How to take care of a sourdough starter. Maintenance, discard, and storage. Simple and beginner-friendly guide.
You’re just getting started with sourdough but you feel a little overwhelmed. How it works, how to maintain it, how to store it, all the things. Trust me I know, but don’t let that stop you from learning how to bake sourdough bread/goodies. Sourdough is such a rewarding hobby/skill to learn. Just remember time is your best friend. If you keep at it, one day it’s going to click and all those questions will start to make sense and find aren’t so overwhelming after all.
Guide on how to maintain a Sourdough Starter:
The Heart of Sourdough: Understanding Your Starter:
Begin by learning what exactly a sourdough starter is and how it works. This will help answer the why to some of the questions you may have. At the bottom of this post I explain what a stater is, how its developed, and how it makes bread rise.
What to feed a sourdough starter:
Flour of choice: use unbleached if using all-purpose. This is what I’m currently using. Some people feel wheat creates a stronger starter. You can also use gluten free, einkorn, kamut, rye, etc. Use what you prefer! If you use one and want to change to something else later you can.
Filtered water. City water often has things like chlorine that can disrupt the colony of yeast and good bacteria in a starter.
Feeding Your Starter: The Key to Happy and Healthy Fermentation:
This can get very scientific. If science is your jam feel free to dive into learning the details of feeding ratios, hydration levels, and temperature control to optimize fermentation and achieve optimal flavor development. I’m not that person so I’m going to keep this simple and share what I do. Regulary feeding your starter is key to having a strong happy starter that can make bread rise.
- If you keep your home more on the cooler side you will only need to feed your starter once a day.
- If you’re home is pretty warm 75 degrees F or higher you will want to feed your starter twice a day.
a good indicator that your starter isn’t getting fed enough is it will look very runny and may even develop a layer of hooch on it which looks like a clear, sometimes blackish liquid on top.
- Feed your starter with flour and water. You can do equal parts which is what I recommend when first making a starter. I don’t measure when I feed anymore, but I did starting out. I find my starter does best when I feed it slightly more flour than water. I aim for a thick batter-like consistency.
TIP** Keep a Discard Jar in the fridge: - A discard jar will keep you from having to use so much flour if you haven’t used your starter to bake something before it’s time to feed it again.
- Simply dump out a majority of the starter in the discard jar to use in discard recipes. Then only feed a small portion of your starter. This will save you a ton of flour.
- Most recipes call for 1/2 to 1 cup of starter. So I like to make sure my jar has around that much in it once I feed it and it has doubled in size.
- I like to keep a large discard jar in the fridge and my starter stays in a quart or sometimes pint jar.
Establishing a Feeding Schedule: Finding the Rhythm of Routine:
Create a personalized feeding schedule that fits into your lifestyle and baking routine. This is key to sticking with it. If you’re overwhelmed by having to feed it every day there’s a good chance you’ll give up or let your starter die. Discover the ideal frequency and timing for feeding your starter, whether it’s daily, weekly, or something in between that works for you. Note, If you are not feeding it daily you will put it in the fridge between feedings.
If you plan on baking several days out of the week, I’d feed it every day. If you plan on making (specific day, say Sunday) your baking day then I would feed your starter a couple of days leading up to your baking day so it’s nice and strong, Bake with it, then feed it once more and put it back in the fridge until you’re ready to use it again.
Storage and Maintenance: Storing Your Starter Between Bakes:
The nice thing about a starter is it can last for a long time in the fridge. I have put mine in the fridge for 3-4 months at a time during those postpartum seasons. I’ve even heard of people pulling theirs out a year later, and reviving it!
To store your starter you will want to feed it then put it in the fridge with a lid on tightly.
When you are ready to use it again, pull it out of the fridge and feed it. I find mine will need to be fed for a few days consecutively before it’s ready to bake something that needs to rise quite a bit like a loaf of bread. Especially if it has been in the fridge for a long period of time.
Troubleshooting Guide: Addressing Common Sourdough Starter Concerns:
In my post on how to make a sourdough starter, I answer more common questions from dealing with hooch formation and unusual odors to reviving a neglected starter. You’ll find your little starter is pretty resilient. Just don’t leave it on the counter in the summer for too long without feeding it! (I earned that lesson the hard way (; )
Sharing the Love for years to come:
This little starter of yours can be passed on from home to home blessing the people you know. It can also be passed down from generation to generation. How neat that one starter can bless so many others with the joy of baking sourdough for years to come.
More Info on Sourdough:
What is a Sourdough Starter?
Sourdough Starter is a living culture of wild yeast and lactobacilli bacteria that is pulled from the environment and begins to colonize. You do this by mixing flour and water and letting it ferment over time. In about a week the yeast and good bacteria will have established a colony and can now naturally leaven bread through fermentation.
They can vary in flavor, texture, and consistency depending on factors such as the types of flour used, the fermentation temperature, and the local microflora present in the environment. Once established, a sourdough starter can be maintained indefinitely through regular feedings and good care, allowing you to create flavorful and nutritious breads without relying on commercial yeast.
How does a Sourdough Starter make bread rise?
As the starter ferments, the yeast and bacteria produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes the dough to rise, resulting in a light and airy texture in the finished bread. During this rising period, the bacteria produce lactic acid, which gives the bread that delicious tangy flavor sourdough is known for.
Is Sourdough good for you?
Sourdough has several benefits
- Easier to digest. The lactic acid in sourdough breaks down gluten and certain carbs making it easier to digest. A lot of people who don’t tolerate gluten well do better with sourdough bread.
- Sourdough causes less of a spike in blood sugar levels when eaten.
- It allows your body to better absorb the nutrients in the bread compared to commercial yeast
- Sourdough has prebiotic properties from the lactic acid, which improves overall gut quality.