Sourdough starter newbie!

[Deanna]

Help! I am a beginner in bread making bt my husband loves fresh baked bread and I would like to at least make an edible loaf (have thrown out 4 loaves already!!). I am starting a sourdough starter today but is looks more like pizza dough than pancake batter! I measured 1/2 cup (approx 120 gms) of water and 1 cup (approx 120 gms) of whole wheat flour. I added about a Tbl more water to at least make it stickier but still looks too thick to me. Should I add more water and leave it alone and see what happens. I live in south Louisiana so I can keep
It fairly warm as it starts! Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[retired baker]

Make it like sloppy mud,
whole wheat really sucks up moisture.

 

[none888]

1/2 cup water to 1 cup flour is the ratio that I use to make the sponges I use for my bread. They start off thick, like pizza dough or even stiffer but in a day or two as the yeast has time to work they become more like 'sloppy mud'. I always assumed that as the yeast nibbles away at the flour that the ratio of water to flour slowly increases.

Maybe just leave it? Maybe as you posted this a few days ago, its already become wetter on its own?