The most common reason is a cold kitchen. At 75°F (24°C) a starter fed 1:1:1 is usually ready in 3½–6½ hours; at 65°F (18°C) the same feed takes 7–13 hours. Warm it up, feed it on a schedule for a few days, and it will come back.
Aim for 75°F (24°C) to 80°F (27°C): the oven with only its light on, the top of the fridge, or near (not on) a warm appliance.
2
Feed it twice a day for three days
Keep a spoonful, add equal weights of flour and water (1:1:1 or 1:2:2), and mark the level with a rubber band.
3
Add a spoon of whole wheat or rye
Whole-grain flour carries more of the yeast and bacteria a starter lives on, and wakes a sluggish one up.
4
Check your water
Heavily chlorinated tap water can slow it down. Leave a glass out overnight, or use filtered water.
5
Stir it thicker
A very runny starter lets the gas escape, so it bubbles without rising. Use a little less water.
6
Look at the right moment
A starter can rise and fall while you are out. Streaks on the side of the jar above the rubber band mean it did rise.
7
Give a new starter time
A starter under two weeks old is often quiet for a few days — most take 7–14 days.
Why
A starter is a colony of wild yeast and bacteria. They slow right down in the cold and need regular food to build up their numbers — so warmth and a steady schedule fix almost every sleepy starter.
Questions
Why is my starter bubbly but not rising?
It is usually too runny (the gas escapes) or it is rising and falling while you are not watching. Make it a little thicker and mark the level with a rubber band.
Should I throw out a starter that is not rising?
No — a slow starter is not a dead one. Only mold (fuzz, or pink, orange or red streaks) means throw it away.
How long should a 1:1:1 feed take to double?
About 3–5½ hours at 78°F (26°C), and 5–9½ hours at 70°F (21°C). Colder takes longer.
It remembers your starter, plans every bake around your day and reminds you at each step — no alarms at 3 am. Coming to the iPhone App Store before Christmas.
Get the app the day it launches
One email when the iPhone app is on the App Store, then a short baking tip now and then.
Your email
No spam, and never shared. Every email has a one-click unsubscribe.