So you picked up some starter from the bakery! THANK YOU THANK YOU.. and I hope you bake something amazing! (or maybe you have some starter, and you are just looking for some helpful tips. here you are) 

Here are my tips for maintaining your new friend: 

1. Feel free to use whatever flour you commonly bake with, the starter will adapt. I use a blend of unbleached, sifted and whole wheat. key is to be consistent with your feedings. Your friend will tell you when he is hungry, it starts to collapse, and then the clock is ticking. Whole wheat flour acts like rocket fuel for a starter- its nutrient rich with the bran and germ - so be careful he will eat through this fast and you will need to feed more often as well, or keep the starter stiffer so it has to work harder to eat it... all of these are your variables that change the starter to your flavor.

2. We use city tap water and it seems to work fine, but if you can use filtered or well water. The goal is to have a final temp on the starter around 70-75 degrees. Water is really the easiest way to reach our desired temp...note: If the water is too hot you can kill your culture. and if its too cold you can stunt its growth. (maybe ideal on hot days to use water that is a little cooler and like wise in the winter to use water a little warmer to keep it moving) overall shoot for room temp on all your variables and life is easy. (keep your flour at roomtemp, the starter at room temp, and the water at room temp, and the slight friction from mixing shouldn't raise your end temp too much)

3. If you are looking for more acidity- shoot for a thinner viscosity, but note you may need to feed more often. (like every 6-8 hours instead of 12)

4. DO NOT use a metal spoon to stir your starter- use a dedicated wooden spoon or a clean hand- (but not a too clean hand covered in soap or sanitizer) this is a cover all- stainless steel metal is fine- but you may not know if your metal is 100% stainless, in which case, certain metals can be reactive with your starter and neutralize the culture. 

5. I found the perfect size for home use was a pint size canning jar- with a loose lid.. remember your friend needs to breathe. Clean this jar once a month with hot water- no SOAP.  (this was the perfect size for building every morning and evening, and then i would build my starter in a larger bowl before I was getting ready to bake) 

6. Building every morning and evening creates "discard" this is why there are so many discard recipes out there. you can save this discard and do one big batch of something- like crackers or muffins. or you can keep your starter in the fridge until you are ready to use it. but i do reccomend feeding at room temp for a day or two, building up the yeast, before you get right into building for a recipe. This is why I like baking EVERYDAY- No discard! :) I am building the starter every day and using it! 

ONCE YOU ARE "READY" YOU WILL NEED TO CHOOSE TO: 

• FEED EVERY 12 HOURS : UNTIL YOU'VE REACHED THE NECESSARY AMOUNT OF STARTER FOR YOUR RECIPE. (BE SURE TO MAKE A  LITTLE MORE THAN YOU NEED, TO SAVE A SMIDGE TO STORE IN THE FRIDGE FOR THE NEXT BAKE: SEE BELOW) & TRY TO MAINTAIN EQUAL PARTS WATER & FLOUR AT FEEDINGS. IN A RATIO TO HOW MUCH STARTER YOU HAVE. EXAMPLE: IF YOU HAVE ONE TABLESPOON OF STARTER FEED ONE TABLESPOON WATER AND ONE TABLESPOON FLOUR. THIS IS CALLED A 1:1:1 RATIO. (MAYBE SLIGHTLY MORE FLOUR FOR THAT "COOKIE DOUGH" CONSISTENCY) 

OR

• FEED ONCE A WEEK: AND STORE IN THE FRIDGE. RIGHT BEFORE STORAGE FEED 1:5:5 RATIO. EXAMPLE IF YOU HAVE ONE TABLESPOON OF STARTER FEED FIVE TABLESPOONS WATER AND. FIVE TABLESPOONS FLOUR. (AGAIN MAYBE MORE FLOUR TO THAT COOKIE DOUGH CONSISTENCY.) THIS GIVES YOUR STARTER ENOUGH FOOD TO SLOWLY WORK THROUGH WHILE ITS IN THE FRIDGE. (REPEAT THIS ONCE A WEEK, CHECKOUT SOME AWESOME DISCARD RECIPES HERE.) 

OR

•DEHYDRATE: SPREAD YOUR STARTER ON A PAN TO DRY IN THE AIR AND STORE IN AN AIR TIGHT CONTAINER. IF ALL ELSE FAILS, COME GRAB SOME more starter or LOAVES FROM ME!