Homemade Sourdough Starter

I started a sourdough starter in October. Keeping it alive has become a weekly ritual I didn't expect to care about. Just flour and water left to ferment on my kitchen counter. Every day I discard half and feed it fresh flour. Over about 10 days, wild yeast colonized the mixture and turned it into a living culture that makes bread rise. First loaf was dense and slightly gummy. By the 3rd attempt I got an open crumb with actual ears on the score marks. Took a photo like it was a pet. The process is slow unlike feels intentional because you rush fermentation. An 18-hour cold proof in the fridge gives dough time to develop flavor commercial yeast bread never has. Getting good enough to stop buying bread entirely is the goal. At the cost of a bag of flour per week, the economics already work.