Hi Hannah, if you read through some of the comments below you'll find that the lull in rising that you describe is a fairly common occurrence around day 4, particularly if you happened to see a vigorous rise earlier on. This early rise is actually due to a type of bacteria that gives off carbon dioxide, rather than true yeast activity, and it seems to be related to a subsequent delay in the wild yeast kicking in. If you think this is what's going on with your starter you have a few choices. 

​​You can continue feeding according to our recipe, since usually patience wins out and the starter will eventually begin to rise in a predictable fashion. However, this can go on for a while (some bakers have reported it took a few weeks before their starter began to rise), so if you'd like to continue as you're doing, you might want to consider reducing the size of your starter, at least until it begins rising predictably. A typical feeding for our smaller starter is 20g starter + 20g water + 20g flour, and it will fit nicely in an 8-ounce wide mouth canning jar.
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Another option is to start over with a sourdough starter method that was created to avoid this type of bacteria from the onset, and then gradually transition back to feeding according to our sourdough recipe once the starter is rising predictably.

​​The method described in the article I linked above was developed by microbiologist and sourdough baker, Debra Wink, who discovered that increasing the acidity of the starter at the beginning of the process discourages the bacteria in question, thereby allowing the starter to rise in a more timely fashion. 

If you'd like to continue on with the starter you have going, Wink​​ also suggested to us a modification of our starter routine for those who experience the lull in rising, which will also increase the acidity of the starter environment. Here's this plan:

1. Feed only once a day.
2. Feed with whole wheat or whole rye flour rather than AP flour.
3. Feed with a ratio of 2 parts starter : 1 part water : 1 part wholegrain flour (2:1:1, by weight). So, for your once a day feeding you'll save 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) starter and feed 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 57g) water and 1/2 cup (2 ounces, 57g) wholegrain flour.

If you wanted to a do a "smaller starter" version of this feeding routine it might look like: 30g starter + 15g water + 15g wholegrain flour.

Once your starter is rising predictably (twice) with this feeding routine, you'll want to start feeding twice a day again. You can also gradually transition back to feeding with AP flour over the course of several feedings, and resume the normal 1:1:1 ratio (starter:water:flour, by weight) of ingredients we recommend in our starter recipe.

​​It's important to resume twice a day feedings once the yeast joins the party because this will help keep yeast activity vigorous. The reason I recommend gradually transitioning back to feeding with AP flour is that some bakers have reported that their starter hit another lull when they switched back to AP flour.

Ideally you want to feed the starter when it's at its peak of rising, or just beginning to fall. Waiting until the starter falls completely to feed it again tends to cause the yeast to become more sluggish. If you find your starter rises and falls too rapidly (which can happen in warmer environments) and feeding at the peak will mean feeding three times a day, then you can slow things down by feeding with a smaller percentage of starter as compared to water and flour fed (1:2::2, or even 1:3:3, by weight).

The goal here is to find a room temperature feeding routine that fits with your schedule and allows you to replenish the starter closer to the peak. Adjusting your feeding routine in this way isn't generally necessary in cooler months, but you may find it proves helpful in the summertime. And don't worry, feeding your starter this way doesn't have to mean using up more flour, since you can reduce the percentage of starter relative to the water/flour. For example, a 1:2:2 feeding might look like: 57g starter + 113g water +113g flour.

Once your starter is rising predictably with the AP flour and has a pleasant aroma, then you can consider your starter mature and ready for baking bread. Be sure to add your starter to your bread recipe when it's at that peak, or just starting to fall, which is when it's considered "ripe."

You also have the option to refrigerate your mature starter when you're not baking with it. Just give it a feeding, let it sit out for a few hours, or until it starts bubbling, and then store it in the refrigerator. A mature starter can survive quite a long time in the refrigerator, but it won't thrive there. Generally it's necessary to give your starter a few revival feedings at room temperature after it's been stored in the refrigerator ​in order to restore its normal activity level and aroma in preparation for baking bread. The longer it's been stored in the refrigerator, the more room temperature feedings will likely be necessary.

I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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