Making a Sourdough Starter For the First Time? Here's a Daily Guide

• In the morning on day 3, I stirred the starter and discarded half (around 4 ounces).
• I fed it 4 ounces of all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) and 4 ounces filtered water (1/2 cup), mixing it up so there was no dry flour left.

As you can see, the sourdough starter more than doubled in size on day three, with "hooch" on the bottom. (It also still smelled terrible.) Hooch is a clear-to-dark-colored liquid that can collect at the top or the bottom of your starter when it's hungry and needs a feeding. It's normal and not a sign it's gone bad or moldy.

Watch out for a pink or orange tint or streak, however, as this is actually a sign that your sourdough starter has gone bad and should be tossed.