Since I have been getting a lot of questions about sourdough starters over the last few weeks, I thought it might be a good idea to address them all in one place.
But before we begin, if you have yet to make a sourdough starter, be sure to read my post from earlier this week on How to Make a Sourdough Starter - in just 7 days! You might also find my Free Sourdough Starter Guide helpful. If you are new to sourdough, welcome! I'm thrilled for you.
7 Common Sourdough Starter Problems
Why is my sourdough starter so sluggish? And what can I do to fix it?
There are many things that can cause a starter to become sluggish, most commonly it has to do with TEMPERATURE - you'll remember in one of my recent posts, I talk about the importance of temperature in all aspects of sourdough (from starter to dough). If you live in a cold climate, plan for your sourdough starter to take longer to ferment and KEEP IT WARM. The ideal temperature for your starter is between 75-80F.
Besides temperature, whenever I have an issue with my starter not rising normally, I'll often give it a little extra love, usually by feeding it more regularly (two times daily) and/or by feeding it a little rye flour (usually 10 grams) in place of my regular bread flour. Due to the extra nutrients in the rye flour, it helps perk up your starter. Do this for 2-3 days and then go back to your regular feedings.
Why does my sourdough starter smell so bad? Is this normal?
Your sourdough starter shouldn't ever make you nauseous or feel disgusted when you smell it, but it will have a unique odor - I personally feel like my smells like a brewery or ripe cheese. If you ever feel like your starter is extra potent and just doesn't smell "right," check for signs of mold. If you see mold, unfortunately you'll need to toss it and start over. Once a starter has mold, it's unrecoverable.
How do I know if I have killed my sourdough starter?
Like I said above, if you see mold, your sourdough starter is officially dead. But if it's just a little less active or has "hooch" (grayish liquid) on top, it just needs a little extra care.
What should I do with my starter if I am not using it to bake with?
The fridge is your best friend. I repeat, the fridge is your best friend. Anytime you are not actively using your sourdough starter to bake with, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge - I recommend feeding it every 7-10 days.
Do I have to feed my sourdough starter every day?
The simple answer is NO you do not have to feed your starter every single day unless you're baking with it every day, or unless you keep it at room temperature. If you keep it at room temperature, I recommend daily feedings, otherwise, like I said in #4, KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE. I keep my sourdough starter, Ro in the fridge and only bring it out when I'm baking.
What if my starter is left on the counter and I miss a feeding?
Don't panic. It will be just fine. Just give it a feeding when you remember and then continue on with feeding it as you normally do.
My sourdough starter doesn't pass the "float test," is this a problem?
The float test has never been a good indicator for me - I have had my starter float and not float before, and each time my bread has turned out great. So I'd say as long as all of the other signs - bubbles, doubling consistently, sour smell etc - of a healthy starter are there, your starter is most likely just fine.
Final Thoughts
There are so many questions and problems with sourdough starters and I hope that this helps answer some of them. But what I tell new bakers is to learn your starter, get to know it a little (as weird as that sounds!), note how it behaves normally so that when it is active "off" you'll know it needs a little extra care. Also, remember everyone's sourdough starter is going to behave differently - we all live in different environments and we have different ways of maintaining our starters, so never think that there's something wrong with your starter because it's not doing that same things as someone else's.
Further Reading
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