06/08/2026
I saw someone recommend a 1:5:4 feeding ratio last night and I was so skeptical I had to test it myself first thing this morning 😅🍞
Genuinely flabbergasted when I first saw it. That ratio sounded completely off to me — but curiosity won and by 8am I had already divided my starter into two jars to find out the truth for myself 🔬
Here is exactly what I did:
🫙 Small jar — my usual trusted 1:1:1 ratio as the control
🫙 Large jar — the mysterious 1:5:4 ratio that started all of this
12 hours later and I am sitting here genuinely shocked by what I am looking at 👀
The 1:1:1 jar did what it always does — familiar bubbles, reliable rise, my comfortable normal 🤍
The 1:5:4 jar though? It grew like it was on something 😭 Less bubbles, incredibly thick, and a rise that honestly made me do a double take. The consistency is exactly what I love in a starter — dense, strong, and full of potential.
Here is my honest take after years of baking with starter — a thicker starter is a stronger starter. I am convinced it gives more spring, better oven rise, and a more powerful bake every single time. And this experiment just reinforced everything I already believed 🙌🏻
Was I flabbergasted last night? Yes.
Am I converted this morning? Also yes 😅🍞
👇 Want to see the FULL 1:5:4 experiment?
I documented everything — the exact measurements, the timeline, the side by side photos, and my final verdict — in a full article in the first comment. If you have ever been curious about whether your feeding ratio is actually holding your starter back, this one is worth reading 🤍
