Why Everyone’s Making Sourdough Starter And How Not to Ruin Your First Batch)

The Return of the Bubbling Jar

There’s something weirdly satisfying about watching flour and water come to life on your kitchen counter. No yeast, no shortcuts just- time, temperature, and wild bacteria doing their thing. Welcome to the fermentation renaissance, where sourdough starter jars now sit proudly next to coffee machines in hipster apartments and middle-class homes alike.

It's not just a pandemic hobby anymore. Fermentation has gone mainstream, and sourdough is the gateway drug.

Why Everyone’s Suddenly Obsessed

It’s simple, really. Sourdough baking offers a slow, tactile contrast to how fast everything else feels. It’s part science, part witchcraft. And it gives you an excuse to spend way too much time researching hydration ratios at midnight. More importantly, it’s meditative, it's delicious, and it feels like a small, edible rebellion against mass-produced bread.

Plus, fermented foods have gut-health cred now. Kombucha, kimchi, and yogurt opened the door. Sourdough walked in with a crispy crust.

Don’t Kill Your Starter (Seriously)

The biggest mistake? Treating your starter like a regular recipe. It’s more like a houseplant with moods. Feed it regularly with equal parts flour and water, once every 24 hours if kept at room temperature. Name it if that helps (yes, people do this). And don’t panic if it smells funky the first few days. That’s normal.

Use filtered water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated. Keep it loosely covered, not airtight. If it’s bubbling and doubling in size, you’re golden.

Final Thought: It’s Not Just Bread

Fermentation is part of a larger cultural shift toward slowness, intentionality, and self-reliance. Whether you’re nursing a sourdough starter or fermenting garlic in honey, you’re tapping into something ancient. And that’s what makes it more than just a trend.

So if your starter smells a bit like gym socks right now, relax. You’re doing great.