Once you have a vibrant sourdough starter, you will need to feed it to maintain a strong, well-nourished population of microorganisms. This is an easy task to work into your weekly routine.
I like to think of feeding starter as an opportunity to cultivate a unique sort of intimate relationship; your starter is, after all, the foundation of the breads and other foods you will bake. So, now and then, taste your starter. Smell it and touch it, too. Learn how to characterize its good health. This connection, along with your own observations, will help you maintain your starter in top form.
The ideal schedule for feeding starter is one or two days before you plan to bake. I prefer to feed and store my starter in a container I can see through. Glass is better than plastic because this will be the jar you use to store your starter over time and its non-porous surface will prevent the release of toxins into the starter.
The following feeding instructions will give you enough starter to bake one loaf of bread and pizza or another sourdough baked good, with enough left over for making other sourdough baked goods. To get the best result, the water you use to feed your starter should be filtered or bottled.
Feeding Before Baking
One or two days before you bake bread, you will need to feed your sourdough starter in order to give it a strong, well-fed population of microorganisms. You may find it best to feed and store your starter in a container that you can see through. I use a wide-mouth glass canning jar, which allows me to see the starter and measure its growth, or height, using the lines on the jar. Glass is better than plastic because this will be the jar you use to store your starter over time, and its nonporous surface will prevent the release of toxins into the starter.
For years I used volume measurements of flour and water—meaning, I measured by the cup and spoonful— which works well enough. In more recent years, I have appreciated the consistently thick starter I get when I measure by weight. Since starter can have many consistencies and still be healthy, I’ve listed both options below so that you can choose the one you like best.
These feeding instructions will give you enough to bake one loaf of bread, with starter left over for making other sourdough baked goods. For the surest results, the water you use to feed your starter should be filtered or bottled.
1. Stir in or pour off any gray liquid floating on top of your stored starter. Then discard all but 1/4 cup (46 grams) of starter, which you can leave in your jar.
2. Add 2 tablespoons (23 grams) white all-purpose flour and slightly less than 2 tablespoons (23 grams) water to the starter. Mix the starter well and let it sit in a warm spot, covered, for 3 to 4 hours. Your aim is to have the starter double in height before you feed it again. So 3 to 4 hours is a general guide, and the process is flexible. If you have no immediate plans to bake, this is the only step you’ll need to take; you can cover your starter and return it to the refrigerator.
3. If you are feeding starter in preparation for baking, add 1/4 cup (46 grams) white all-purpose flour and slightly less than 1/4 cup (46 grams) water to the starter. Again, mix the starter well and let it sit in a warm spot, covered, for 1 to 2 hours more or until it has doubled in height. If you will use the starter to make Sourdough Wheat and Rye Bread, your feeding is finished because making the levain will stand in for the third feeding. If you have other baking plans for your starter, move on to Step 4.
4. If you are feeding starter to make baked goods other than Sourdough Wheat and Rye Bread, add 1/2 cup (92 grams) white all-purpose flour and slightly less than 1/2 cup (92 grams) water to the starter. Cover the starter and let it sit in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours before returning it to the refrigerator.
Some bread bakers leave starter on the countertop overnight, but refrigerating it and then bringing it back to room temperature has always worked better for me. In the ideal, you want to bake with starter that is at its maximum height and full of gas. In other words, you don’t want it to collapse back onto itself before baking.
Feeding When You Are Not Baking Bread
If you are taking time off from baking bread or other sourdough baked goods, you should ideally still feed your starter every 10 to 14 days. In this case, follow steps 1 and 2 above. Mix the starter well, let it sit on the countertop for about 1 hour or until it doubles in height, and then return it to the refrigerator.
I have left my starter for two or three weeks when I have had to be away and have had no problems result. There are those who say starter can be successfully frozen, and I have had this work in the short-term. I am not sure if starter would remain viable, however, after being frozen for months.
To better understand the wisdom behind discarding starter, click on this link: The Wisdom of Discarding Starter
If you have questions, email me using the “contact” page of my website and I will do my best to help you.
Copyright, Ellen Arian, Ellen’s Food & Soul
