Tried a sourdough starter from scratch and it smelled like gym socks for 10 days

I finally got around to making my own starter last week, fed it twice a day, and on day 6 it smelled so bad I almost threw it out. It leveled out by day 10 and made a decent loaf, but that musty stage was rough. Anyone else have a starter that went through a funk phase and still turned out okay?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robert27d ago

Totally agree with @nina180 on that, the smell phase is just part of the process. But honestly, I think people overthink it - it's just flour and water, not brain surgery.

nina18027d ago

I read that the bad smell phase is totally normal and just means the good bacteria are fighting it out.