Active Sourdough Starter Maintenance

Ingredients

• 1 Sourdough Starter (Mature starter for feeding)
• 1 All-Purpose Flour (Or bread flour; use a quantity equal to or double the starter weight)
• 1 Water (Use a quantity equal to or double the starter weight)

Steps

1. 1

   Observe your starter to ensure it has fully ripened before feeding. A ripened starter has peaked in height and is just beginning to descend, typically about 12 hours after its last feeding.

2. 2

   Discard a portion of your starter, leaving a small amount in the jar to serve as the base for the new feeding.

3. 3

   Feed the starter using a small ratio such as 1:1:1 (equal parts starter, flour, and water by weight) or 1:2:2 (one part starter to two parts flour and two parts water). Small ratios help keep the starter more active.

4. 4

   Stir the mixture thoroughly until no dry flour remains and the consistency is uniform.

5. 5

   Place the starter in a warm environment, ideally maintained between 70°F and 75°F (21°C to 24°C), to encourage fermentation.

6. 6

   If you are not baking daily, store the starter in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, take it out and perform at least two feedings at room temperature before using it in a bread recipe.

7. 7

   Use the starter to bake bread when it is fully ripe (at its peak or just starting to fall), which is when it is most active.

Notes

The author emphasizes consistency and patience. A starter is difficult to kill; only discard it if you see visible mold. If the starter smells sour but isn't bubbling, continue regular feedings to build strength.

Nutrition per serving

• sourdough
• starter
• baking
• bread
• fermentation
• artisan bread
• vegetarian