not need to be refrigerated. If you are not going to use it right away, you can refrigerate it and it will not require any further feeding during this time.
   
   When you wish to use it again, simply take it out of the fridge and feed it as per the instructions for Day 2. Then leave it at room temperature, covering it with the lid and leaving a small gap so that air can still get in. If your starter has been refrigerated for longer than 3 to 4 days, you should feed the starter when you remove it from the fridge, then leave it at room temperature for 4 hours and feed it again. This second feed will help to reduce the acidity of your starter and it will be active approximately 8 to 10 hours after this second feed.