Keeping a Sourdough Starter Alive
Maintenance is a cycle of discarding the majority of your starter and replenishing it with equal weights of flour and water. Feed it once a day if it lives on your counter, or once a week if you tuck it into the back of the refrigerator. You will know it is ready to work when it doubles in volume and shows a web of bubbles within four to six hours of being fed.
Consistency is better than intensity.
Your starter is a living culture; it prefers a predictable routine over sporadic, heavy feedings. Keep it simple and use a scale to ensure your ratios remain constant.
- digital kitchen scale
- straight-sided glass jar
- silicone spatula
What goes in.
- 50gactive sourdough starter
- 50gunbleached all-purpose or bread flour
- 50gfiltered water at room temperature
Maintaining the balance
Always discard down to a small amount before adding fresh flour and water. This prevents your starter from growing into an unmanageable volume that requires pounds of flour to sustain.
The method.
Discard
Empty all but 50 grams of the starter from your jar into a bowl or bin. If you want to keep a smaller amount, you can discard down to 25 grams, provided you adjust the following flour and water amounts accordingly.
Replenish
Add 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water directly into the jar with the remaining starter. Use your spatula to scrape the sides down and mix until no dry streaks remain.
Mark and monitor
Use a rubber band around the outside of the jar to mark the level of the starter immediately after mixing. Place it in a spot away from direct sunlight.
Observe
The starter is peaked and ready for baking when it has reached its highest point, typically doubling in volume, with a domed top and visible gas bubbles trapped throughout.
Other turns to take.
Cold Storage
Feed your starter, let it sit at room temperature for one hour to jumpstart activity, then seal the lid and place it in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Whole Grain Boost
Substitute 25% of your all-purpose flour with rye or whole wheat flour to provide more nutrients to the yeast and speed up the fermentation process.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use filtered water; high levels of chlorine in tap water can inhibit the wild yeast over time.
If a layer of dark liquid—called 'hooch'—forms on top, your starter is hungry. Pour it off, feed the starter, and consider feeding it more frequently.
Keep the rim of your jar clean. Dried starter crusts can harbor unwanted bacteria or mold.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if my starter has gone bad?
A healthy starter smells like vinegar, yogurt, or yeast. If it develops pink or orange streaks, or grows fuzzy mold, it is compromised and should be discarded.
Can I use the discard?
Yes. While it is not active enough to leaven a loaf of bread, the discard adds depth to pancakes, crackers, or muffins.
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