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Thought sourdough starter was overhyped nonsense, then my neighbor handed me a jar of her 12 year old one
I bake mostly quick breads and always figured the whole sourdough thing was just people showing off online. My neighbor Ruth dropped off a jar of her starter that she has kept alive since 2012 and said to feed it once a day for a week before judging it. By day four it was doubling in size and smelling like yogurt, and the first loaf I made from it had a crust I could not get with commercial yeast no matter what I tried. Now I feel kind of silly for rolling my eyes at everyone posting their jars. For those who keep one going, do you store yours in the fridge or leave it out on the counter between bakes?
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elliotm5711d ago
Ruth was smart to tell you to feed it for a week first, because a starter straight from the fridge is half asleep and won't show you what it can really do. That yogurt smell on day four is the sign the good stuff, wild yeast and bacteria working together, has woken up and taken over. Here's the thing nobody tells new people, the fridge versus counter question is not either/or, it depends on how often you bake. If you're baking every day or two, leave it out and feed it once or twice a day, it'll be strong and ready fast. If you're like most of us and bake once a week or less, park it in the fridge and feed it once a week, then pull it out and give it two or three feeds before you bake so it wakes all the way up. Leave it out on the counter long term with no baking and you're just wasting flour and babysitting a jar. Ruth kept hers going 12 years on that rhythm, so whatever she does, that's the real answer to copy from her.
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