Sourdough Starter Name Generator

Ready to find your starter's cheesy, punny, or seriously epic name?

Co-authored by Sophia Bell

Last Updated: October 22, 2025 Fact Checked

You've nurtured a jar of flour and water into a bubbling, active ecosystem—but have you named your sourdough starter yet? This isn't just a culture; it's a commitment! Your yeasty little friend demands regular feedings, you need a name for your perpetually hungry new roommate, and we're here to help! Just tell us what kind of name you're looking for (or don't!) and click "Generate Names" now to find the perfect name for your sourdough starter.

Start Over

Continue

All fields are optional.

Type of Name

Theme or Inspiration

Gender/Pronoun Preference

See ad to

Response failed. Please try again.

Retry

An illustration of a jar of sourdough starter.

How to Feed Sourdough Starter

At room temperature: Feed your starter a 1:1:1 ratio of starter to flour to water by weight every 12 hours. Or, feed it once per day at a higher ratio (1:2:2 to 1:5:5). Discard a portion of your starter before every feeding, and cover it with a breathable lid after you've fed it.

If you keep it in the fridge: Feed your starter about once a week to keep it active. Take it out of the fridge, let it warm up a bit, then discard a portion and feed it. Let it activate for a couple of hours and stick it back in the fridge before it peaks.

Before you bake: Discard and then feed your starter a few times, especially if it's been in the fridge. If your starter doubles or triples in volume within 4-8 hours at room temperature, it's strong enough to bake with. Make dough when your starter is at peak rise.

Pro tips:

Only feed your starter when it's hungry—it will have fallen from its rise, have a thinner consistency, and have bubbles on the side of the jar.
Always stir your starter before feeding it.
Use filtered water to feed your starter. If you only have access to tap water, put it in an open container (e.g., a measuring cup) and let it sit out overnight so the chlorine dissipates.
Use unbleached all-purpose flour to feed your starter. Some people also use rye flour or bread flour.
Your starter should be about the consistency of pancake batter after feeding it.
The higher the ratio you use, the longer it will take for your starter to eat through the flour, ferment, and rise.
The warmer your home is, the quicker your starter will rise.
After feeding, mark the level of the starter on your jar or vessel—use a dry-erase marker or a rubber band—so you can see how much it rises. You can also mark it at peak rise so you know how much it's fallen.
Use a coffee filter as a breathable lid. If you're using a Mason or Ball jar, put the coffee filter over the top, then screw on the jar ring.
Keep your starter out of direct sunlight.
You can discard half, two-thirds, or more of your starter before feeding. If you want to keep a small, manageable amount, discard until you have 20g remaining. After feeding, you'll still have enough to bake a loaf of bread.
Use sourdough discard in other recipes, or put it in your compost or trash.
Don't put sourdough starter, discard, or dough down your drain—it can clog your pipes. Instead, scrape it into the trash and wipe off your vessels and tools with paper towels.