Hi, Barb! You'll know your starter is ready to bake with when it is doubling in size, generally around 6-8 hours after feeding. When you feed your starter, you first need to discard some of what you have, so that you end up with a consistent amount of starter in your jar from day to day. If you're following our basic recipe, you'll discard all but around 1/2 cup (or 4 ounces, or 113 grams) of starter, then feed it again. The next feeding you'll again discard all but that 1/2 cup, and repeat. This way, your starter never grows too large for your jar. 

Now, do you need to actually toss those discards in the bin? Not at all! Keep them, unfed, in the fridge for up to several days, and use them in sourdough discards recipes like these: Sourdough Discards Recipe Collection. They'll add a lovely depth of flavor to your pancakes, crackers, biscuits, and more. We hope this helps!

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