Do I need to put ice cubes in my Dutch Oven before baking ?

No. In fact, I found that it produced too much steam and make a thicker crust. Your DO should provide enough steam. Not only that, but if the ice hits the oven door it can shatter the glass. Some have reported their enamel Dutch ovens cracking from ice as well.

Do I have to discard?

No, but you’ll have a lot of starter and unless you intend on baking a lot of sourdough, that’s a lot to feed.

My suggestion is keep your starter the fridge and only feed it 4-8 hours before you bake. It slows it down but it’s still active. This is obviously after you have a strong active starter formed. (And FYI -Discard is starter too, it’s basically just unfed starter and we confuse a lot of people with that). I like having enough discard on hand for pizza crust because we do that often.

Should I have a backup starter?

It’s up to you. I have loads of active dehydrated starter. I drizzle a little on parchment paper and dehydrate it. My oven has a dehydrator setting, but if you don’t have one, usually the oven light provides enough heat to dehydrate slowly. Spread a thin layer and pop in the oven for 24 hrs with the light on. Crumble it up and save it in a jar.

What flour and Water should I use?

My fridge has filtered water in a carafe, so I always grab that and I’ve never had any issues. I try to get it at least room temp before using it. If I’m in a rush I’ll heat it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Walmart drinking water has a reputation for working well too.

If you HAVE to use tap water, let it settle prior to using it. I do that with my watering cans because the chlorine burns my plants. Chlorine dissipates when it’s oxygenated.

I’m just not a fan of tap water, even my dogs drink filtered water. Too much bad bacteria that you don’t want killing your starter.

As far as food- King Arthur Bread Flour is unmatched for baking and feeding in my opinion… but any unbleached flour will do. Some people use wheat and rye to bulk up their starter. I’ve used both to get my starter active but in tiny portions because I don’t want them in my bakes. I don’t like wheat sourdough and it’s much harder to hydrate.

What is the grey/blue liquid on my starter? Is it mold?

No, it’s hooch. Congratulations! You’ve successfully made prison alcohol lol. Just stir it back in. Some pour it off because they don’t like their SD too sour. That’s fine. But I stir it back in.

Should my starter smell like acetone?

It’s hungry. Feed that thing.

When can I start cooking with discard?

After Day 10. Until then, your little wild yeast beast contains harmful bacteria. 🦠 Your good bacteria is fighting to take over. The battle ends around Day 10. ⚔️

Hope these help! I’ll add to it if I think of anything else.