How to Feed a Sourdough Starter - Everything you need to know

Sourdough baking isn’t an exact science as there is an art to it too. A sourdough start is a live culture of yeast and microbes you use to raise bread. It is called a starter, and this article will explain how to maintain your very own starter culture.

 Be warned - you’ll get hooked on the fantastic flavor and texture of homemade bread. Baking with sourdough is fun and rewarding. Once you get the routine down, it is pretty easy to maintain. Read on for the basics of feeding the sourdough starter. 

Key TermsOne of the first things is to learn are some of the terms. As I read through cookbooks, people use many words interchangeably, and was confusing. Here are a few of the basic terms:

Starter - When talking about sourdough culture, the starter is also called,  mother dough, the mother, starter dough, sourdough start, mother sponge, start, levain, Leaven, yeast culture, natural yeast, wild yeast, seed sour, or fermenting dough. Wow. The starter uses naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast to raise bread. The lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli gives the bread a more sour taste and improves storage. Original starter cultures can last for many years.

Proof - Allowing the starter to sit in a warm spot after it is fed is called proofing, but other terms for proof are sit, rise, ferment, and/or to culture. Some starters proof faster than others.

Feeding-The starter must be fed flour and water regularly to remain active. Some people refer to feeding as refreshment.  Some people refer to a fed starter brought to full strength as Leaven. 

Essential to Successful Sourdough StartersThere are a few keys to success. You must find

a warm spot (yeast likes 70°- 85° F) and cover it to keep it free of contaminants such as dust, bugs, hair, or other types of foreign substances. 

Feeding is a must - To create a strong culture, you feed it and let it sit. This means you let it sit in a warm spot to give it a chance for the good bacteria and yeast to grow, usually taking about 8-12 hours.

Typically you feed a start every couple of days or weekly if it is refrigerated. Starter kept on a warm counter will need to feed about twice a day may be as much as every 6 hours.

But starter is pretty forgiving and can be brought back when neglected. If you let your start sit too long, it will get a dark liquid on top. This liquid is called Hooch and can be poured off or stirred back into the culture if it hasn't been too long without feeding.

Watching it is the only way to time feeding as the process is variable. Check it after a few hours (if kept in warm spot) to see if it is starting to bubble. Make sure you don't cover it with a tight lid. The growing yeast produces gas that builds up pressure in the container. Pickle Pipes with a Tough Band make great covers.

Refrigerate or Not?If you use your starter less than every couple

of days, it is better to keep it in the refrigerator. Refrigeration puts the yeast into hibernation, so it won't need to be fed as often. You'll need to "wake" it up when you take it out to use. Depending on how warm it is in your kitchen and what variety you are using, it may take three feedings to bring the yeast back to full vigor before you can bake with it.

 Let your starter sit a few hours in a warm place after being fed before you put it back in the fridge. You will have more than 4oz of unfed Sourdough Mother starter. Most people call it 'left over's or 'discard.' If you feed all of the starts twice a day, pretty soon, you'll have more than you can handle (think," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" LOL).

Leftovers

Leftovers can be used or gifted; frozen or dried to be used later in other recipes. It is always good to keep a backup in case something were to happen to your main Mother. These two recipes are for maintaining a mature sourdough mother starter. If you are rehydrating a new start or working with a weak start you'll need to take a week to bring it to maturity.

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