I often get asked "will my starter be okay in the fridge for an extended period of time,
or will it die if I don't feed it?"
If you've been storing your sourdough starter in the fridge for a long time (or need to in the future), don't stress, you CAN revive it, or even bring it back from near death. In this post, I'll share with you my best tips for reviving your sourdough starter, even if it's been in the fridge for awhile.
Maintaining a healthy sourdough starter is much easier than some think - they are so resilient! So, as long as it has plenty of food and water to get it through a short vacation, it will be just fine. Extended stays however, can sometimes result in a starter that requires a little extra love.
Extra long stays - like near abandonments - can often take a serious toll on your starter. But don't worry, in most cases, you can still revive your sourdough starter from a near death experience. Consistent feedings, a little love and some attention and your yeast beast should be back to life in about a week or less.
Here's how:
Materials needed:
Sourdough starter: You'll need a small portion of your existing starter.
Water: Preferably room temperature and filtered.
Flour: Unbleached bread flour is my personal preference, but all-purpose should work too. If your starter has been severely neglected, you may need to add some rye flour to it.
Clean Glass Jar: It's best when reviving a sourdough starter, to use a clean jar.
Hooch:
If your sourdough starter has been in the fridge for an extended period of time, it will most likely have "hooch" on top of it. Hooch is a dark liquid that forms on top of your starter when it's hungry. I recommend pouring off the layer of "hooch" - it can add a bitter or unpleasant taste to your sourdough bread (and other sourdough baked goods).
Reviving sourdough starter from the fridge:
Start off by placing a clean jar on a digital scale and set the scale to zero.
Pour in 25 grams of the sourdough starter you are trying to revive. Add 50 grams of unbleached bread flour (or unbleached all-purpose) and 50 grams of filtered, room temperature water. Stir together, loosely cover (either with a lid or a paper towel secured by a rubber band). Place somewhere warm (ideally 75-82F).
IF your starter doubles in size: It looks like your starter wasn't too neglected (yay!), so you can carry on feeding it on a 1:2:2 ratio (or 1:1:1) until you're ready to bake with it. I would recommend at least 3 more feedings before baking with your starter, just so you get a good rise.
IF your starter DOES NOT double: Don't worry! Your starter is going to need a little extra love, and has likely been in the fridge for quite a while. Just keep feeding your sourdough starter a 1:2:2 ratio once per day until your starter reliably doubles or triples within 12-24 hours.
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, USE RYE FLOUR FOR A BOOST
For sourdough starters that have been unfed in the fridge for a long time, I recommend rye flour. For a 50 gram feeding, use 20 grams of rye flour and 30 grams of unbleached bread (or all purpose) flour. Rye flour gives a boost to sluggish starters!
Once your sourdough starter is re-established, you can lower the portion of rye flour fed over several feedings and after about four feedings, the rye will be gone.
UPCOMING FEBRUARY EVENTS AND NEWS:
In-Person Sourdough Classes: (held at my home in Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
Sunday, February 11th 2-3:30pm
Sunday, February 25th 2-3:30pm
Friday, February 16th 2-3:30 (EST)
Weekly Bread Drops: Every Monday and Friday - local pick up at my home in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Kits and Sourdough Starter - purchase a piece of "Ro," my very active sourdough starter, she is now available dehydrated or wet in my Etsy Shop.
I'm now offering in-person private Sourdough Bread Classes - if you want to get a group of family and friends together for a fun afternoon/evening, please reach out to me for details. Classes are held either at my home in Palm Beach Gardens, or your home if you prefer - I will supply everything.
.png)
Comentários