2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: "The Democratic Stockholm Syndrome" [View all]wildeyed
(11,243 posts)but you can use sugar or milk in a pinch. I think it is 1 part water to 3/4 flour mixed into the original starter. Or the reverse. something like that.... If there is too much water, or it sits too long, it separates a bit. I just mix it up and correct the ratio. If the jar is too full, I throw some out. If I am baking a bunch, I get a bigger jar and mix more.
It's not rocket science. If you make a mistake, it is almost always easy to fix. Sourdough starter is VERY forgiving. If the liquid is a bad color, or it smells icky, then you have to throw it out. But that has never happened to me, and I am not diligent in my care at all.
I made a recipe similar to this a bunch over the winter. OMG, the French toast from that loaf was AMAZING!
http://www.food.com/recipe/sourdough-cinnamon-swirl-bread-30602