Hi Eddie, if you've followed our stiff starter recipe (which is composed of twice as much flour as water, by weight) the consistency of the starter should be like a very stiff dough right after you feed it. As it rises and ferments it becomes much airier in texture, but shouldn't be excessively sticky. However, if you let it ferment too long (to the point it's collapsing significantly) the gluten structure starts to break down and it does become stickier. Also, when it's left neglected in the refrigerator for an extended time it can definitely become sticky. Usually a day or two of twice a day feeding at room temperature will correct this issue and your starter should be much easier to handle. When returning your starter to the refrigerator, give it one more feeding and then let it sit out for a few hours to start fermenting before you return it to the fridge. This will get it going, but leave it with some nourishment for its stay in the refrigerator. 

• Reply