Today I want to talk about how I store my sourdough starter in the fridge, untouched for awhile, and how I revive it to make delicious sourdough baked goods again!
Making sourdough bread can be very time consuming and sometimes you need a break from it. But please, please please do NOT throw away your sourdough starter! Here is what you can do to store your starter long-term in the fridge:
How to store a sourdough starter in the fridge to hibernate long term:
I use a glass Pyrex jar with an airtight lid - but you can use any jar (I recommend a wide mouth jar!). I have my favorite jars linked here.
With the new, clean jar, I feed my sourdough starter my usual ratio of 1:2:2 (25 g mature starter, 50 g flour mix, and 50 g water). Then, let it sit on the counter for about 6-8 hours for the yeast to multiply - I’ve also just fed my starter, and then immediately stuck it in the fridge. However, I find that my starter bounces back a bit better and is less angry (or hangry) at me if I let it feed a little bit before going in the fridge.
Either way, I stick it in the fridge with the lid on airtight.
How long can you store sourdough starter in the fridge?
You can leave your starter in the fridge for as long as you want - I’ve left mine in there for a few weeks at a time, and have known people to store their starters, dormant and untouched for months at a time (I'm not sure I'd personally do this, but it has been done!).
Remember, the older your starter is, the more resilient it is, so I personally think it's better to hibernate your old starter than to throw it out and start all over!
How to wake up a starter from being in the fridge for an extended period:
First, I pour off the grey liquid you see on top (it's called "hooch") - it is the alcohol produced from long-term fermentation. Actually I take it as a good sign, that the culture is still active! But it also means it’s hungry, which is perfect, because next we feed it!
I take a new, clean jar and take 25 g of the hungry starter, then feed it my usual 1:2:2 ratio of starter:water:flour mix. My preferred flour is bread flour or rye. Feed your starter whatever you normally feed it, be it rye, bread flour, or all purpose! And feed your starter whatever ratio you normally use; be it 1:3:3, 1:4:4, whatever works!
Allow your newly fed starter to sit in a warm place on your counter for the next 5-8 hours. If it doubles, I discard all but 25 g again (one of the only times I discard), and feed my usual 1:2:2 ratio. After 24 hours, if it has doubled and has a lot of bubbly activity, I will know that the yeast and bacteria production is back to normal! It should also smell pleasantly nice and sour. If it is still sluggish, repeat the above feeding schedule until it's active again.
How do I know when my starter is ready to bake with?
Depending on the age of your starter, it should be able to bounce back within a day or two. If you find it’s not doubling or getting nice and bubbly, just give it more time to ferment.
Hope this helps! Remember, DO NOT THROW IT AWAY (unless there is mold)!
And before I sign off I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for an incredible year - for the support, the love, and all of the bread orders! Everything. When I started baking sourdough back in April, I had no idea what to expect, but I definitely didn't expect all of this - I have dreamed of having my own bakery/coffee shop one day, and while this may not be what I pictured, it truly has been a gift to bake homemade sourdough goodies for you and your families. I cannot wait to see what 2024 brings - I have a lot of things in store, so I hope you'll continue to follow along. And with that said, I have several orders to fulfill for my Christmas Eve Drop - this will be the final drop of the year, and after that, I'll be taking the rest of the week off to spend some quality time with my family.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year friends. And once again, THANK YOU. From the bottom of my heart - cannot wait to continue spreading love, one loaf at a time in 2024.
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