Hi Susan, the more consistently you care for your starter, the healthier it will be, and a healthy starter will behave more predictably and reliably in your baking. Switching up the type of flour you feed your starter causes the microorganisms to have to adjust and this can slow the starter down. This isn't the end of the world, and it will certainly not cause permanent damage to your starter, but it's not ideal. A starter fed with whole wheat flour tends to ferment a bit more quickly (once it's adjusted to the new feeding routine) and will have more of a sour aroma. Bread flour will likely give you a slightly stiffer consistency and won't provide your starter with quite as good of a meal because the starch content is lower in bread flour as compared to all-purpose flour. All that being said, if it's between feeding your starter or letting it go hungry and waiting for the correct flour, your starter will likely appreciate a feeding. Barb

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