Keep a Sourdough Starter Feeding Log You Can Read
As of 2026-10-27 · The AZET team. We build azet.io and write from that viewpoint. This baking exercise is for fun and reference. The starter and baker are invented, and the AI workflow is something to try with tools you already use, not a statement that AZET provides it.
An invented home baker feeds a sourdough starter "whenever I remember." Some days it doubles quickly and smells pleasantly sour. Other days it barely moves. The baker suspects the kitchen temperature matters but has never written anything down, so the suspicion stays a guess.
A starter is a living culture that responds to time, temperature, and feeding. This exercise sets up a feeding log with a few consistent fields. An AI assistant can help read patterns from the log. Food safety questions, such as when a starter should be discarded, belong to trusted baking and food safety guidance rather than a chat.
Choose the fields and keep them steady
A useful log line includes the date and time of feeding, the ratio of starter to flour to water by weight, the flour type, the room temperature, and the jar's starting level marked with a rubber band or tape. Later, add the peak rise level and the time it took to reach it.
Ask an assistant to turn these fields into a compact table you can fill quickly. Keep the same units every time. Switching between grams and cups makes later comparison difficult.
Observe the rise in plain terms
After feeding, check the jar a few times. Record the time and the height relative to the starting mark: "roughly doubled," "up by half," "no visible change." Note smell and bubbles in a few plain words: "mild yogurt smell," "large bubbles at top."
Do not stress about checking constantly. A few observations per day are enough. If you miss the peak, write "peak missed, fell back by evening." Missing data that is marked honestly is still useful.
| Date | Ratio | Room temp | Time to peak | Rise | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 1:1:1 | 20 C | 9 h | About double | Mild sour smell |
| Tue | 1:1:1 | 24 C | 5 h | About double | More bubbles |
| Wed | 1:2:2 | 24 C | 8 h | Up by half | Peak may be missed |
These entries are invented.
Ask for patterns, then test one
After a week or two, paste the log into an assistant and ask: "How does time to peak relate to room temperature and feeding ratio in these entries?" It might notice that warmer days reached peak sooner and that larger feedings slowed things down. Treat this as a hypothesis based on a small log.
Pick one variable to test. If you want the starter to peak in the morning before baking, try a feeding ratio that may slow it down overnight, and record the result. Change only one thing at a time.
Keep a separate section for concerns
If you notice something unusual, such as unexpected colors or fuzzy growth, do not ask the log or an AI to decide whether it is safe. Write it in a separate "concerns" section, check reliable food safety guidance, and when in doubt, discard and start again.
When asking an assistant to summarize your log, instruct it to list concerns separately and not to rule on safety.
FAQ
Can AI tell me if my starter is healthy? It can discuss general signs, but it cannot see or smell your jar. Use trusted baking guidance, especially for anything that looks unusual.
How often should I feed my starter? That depends on how you store it and how often you bake. Follow a trusted guide and use your log to adjust.
Do I need a thermometer? It helps, since temperature affects timing. A simple room thermometer is enough.
Is a log useful once the starter is established? Yes. It helps you plan bakes around timing and notice changes when seasons shift.
A note from the makers
The maker introduction dated October 3, 2026 is our product reference. It describes azet.io as a portal centered on the azet AI assistant, with an early-access email waitlist and pricing unpublished at the time. This exercise implies no later launch, feature, or pricing change.
If patient, observant routines appeal to you, visit azet.io to join the early-access waitlist. Read the page before registering. The flour, the jar, and every bake remain yours.