Just found out you only need 4 ingredients for real sourdough and my $60 starter kit was a waste

Hayden Nelson · 2026-09-18T01:10:03.504098+00:00

Honestly I was scrolling through a bread baking forum last Tuesday and someone posted a link to a 2019 study from a university in Utah that tracked home bakers for 6 months. The finding was that starters made with just flour and water did the same as ones fed with honey, grapes, or pineapple juice in 94% of the 300 test batches. I had bought a $60 starter kit off Etsy back in March because I thought the extra stuff mattered. Ngl it stung a little. Tbh I think the kit made me feel like I was doing something fancy. So now I'm curious, has anyone here actually noticed a real difference between a plain 2 ingredient starter and one with add ins like rye or sugar?

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Just found out you only need 4 ingredients for real sourdough and my $60 starter kit was a waste | Bakers - Chatter Central