Sourdough bread has been around a lot longer than the internet. I’m pretty sure gold rush miners weren’t pulling out smartphones to count stretch and folds or chase the perfect ear—they just wanted good bread.
And honestly? That’s still the goal.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
The internet has made sourdough more accessible than ever, and I love that. People everywhere are learning to bake real, from-scratch food—and that’s a beautiful thing.
But somewhere along the way, sourdough picked up a reputation for being complicated, rigid, and just a little bit elitist. And that scares people off.
Let’s Talk About Sourdough Rules For Real People
I’ve got three kids, we homeschool, and I run a business. I do not have the time or mental bandwidth for unnecessary rules. And the good news? You don’t need them.
These are the 10 “rules” I break all the time and why your bread will be just fine if you break them too.
Rule #1. Thou Must Use Filtered Water for Sourdough Starter
If you’ve spent five minutes in a sourdough group, you’ve probably heard this one: only the best water for sourdough starter will do—preferably filtered, bottled, and maybe blessed under a full moon.
Here’s the real story: most people can use their regular tap water just fine. I use city water fresh from the tap in Boise, ID with zero issues.
Yes, heavily chlorinated water can slow things down. But in most homes, your starter is tougher than you think. I’ve used straight tap water for years and my starter is thriving.
If you want to use filtered water for sourdough starter you certainly can! But if that’s the thing holding you back? Skip it.
Rule #2. You Can’t Use Unbleached Flour for Sourdough Starter
Somewhere along the way, people decided there’s a “right” flour for starter—and everything else is risky business.
Let’s clear this up: unbleached flour for sourdough starter works beautifully.
In fact, it’s what most home bakers use every single day. It is cheap and easy to find.
Could you get extra wild activity from whole grain or rye? Sure. But unbleached all-purpose or bread flour will absolutely get the job done. If you like a different kind of flour for whatever reason you do you! But just know that you don’t have to if you don’t want to.
Rule #3. The Ridged Daily Sourdough Starter Feeding Schedule
There’s a lot of pressure around the “perfect” sourdough starter feeding schedule. Some people teach that you need to stick to a strict 12 or 24-hour routine or risk total failure.
You don’t.
Your starter is not a newborn baby. It doesn’t need round-the-clock care.
In real life? The fridge is your best friend. You can feed your starter, tuck it away, and ignore it for days (even a week) without a problem. Just pull it out, feed it, and you’re right back in business.
If a rigid sourdough feeding schedule is stressing you out, it’s time to let that go. Read more about How to Feed Sourdough Starter here. I’ve written all about how to set it up to bake on your timeline, not your starter’s.
*One exception to this is that if you are culturing your own starter you probably need to stick to a fairly strict schedule while that starter is getting established for a few weeks or a month. It in fact IS a newborn baby and needs extra tender care on a schedule until it is more mature.
Rule #4. You Need a Pet Sitter for Your Sourdough Starter
Somewhere along the way, sourdough starter got treated like a high-maintenance houseplant… or worse, a pet that needs a sitter when you leave town.
It doesn’t.
Your starter is a culture, not a toddler. Feed it, stick it in the fridge, and go live your life. It can hang out in the cold for a long time without falling a part. I’ve put starters in the fridge for a full year and they have bounced back fine in one or two feedings!
Rule #5. You Must Discard Starter Every Time You Feed It
Nothing makes new bakers question their life choices faster than being told to throw away perfectly good starter… every single day.
Let’s just say it: That’s optional.
Yes, discard helps manage size and acidic balance. But you don’t have to follow a strict toss-it-daily routine. You can use a no-discard method, or use my easy method to keep starter in the fridge between baking fays.
And if you do have extra? There are plenty of delicious answers to what to do with sourdough discard—from pancakes to crackers to muffins. Discard recipes are some of our favorite baked goods! I’ve never had better banana bread or blueberry muffins!
But all that being said sometimes you need to throw out starter! It happens for all sorts of reasons. Recently I threw out a few pounds because my husband didn’t get the flour mixed in when he fed Henrietta.
The starter ended up full of hard flour lumps that were impossible to stir in. I pulled out a few ounces that were still lump free and tossed the rest. I feel no shame in tossing starter when it is the right choice for me!
Rule #6. If Your Starter Doesn’t Float, It’s Not Ready
The float test for sourdough starter gets treated like the final exam: if it sinks, you fail.
But here’s the problem—it’s not a reliable test.
Floating depends on how much gas is trapped at that exact moment, which can change based on timing, hydration, and even how gently you scoop it. A perfectly strong starter can sink if it’s slightly past peak—or if you knock the air out of it.
What actually matters? Activity.
Look for a starter that doubles, gets bubbly, and has a light, airy melted marshmallow texture with a sweet, ripe banana smell. That’s the real signal it’s ready to bake.
Rule #7. You Must Wipe All Sourdough Tools with Paper Towels Before Washing
You’ve probably heard the warning: never rinse sourdough tools straight in the sink or you’ll destroy your plumbing.
Let’s dial that back a bit.
Common sense (backed up by plumbers) says that yes, large amounts of thick starter going down the drain undiluted isn’t a great idea because flour + water = glue. That’s where the whole “can sourdough clog your pipes” concern comes from.
But normal washing? Totally fine.
If you’ve got big globs, scrape them into the trash or compost. After that, hot water and soap will take care of the rest without issue.
I’ve even seen advice saying to let all your sourdough baking tools dry, scrape off the dry flakes into the trash and THEN wash. That sounds awful! Talk about making cleanup as hard as you can!
When I’m cleaning up my tools I try to put them in the sink to soak as I go and make sure that nothing dries into glue. When I’m done I just wash and go. If a little bit of wet dough is going into the pipes it is getting diluted with water enough to eliminate the risk.
No need to burn through a roll of paper towels every bake day!
Rule #8. You Have to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter from Scratch
There’s a certain badge of honor around learning how to make a sourdough starter—like it’s the only “real” way to begin.
It’s not.
Making your own starter is interesting and a little magical. It’s a fun project if you’re into it. But it’s not required to bake great bread.
You can get a healthy, active starter from a friend, a neighbor, or even buy one online and be baking in days instead of weeks.
Same microbes. Same results. Way less waiting.
In fact, I actually recommend that beginning sourdough bakers start with a strong, established starter—something you buy or get from a friend. It makes the learning process so much easier when you’re working with a healthy, active culture from the start.
Once you’ve got the hang of baking and understand what good fermentation looks like, then it’s really fun to make your own starter from scratch. At that point, you’ll know what a healthy starter should look and feel like, and you won’t be guessing whether issues are coming from your starter or your baking process.
Rule #9. You Need Expensive Tools to Start Making Sourdough
Somewhere along the way, sourdough got wrapped up in the idea that you need a perfectly curated setup before you can even begin—proofing baskets, specialty flours, Dutch ovens, thermometers, bannetons… and somehow a $500 starter kit.
You don’t.
You can make excellent sourdough with a basic bowl, a spoon, a baking sheet, and your hands. That’s it. Everything else is just convenience or fun but not requirement. (Check out my Easy Sourdough Focaccia Recipe or my Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread. Both of these are simple recipes that need almost no equipment.)
As you bake more, you’ll naturally figure out which tools actually make your life easier and which ones you’ll never touch again. That’s when it makes sense to upgrade.
If you do want a simple breakdown of what’s actually worth having (and what’s totally optional), I put everything together in my Ultimate Sourdough Tools Guide so you can skip the guesswork and avoid the unnecessary Amazon spiral. I even have a “what not to buy” section to help shopping proof you!
Rule #10. You Must Follow “Authentic” Sourdough Rules to Be a Real Baker
This might be the biggest myth of all—the idea that there’s only one “authentic” way to make sourdough, and if you step outside of it, you’re doing it wrong.
Sourdough has been around far longer than rules, trends, or internet opinions. It doesn’t belong to one method, one schedule, or one set of perfect outcomes. It adapts—to kitchens, climates, and real life.
There isn’t a single right way to bake sourdough. There’s just your way, your rhythm, and what actually works in your home.
If your bread is rising, your starter is alive, and your people are fed—you’re already doing it right!!!
Sourdough is Just Bread
At the end of the day, sourdough is just bread. A really good, really satisfying bread—but still just bread. If you want sourdough to validate you as a person, that’s asking a lot from a simple loaf.
The truth is, the best sourdough bakers aren’t the ones following every rule perfectly—they’re the ones who’ve learned what actually matters and let the rest go. Once you drop the pressure to do it “right,” you usually end up baking better bread anyway.
So break the rules. Ignore the noise. Make it work in your real life.
That’s where the good bread lives.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
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