Hi Clydette, you didn't mention what type of packaged starter mix you began with. Some dry starters, like the one we sell, are not meant for perpetuating, but are used to make a levain for a particular recipe. However, I have seen other dry sourdough starters for sale elsewhere that can be fed and perpetuated. When a starter grows in volume, usually this is an indication that it is creating fermentation bubbles (which is what causes the rise). It's possible that your starter was thicker in consistency (like a dough), which makes the bubbles less obvious. A stiff dough-like starter can be intended, or result from adding too much flour, which is easy to do if you measure your flour by volume, and tend to scoop the flour into the cup. For best results when using our flour and recipes, we recommend either weighing your flour or using this method to measure flour by cups. In any case, it's difficult for me to offer advise about your starter or recipe without a bit more information. You might want to consider giving our Baker's Hotline a call at 855-371-2253, so that we can have a conversation about your process and the type of starter you used. We're here M-F from 9am-9pm EST, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm EST. 

Barb

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