The starter is everything. Get this right and the rest of the process follows. Get it wrong and no amount of careful shaping or scoring will save the loaf. I have seen bakers obsess over hydration percentages and scoring patterns whilst feeding their starter on an erratic schedule and wondering why their bread is flat.

A healthy starter is simple to maintain once you understand what it wants: consistent feeding intervals, a stable temperature, and the right flour-to-water ratio. The panel below summarises the essentials.

One thing not on the panel: starter character changes with flour. A rye-fed starter is more active and more sour than a white-flour one. Worth experimenting with.