memes

The chunk I remove from the jar in step 1 is usually almost the size of a golf ball, and I mix it with 500g flour, 2 tsp sea salt, and ~1.5 to 1.75 cups of water (use about half the water while mixing, then slowly add more until it hits a moist but sticky consistency. If it gets slimy that's too much, but you can still cook with it.

Kneed it however works best for you, cover it and let it sit for a few hours (or in my case overnight), kneed it again, and after another few hours it should be bubbly and happy and ready to bake.

As for the rest of the colony in the jar - room temperature is fine for feeding it. As long as you give it a few hours to eat the fresh flour/water, it'll be happy. Once it gets bubbly and expands, you can put it in the fridge and it should be fine for a week or three.

Once again, when you are ready for the next loaf, you pull it out of the fridge, let it get to room temp for an hour or 3, take about half of it for the loaf and repeat.

The important thing to remember is to maintain a routine if you can. It's a living colony, and even if it doesn't seem super enthusiastic at first, as you keep going then the yeast cells that survive will be the ones to multiply and eventually the whole colony will be made of a culture literally bred for your care style.