Hi Alaina, I'm not sure why your starter began smelling like playdough, but it doesn't sound like quite the aroma you're looking for, but it's not uncommon to experience some funky aromas during the creation process, so I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point. Once a starter is fully mature the aroma can vary quite a bit depending on how frequently you feed it and where it is in the fermentation process, but vinegary and yeasty or just mild and pleasant are all common aromas. A neglected starter will sometimes develop an acetone smell.

Your room temperature is on the cool side, so it's possible your starter is fermenting rather slowly and might get a boost from a slightly warmer environment (22-25C). It depends on what sourdough starter recipe you're following, and what stage you are in the process, but if your starter is rising predictably then you should be feeding twice a day at room temperature. I wouldn't start refrigerating your starter until it's rising and doubling in size predictably after a feeding, which is a good sign that your starter has reached maturity. I would also look for a more pleasant aroma at that point. Here's our sourdough starter recipe and maintenance routine, if you'd like a little more guidance about our recommended method. 

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

Barb

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