Rocky Sink Farm

Now that you’ve embarked on the satisfying journey of creating a sourdough starter, it’s time to embrace the comforting rituals of keeping that bubbling beauty happy. Maintaining a sourdough starter properly is vital to keep it ready to create tantalizing sourdough bread.

Feeding and Refreshing Your Starter

Think of your sourdough starter like a low-maintenance pet that just needs some regular TLC. Those lively wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria crave a simple routine of feedings to stay energized and vigorous. By maintaining a sourdough starter with consistent refreshments, you’ll be rewarded with an ever-bubbling companion to fuel all your artisan baking needs.

A typical feeding schedule for a room-temperature sourdough starter is multiple times a week by discarding some of the existing starter and replenishing it with new flour and water. The exact portions can vary, but a common ratio is 1 part starter to 2 parts flour to 2 parts water. For example, you might discard all but 25 grams of starter, then feed it 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water.

Pro tip: pick a consistent feeding routine that works for your schedule, like every night before bed. Staying on track with regular refreshments keeps your starter perfectly ripe and active.

Storing Your Starter

The ideal environment for maintaining a sourdough starter is a happy medium – not too warm, not too cold. Most starters thrive stored at cool room temperature, around 65-70°F. At this temp, your starter will need frequent feedings to keep those yeasts chugging along.

If you need to take a break from baking for a little while, feel free to park your starter in the fridge. The cooler temp naturally slows down the fermentation activity, letting your starter hibernate for up to a week before needing a feeding refresh. Just be sure to give it a cozy, room temp refresh feeding before jumping back into baking.

You can absolutely keep your starter happily maintained at room temp long-term too. Just stick to your regular feeding schedule.

Reviving a Neglected Starter

We all get busy sometimes and let’s be real – even the most doting bakers can accidentally neglect their starter for a bit too long. No need to fret, because reviving an overlooked starter is totally doable!

If your starter has been chilling in the fridge for a couple weeks without a feeding, a few days of tender loving refreshments will get it bubbling again. Give it 2-3 rounds of discarding and replenishing with fresh flour and water every 12-24 hours. You’ll start to see those telltale bubbles signaling your little fermenting friend is back in action.

For a starter that has been neglected at room temp for a while, monitor for any off-putting smells or funky colors first. If it passes the sniff test, stir down the starter and give it a refresh feeding. Check it again 12 hours later – if it’s bubbling and looks refreshed, keep up the feedings until it’s fully active again. If not, unfortunately that starter may need to be retired in favor of starting fresh.

The key to reviving a neglected starter is patience and persistence. With some regular TLC feedings, you can coax that fermented batter back to a lively, bubbling state ready to leaven your sourdough masterpieces once more.

No matter what sourdough baking adventures lie ahead, maintaining a sourdough starter is ultimately an exercise in consistent, nurturing simplicity. Stick to a feeding routine, find an ideal storage temp, and revive promptly after any baking breaks. By steadily tending to your starter with straightforward care, you’ll enjoy an endlessly renewed cycle of fragrant, artisan sourdough bread from your bubbling kitchen companion.