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The art of sourdough can seem really intimidating at first. Learning how to feed and store a sourdough start may be no exception. Well, I have good news! This post will hopefully help put some of those anxieties to rest, and get you well on your way to being a sourdough guru!
New to Sourdough?
First off, Hi! I’m so glad you are interested in the art of sourdough. There are a lot of aspects to this style of bread baking, including the science, that can make it seem overwhelming. Just know that you don’t need to know everything in order to create a beautiful loaf of bread. Sure, you can study the endless pool of information on technique, but you really only need to know a few basics to feel proud about your end result.
Some things I would suggest you brush up your knowledge on would be:
- How to Feed and Store Your Sourdough Start (Found on this post)
- How to Measure out Ingredients Using a Food Scale
- The Basic Stretch and Fold Techinique
- How to Tell When Your Loaf is Done and Ready for Baking
- Basic Sourdough Bread Baking Schedules (ie, how long you will be working on the bread and when)
- How to Cook a Loaf using a Dutch oven (my preferred way) or Open Bake
There is a ton of information on sourdough out there, but these I would consider your basics. Get REALLY good at these, and the rest will come naturally. Sure, you may have a few flops here and there, but even those unsuccessful bakes will teach you something you can incorporate into your next attempt.
Sourdough bread baking is a ton of fun! It’s amazing watching a culture of just flour and water turning into this bubbly, yummy creation. Don’t let the overwhelming amount of knowledge discourage you from starting! You can overcomplicate it all you want with the fancy techniques (that will create maybe a more uniform or beautiful loaf), but the basics are the perfect place to start.
Speaking of the basics, lets get into how to feed and store a sourdough start.
What is Sourdough Start?
Sourdough start is the process of creating a live culture of healthy bacteria using flour and water, fed over time, until it creates a bubbly and rising form. It’s amazing! All it is, is flour and water. Nothing else!
Because sourdough start is sort of “living”, you need to care for it so it doesn’t spoil. If you’ve talked to someone who bakes sourdough bread, you may have heard them refer to their start as their “child” or “pet”. Granted, sourdough start doesn’t required quite the attention that a pet or child needs, it does require some love and care in order to make it happy and work for you when the time comes for you to make a loaf of bread or yummy treat!
When Should I Feed My Sourdough Start?
Lucky for you, you get to decide what type of baking schedule you want to be on. I typically think of it in 24 hour rounds. If I want to bake a loaf of bread tomorrow morning, I would want to feed my sourdough start this morning. That way it gives my start enough time to reach peak performance. So in essence, you want to feed your start at least 8-10 hours before you want to use it for a recipe. That way you can ensure a more successful loaf. I live at a high elevation with moderate temperature. If you live somewhere warmer, more humid, or closer to sea level this timing may change….but generally speaking….this is the timing you can sort of expect.
How Often Do I Need to Feed My Start?
I like to think that there are two schedules you can feed a start. The Daily Schedule…..or….. The Weekly Schedule. I typically follow the weekly schedule as I only have three mouths to feed in my family, and frankly we just don’t go through that much bread.
Granted, there are weeks that I am making more bread with a start, and that’s okay. That’s the amazing thing about sourdough. You don’t have to stick to just one schedule all the time. One week you may feed your sourdough start every day. The next week you may just feed it once.
What’s the difference between a daily schedule and a weekly schedule? Temperature!
Typically, a start needs to be fed daily if it is left in a warm spot like a counterspace. The culture of microbes works faster and harder when it’s warmer, so you don’t have as much time before it is “hungry” again. A weck jar would be perfect for this feeding schedule.
A weekly feed can be done when a start is placed in a refrigerator between feeds. This allows a little more flexibility when it comes to feeding a start. Now, you don’t have to wait exactly a week to use your start again. You can place it in the fridge and take it out for a feeding a few days later. Placing it in the fridge slows down the microbes and they work a lot slower. This allows for more time between feeds.
Do note that if you place your sourdough starter in the fridge, you may need to wait a little longer, due to it being cold, after feeding it until you see it reach peak bubbles. I don’t usually see too much of a difference, as long as my starter is healthy and happy.
Step By Step: How to Feed and Store a Sourdough Start
I will be using time stamps as if I was going to use my start in a recipe for the morning, and have placed my start previously in the fridge.
9pm (or right before bed):
Remove Sourdough Start from the refrigerator
Place a clean jar onto food scale
Add 10g of sourdough start to clean jar
Zero out food scale
Add 50g of unbleached white flour
Zero out food scale
Add 50g of distilled water (Some people will use tap water, I prefer distilled for peace of mind).
Mix together
Place a marking as to where your mixed starter began (I like to use rubber bands)
Loosely cover container with a non metal lid. (I will sometimes use a plastic sandwich bag if I don’t have anything clean on hand). You don’t want the lid to be tight as you want your sourdough start to be able to breath….remember….it’s a living thing.
Wait Until Morning
7am (or when you wake up):
Check to see if your starter doubled in size.
If so, go ahead and start your recipe!
When you have used the amount of start you need for your recipe simply store it by tightening the lid and placing in the fridge until the next week. Or feeding it and placing it back on the counter, repeating the steps above. If you do place it in the fridge, make sure the lid is actually on tight as you don’t want to introduce unwanted things to your beautiful sourdough start.
FAQ
I left my sourdough start in the fridge for a little longer than a week, and it has developed a sour liquid on the top of it. Did it spoil?
No. This is completely normal. That clear but sour liquid at the top of the start is called hooch. It’s technically an a alcohol biproduct of the fermentation process happing in your culture. If you like the sour taste of sourdough, you can simply stir it back into the start. Or, if you want to lessen the classic sourdough taste. just pour it off and add more water when feeding if necessary.
I fed my sourdough start and waited the 8-10 hours, but it just still isn’t bubbly or doubling in size. What do I do?
Your sourdough start may just not be active as much, or weak. Occasionally, this happens. I find my start gets especially weak if I don’t keep on top of regular feedings and rely on the fridge for too long. If you find your start is a little lethargic, you may just have to feed it again or another time after that just to wake it back up. As long as your start is super black and moldy, you should be okay to do this.
Conclusion
Knowing how to properly care for your sourdough start is the best way to ensure success in your baking endeavors. A healthy and happy sourdough start means a happy and fluffy bread. Sure, it can sound intimidating and overwhelming at first, but finding a way to simplify and streamline the process can help you be successful. If you find yourself overwhelmed, experiment with your start and see what works best for you.
