A healthy sourdough starter is crucial to all things sourdough. Unfortunately it can also be the most intimidating part of the sourdough bread process for most people. It's the reason it took me so long to start my sourdough journey.
If you’ve been following me for a while now, you’ve probably heard me say that you’ll never have a good loaf of sourdough bread, without a healthy sourdough starter. I get a lot of people reaching out to me with photos of dense, flat loaves asking what happened? Almost always it has to do with their starter.
Sourdough starter is the foundation of all things sourdough, and just like a house, without its foundation it will CRUMBle (see what I did there?).
Here are some things I’ve learned for maintaining a healthy sourdough starter:
🫙 Regular Feedings: I always recommend feeding your starter every 12-24 hours if it’s left at room temperature and once a week if it’s kept in the fridge.
•it’s also important to feed your starter a good quality flour
🫙 Temperature: your sourdough starter will thrive in warmer temperatures. Generally it’s the happiest when kept between 75-82F. So be sure to keep it warm if you live in a cold environment.
🫙 Utilize the refrigerator: when you’re not actively using your starter for baking, store it in a sealed container in the fridge. Your starter will be fine for several days unfed in the fridge.
🫙 Cleanliness: I know beginner bakers who are fearful to clean their starter jars. But a clean jar helps prevent mold growth and helps ensure that your starter stays healthy. You don’t have to clean it daily, but as soon as it starts getting dried areas of starter (crusty!) I suggest moving your starter to a new jar and cleaning the current one with mild soap and water.
•personally, I clean my jar after each use.
🫙 Observe starter activity: be sure to keep an eye on your starter and watch for activity- bubbles & growth after feeding are always good signs of a happy starter.
If you need more tips for starting and maintaining a sourdough starter, check out my free starter guide.