A forgiving approach to sourdough baking
Your Sourdough Starter Does Not Need a Spa Day
A sourdough starter is not a houseplant, although some baking advice treats it like one. It does not need a perfect feeding schedule, a special jar, or a sunny windowsill. Mine copes quite well with Vancouver rain, missed feedings, and the occasional day when dinner runs late.
The useful habit is simple: learn its smell and texture. If it is pleasantly tangy, bubbly, and rises after feeding, it is probably doing fine. A little separation is not a moral failure. Feed it, give it time, and adjust your expectations before buying another piece of equipment.
The best loaf is often the one made with the starter you already have, not the imaginary perfect starter described online.