Hi Lexi, you're still pretty new to the game, so don't be too hard on yourselves! Making mistakes is how we learn. I would recommend that you maintain the ratio of ingredients in your starter in a consistent fashion. Sourdough starters come in all types of consistencies, but most of our recipes are geared to a starter that is composed of equal parts starter, flour and water by weight. Adding more and more flour and water without discarding will end up creating a starter that is dominated by sourdough waste products, and won't be able to perform consistently in your baking. Feeding regularly and consistently at room temperature will allow your starter to build up healthy populations of both wild yeast and friendly bacteria. Microbiologist, Debra Wink, calls this "building the workforce" so that it's able to function well when it comes time to bake your bread. Storing your starter in the refrigerator won't hurt it, but you'll want to factor in a day or two of twice a day feedings at room temperature prior to baking in order to build your workforce. Adding your starter to the recipe when it is "ripe" is also an important step in achieving the results you want. "Ripe" starter is starter that has been recently fed at room temperature and allowed to rise to its highest point, or is just beginning to fall. If you're having trouble with your dough maintaining shape, this sounds like it may be more of a dough issue rather than a starter issue. What recipe are you following? What type of flour are you using? If you happen to be using another brand of all-purpose flour this could be contributing to your issues, since other brands of AP flour aren't generally strong enough for bread recipes and will also absorb less liquid, which will make for a wetter, stickier dough. Try to weigh your ingredients, use a strong enough flour, and follow the recipe as closely as you can. We have a number of great sourdough recipes to try, but our Naturally Leavened Sourdough bread is a good place to start. Check our Sourdough Baking Guide for more great information, as well as step-by-step guidance for making this recipe. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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