Sourdough Starter Recipe with the Trick Nobody Tells You: Active

Instructions:

1. Phase 1: The Acidity Kickstart (Day 1). Mix 50g of organic rye flour with 50g of pineapple juice in a glass jar. Stir until no dry flour remains. Cover loosely with a lid or a cloth and let sit at room temperature (70°F–75°F) for 24 hours until the mixture looks slightly darker.
2. Phase 2: The Quiet Period (Day 2 & 3). On Day 2, add 50g of all-purpose flour and 50g of filtered water to the jar and stir vigorously. Let sit another 24 hours until tiny bubbles begin to form. Repeat the same feeding on Day 3 (50g flour, 50g water) without discarding until you smell a faint fruity aroma.
3. Phase 3: The Strengthening (Day 4 - Day 6). Discard all but 100g of the starter on Day 4. Feed with 100g unbleached all purpose flour and 100g filtered water until the volume increases by at least 50%. Repeat this 1:1:1 feeding (100g starter, 100g flour, 100g water) every 24 hours through Day 6 until the texture becomes stretchy and web like.
4. Phase 4: Testing for Readiness (Day 7). Check for activity on Day 7. Your starter should now double in size within 4–6 hours of feeding until it looks like a frothy, bubbly mousse. Drop a teaspoon of starter into a glass of water. If it floats, it's ready to bake.