How to store sourdough starter
What to put it in, where to keep it, and more.
How do you know when your sourdough starter is ready to bake with? And what exactly does "ripe sourdough starter" mean?
We've answered hundreds of questions on this topic, but in this case, it seems some pictures could well be worth a few thousand words. Let's take a look.
Your starter has been tucked safely in the refrigerator for ... awhile. Ten days, maybe longer. It's separated, with a few tiny bubbles in the bottom, and a layer of grayish-looking alcohol on top. This is the sight that generates a lot of phone calls to our hotline. Can this possibly be OK? Is it dead?
Despite its current uninspiring appearance, this starter is still capable of doing great things. Just not quite yet.
Stir everything back together (some people just pour off the top layer, which is OK, too), measure out 113g (1/2 cup) of starter and discard the rest, then feed the 113g starter with equal weights of flour (a scant 1 cup, 113g) and water (1/2 cup, 113g). Mix well, cover, and leave on the counter for 12 hours. Repeat the discard and feeding process every 12 hours, leaving the starter on the counter. After a few feedings, you'll see the starter becoming more and more active, doubling in size in a shorter time.
(Looking for ideas of what to do with that discarded starter? Visit this page to get a whole collection of recipe ideas.)
This is the same starter after a few days of the regular feedings described above. We stirred, discarded, and fed it with flour and water at 8 a.m. (2 hours ago). Now we're going to watch its development. See the number and size of the bubbles increasing?
The same starter at 1 p.m., 5 hours after feeding. It's beginning to expand, and has many more bubbles. If you watch it for a minute, you can see the bubbles forming and coming to the surface in slow motion. This is an active starter, growing and expanding, producing bubbles of carbon dioxide. But it's not yet ripe (at the top of its yeast and bacteria growth arc), nor at full strength for raising dough.
The same starter at 4 p.m., 8 hours after feeding. It's doubled in volume, and shows signs of just beginning to sag under its own weight. This is active starter that's also ripe, ready to be added to bread dough to perform its sourdough magic. After mixing it into dough, then some rising and folding, the dough can be shaped and refrigerated overnight to be baked tomorrow.
An important thing to note about measuring sourdough starter: The more bubbles in it, the less a cup of active, ripe starter weighs. Measuring by volume can mean you have more or less starter in your cup, depending on where it is on its growth curve. That's not a deal breaker for your recipe, but having a different amount of starter than called for may change the rising times and finished size of your loaf. To be sure you have the lifting power you need, measuring ripe starter by weight is always a better choice.
Once you gain confidence that your starter is vigorous, you can move its "get ready" feeding to the evening, knowing your starter will be ripe next morning to mix into your dough.
Your sourdough baking adventures await. We have lots of ideas (more than 150 recipes) to help you navigate this tasty and rewarding style of baking. Be sure to visit our sourdough guide for more in-depth information about creating, maintaining, and baking with sourdough.
June 21, 2024 at 1:27pm
I need to know what to do if my starter collapsed while I was away for a couple of hours. It sated in the video, you need to feed again
before baking, does it mean discard the once ripe then restart at zero, waiting for another 8 hours or so?
June 22, 2024 at 1:51pm
In reply to I need to know what to do if… by Monique (not verified)
Hi Monique, if a recipe calls for "ripe" or "fed" starter, this means starter that has been fed at room temperature and allowed to rise to its highest point. It's considered ripe when it's at its peak, or just beginning to fall, and usually it will hover in that range for an hour or more. However, if the starter has fallen significantly, then, yes, you'll want to give the starter another feeding by discarding all but 113g and giving it a regular feeding according to our starter maintenance routine.
March 11, 2024 at 7:34pm
Hi do you have a one loaf receipe? Half of this recipe would be too small and obviously the full recipe would be too big, but if you have a receipe for a nice sized loaf that would be great .
March 14, 2024 at 6:21pm
In reply to Hi do you have a one loaf… by Carroll (not verified)
Hi Carroll, here is a nice sourdough bread recipe that makes one loaf: Basic Sourdough Bread
January 12, 2024 at 5:45pm
It is hard for me to discard any foodstuffs. Do I have to discard before feeding? Or may I keep supply low enough by giving away starter or using for other things? In other words, is It a chemical issue or merely a volume issue?
January 20, 2024 at 10:52am
In reply to It is hard for me to discard… by Karen (not verified)
Hi Karen, we do want to discard with each feeding so that we can refresh the starter and keep good bacteria. You can always discard a smaller amount if you are looking to grow your starter. We also have many different recipes to use up your discard so that you don't have to feel wasteful! Discard recipes
December 9, 2023 at 8:45pm
Hi, I received my starter on Tuesday & have been feeding as directed every 24 hrs for 4 days. Today I fed at 18 hour mark. Its doubling within 3-4 hrs after feeding but not super bubbly. Is it ready to use or should I continue feeding?
December 13, 2023 at 12:50pm
In reply to Hi, I received my starter on… by Christine (not verified)
Hi Christine, as long as your starter is doubling in size it should be okay to start using in recipes! Your starter will begin to develop larger bubbles as it matures over time with regular feedings.
May 3, 2023 at 2:41pm
I LOVE THE KING ARTHUR POPOVER MIX. EVERY BOWL OF POP OVER MIX IS MY FOOD TEST LAB. SPICES, HERBS, DRY CHEESES, LIQUID FRUIT EXTRACTS & GRATINGS, POWDERED COCOA, POWDERED SUGARS ARE ALL PART OF THE GREAT POPOVER EXPERIMENT. I LOVE THIS MIX AND ITS AMAZING POPOVER HEIGHT. WONDERFUL!
March 9, 2023 at 10:34am
Thanks for providing this information. In the final comparison photos the starter after being restarted and the final photo of the ripe starter shows about 3+ times volume expansion but it’s mentioned it “doubles” my starter after 4 days is exactly doubled at 8-12 hours. Am I to expect that after a few more days the starter will triple like your photo shows? Thanks!
Pagination