Sourdough Feeding
Sourdough Feeding Schedule
Sourdough starters need to be fed on a regular basis. For casual bakers, who do not bake multiple days per week, the starter can be placed in a dormant state by moving it to the refrigerator. However, regardless of whether you are a frequent or infrequent baker, the starter needs to be kept in good condition by feeding it on a regular schedule.
After some research and independent experimentation, I initially concluded that it is best to feed the starter on a weekly basis. As I continued my bread baking journey however, I ended up leaving the starter in the refrigerator unfed for several weeks (at times, close to a month). I've concluded that this might not be ideal, but it's what works for me.
The key point concerning keeping a starter dormant in the refrigerator is to ensure it is vibrant and ready to use when you desire to bake. Multiple feedings , say 12 hours apart, might be needed to get the starter back to a useful state. The longer the starter has been left unfed in the refrigerator, the longer it might take to 'revive' it to a useful state. So planning is key. As an example, if you want to start using your sourdough on a Saturday and it has been in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks, you might need to take it out of the refrigerator on Wednesday night and start feeding it Thursday on a 12-hour schedule 4 times before Saturday. The number of feedings depends on the length of time left unfed and the overall strength of the starter. You should know if the starter is ready to use when it becomes very bubbly and rises significantly (~2.5 times the physical volume) during the hours following a feeding.
I retain a base of at least 127 grams of starter. People who bake very frequently might retain much more so they always have sufficient starter to meet their needs. Some people even like to retain less starter so as to avoid throwing out too much starter during the feeding process.
There are several possibilities to manage the sourdough starter following the feeding:
· Just feed the starter, with no intention of using it immediately, and return it to the refrigerator (likely discarding a portion of the starter in the process so as to retain a manageable quantity)
· Feed the starter; extract a portion to do some baking; and retain a minimum of 127 grams for the base starter
· Feed the starter; extract a portion for sourdough pancakes or crackers; and retain at least 127 grams for the base starter
· Some combination of the most recent two options
· Always make sure that as you feed the starter and discard portions that you build a sufficient quantity of starter to use for the amount of baking planned; any special needs for pancakes/crackers and enough left over to retain the 127 grams for the base starter
. The container that you keep your sourdough starter in can be plastic or glass and should be of sufficient size to permit the ~2.5x expansion that a robust starter should have. Despite becoming quite messy, I rarely clean the container (twice in the first 8 years & that was only when I was switching containers). As my friend, Cynthia, told me, even the sloppy mess down the inside walls of the container contains useful cultures.
. One of the downsides of maintaining a sourdough starter is the need to discard portions of the starter during the feeding cycle. The 'waste' can be minimized by maintaining a small starter. Alternatively, instead of throwing out the pulled off sourdough, just place it in a container in the refrigerator for short-term storage (like 3-5 days) and use it in non-bread recipes (e.g., crackers, pancakes).
Sourdough Feeding with no intent of immediate use
Since I am a casual baker, who bakes bread on a relatively infrequent basis, I retain my sourdough starter in the refrigerator when I have no immediate plans to use it. I’ve decided to follow commonly recommended sourdough feeding schedules by feeding my starter weekly. I will typically retain ~381 grams of starter (original 127g of starter + 127g un-chlorinated water + 127g white bread flour).
If it is time for a sourdough feeding, but there is no intent of immediately using the sourdough to bake with, the following steps should be followed:
· Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator
· Let sourdough starter get fully to room temperature (6-8 hours)
· Place the sourdough starter on the scales (the intent being to combine 127g of mother starter, 127g of cool tap water, and 127g of white bread flour)
· Start removing sourdough starter from the container until the combined weight of the 4 liter plastic sourdough container without lid (378g) and the minimal sourdough amount (127g) totals 505g.
· Add 127g of cool tap water (I actually tend to use un-chlorinated water)
· Add 127g of white bread flour
· Mix very well using a wooden spoon & then scrape down sides of the container
· Cover container loosely and let sit out at room temperature for ~1-2 hours to start the fermentation process
· Put back in refrigerator to get it back to a dormant state
Sourdough Feeding when planning to bake bread
First off, plan ahead. Decide what you are planning to bake and how much of the starter you will need for those plans. Also, think ahead on when you will be baking so you can get the starter ‘activated’ prior to the need to use it as leaven.
If it is time to bake some bread and the starter has been refrigerated for a couple of weeks, the following steps might be appropriate:
· Day-1:
o Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator
o Let sourdough starter get fully to room temperature (6-8 hours)
o Just before going to bed, place the sourdough starter on the scales (the intent being to combine 127g of mother starter, 127g of cool tap water, and 127g of white bread flour)
o Start removing sourdough starter from the container until the combined weight of the sourdough container without lid (let's say it is 378g) and the minimal sourdough amount (127g) totals 505g
o Add 127g of cool tap water
o Add 127g of white bread flour
o Mix very well using a wooden spoon & then scrape down sides of the container
o Cover container loosely and let sit out at room temperature overnight
· Day-2:
o Adjust quantity of starter retained before each of the following 2 feedings based on how much starter is needed (also consider adjusting quantity of feeding to get appropriate ending amount) – always keep in mind that you want to have at least 127 grams of starter to retain
o In the morning, feed the starter using above proportions
o After 12 hours, provide another feeding using above proportions
o Prior to going to bed, pull off the starter that will be used for baking and place the remainder of the starter in the refrigerator
· Day-3:
o Bake!
Sourdough starters need to be fed on a regular basis. For casual bakers, who do not bake multiple days per week, the starter can be placed in a dormant state by moving it to the refrigerator. However, regardless of whether you are a frequent or infrequent baker, the starter needs to be kept in good condition by feeding it on a regular schedule.
After some research and independent experimentation, I initially concluded that it is best to feed the starter on a weekly basis. As I continued my bread baking journey however, I ended up leaving the starter in the refrigerator unfed for several weeks (at times, close to a month). I've concluded that this might not be ideal, but it's what works for me.
The key point concerning keeping a starter dormant in the refrigerator is to ensure it is vibrant and ready to use when you desire to bake. Multiple feedings , say 12 hours apart, might be needed to get the starter back to a useful state. The longer the starter has been left unfed in the refrigerator, the longer it might take to 'revive' it to a useful state. So planning is key. As an example, if you want to start using your sourdough on a Saturday and it has been in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks, you might need to take it out of the refrigerator on Wednesday night and start feeding it Thursday on a 12-hour schedule 4 times before Saturday. The number of feedings depends on the length of time left unfed and the overall strength of the starter. You should know if the starter is ready to use when it becomes very bubbly and rises significantly (~2.5 times the physical volume) during the hours following a feeding.
I retain a base of at least 127 grams of starter. People who bake very frequently might retain much more so they always have sufficient starter to meet their needs. Some people even like to retain less starter so as to avoid throwing out too much starter during the feeding process.
There are several possibilities to manage the sourdough starter following the feeding:
· Just feed the starter, with no intention of using it immediately, and return it to the refrigerator (likely discarding a portion of the starter in the process so as to retain a manageable quantity)
· Feed the starter; extract a portion to do some baking; and retain a minimum of 127 grams for the base starter
· Feed the starter; extract a portion for sourdough pancakes or crackers; and retain at least 127 grams for the base starter
· Some combination of the most recent two options
· Always make sure that as you feed the starter and discard portions that you build a sufficient quantity of starter to use for the amount of baking planned; any special needs for pancakes/crackers and enough left over to retain the 127 grams for the base starter
. The container that you keep your sourdough starter in can be plastic or glass and should be of sufficient size to permit the ~2.5x expansion that a robust starter should have. Despite becoming quite messy, I rarely clean the container (twice in the first 8 years & that was only when I was switching containers). As my friend, Cynthia, told me, even the sloppy mess down the inside walls of the container contains useful cultures.
. One of the downsides of maintaining a sourdough starter is the need to discard portions of the starter during the feeding cycle. The 'waste' can be minimized by maintaining a small starter. Alternatively, instead of throwing out the pulled off sourdough, just place it in a container in the refrigerator for short-term storage (like 3-5 days) and use it in non-bread recipes (e.g., crackers, pancakes).
Sourdough Feeding with no intent of immediate use
Since I am a casual baker, who bakes bread on a relatively infrequent basis, I retain my sourdough starter in the refrigerator when I have no immediate plans to use it. I’ve decided to follow commonly recommended sourdough feeding schedules by feeding my starter weekly. I will typically retain ~381 grams of starter (original 127g of starter + 127g un-chlorinated water + 127g white bread flour).
If it is time for a sourdough feeding, but there is no intent of immediately using the sourdough to bake with, the following steps should be followed:
· Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator
· Let sourdough starter get fully to room temperature (6-8 hours)
· Place the sourdough starter on the scales (the intent being to combine 127g of mother starter, 127g of cool tap water, and 127g of white bread flour)
· Start removing sourdough starter from the container until the combined weight of the 4 liter plastic sourdough container without lid (378g) and the minimal sourdough amount (127g) totals 505g.
· Add 127g of cool tap water (I actually tend to use un-chlorinated water)
· Add 127g of white bread flour
· Mix very well using a wooden spoon & then scrape down sides of the container
· Cover container loosely and let sit out at room temperature for ~1-2 hours to start the fermentation process
· Put back in refrigerator to get it back to a dormant state
Sourdough Feeding when planning to bake bread
First off, plan ahead. Decide what you are planning to bake and how much of the starter you will need for those plans. Also, think ahead on when you will be baking so you can get the starter ‘activated’ prior to the need to use it as leaven.
If it is time to bake some bread and the starter has been refrigerated for a couple of weeks, the following steps might be appropriate:
· Day-1:
o Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator
o Let sourdough starter get fully to room temperature (6-8 hours)
o Just before going to bed, place the sourdough starter on the scales (the intent being to combine 127g of mother starter, 127g of cool tap water, and 127g of white bread flour)
o Start removing sourdough starter from the container until the combined weight of the sourdough container without lid (let's say it is 378g) and the minimal sourdough amount (127g) totals 505g
o Add 127g of cool tap water
o Add 127g of white bread flour
o Mix very well using a wooden spoon & then scrape down sides of the container
o Cover container loosely and let sit out at room temperature overnight
· Day-2:
o Adjust quantity of starter retained before each of the following 2 feedings based on how much starter is needed (also consider adjusting quantity of feeding to get appropriate ending amount) – always keep in mind that you want to have at least 127 grams of starter to retain
o In the morning, feed the starter using above proportions
o After 12 hours, provide another feeding using above proportions
o Prior to going to bed, pull off the starter that will be used for baking and place the remainder of the starter in the refrigerator
· Day-3:
o Bake!