1. Refreshment 0

    100% Flour (whole grain)
200% Water

Time: 24h
Goal Temp: 40°C, or 104°F

  2. Refreshment 1

    100% Flour (whole grain)
300% Starter

Time: 24h
Goal Temp: 35°C, or 95°F

  3. Future Refreshments

    100% Flour (whole grain)
50% — 300% Water
20% Starter

    Some people like wet starters, and some people like dry starters. That’s why the variation in water percentages.

    Keep track of your starter’s hydration level. If you have 100% water and 100% flour, that’s 100% hydration. When determining the amount of flour to use for refreshment, you start with the amount of flour in your starter, and multiply by a factor of 5-20. Lower values are better for cold environment, and higher values better for warmer environments.

    For Example

    If your house is 66°, and you have 50g of 100% hydrated starter, you’d multiply 25 times 5, for 125g of flour. You could then add the appropriate amount of water for the hydration level you prefer.

Example Schedule

I’ve followed this schedule for the past couple of weeks. I keep my house’s temperature around 68°. I start my dough Friday afternoon, let it bulk rise through the evening, shape before bed, and proof overnight in the fridge.

  1. Day 1 (Refreshment 0)

    100% Flour:     100g
200% Water:     200g

  2. Day 2 (Refreshment 1)

    100% Flour:     50g
300% Starter:   150g

  3. Day 3–7 (Refreshment 2)

    100% Flour:     100g
100% Water:     100g
20% Starter:    20g

  4. Morning of mixing

    100% Flour: 250g
100% Water: 250g
20% Starter: 50g;