Easy Ways to Slow Down Sourdough

Sourdough needs to fit into our life and learning how to slow down the fermentation of sourdough is one way to help fit sourdough into any busy schedule. Here are my favorite simple ways to slow down sourdough that won’t take extra effort or time.

Slow Down Sourdough in the Fridge

The simplest way to slow down sourdough is by using the fridge. You can put your sourdough in the fridge at any point and the fridge will slow the fermentation.

Simply take the bowl or pan that your bread is in and put it in the fridge. Make sure there is enough space in your container because the sourdough will continue expanding. Then, when you are ready to continue the process than you pull out the dough and continue where you left off in the recipe.

Using the fridge is a great way to store sourdough for a day or two. I choose not to use the fridge for more that two days because then my loaf becomes so sour that we don’t eat much of it.

My loaves ferment quickly even in the fridge because my sourdough starter is strong and I am using fresh milled flour which ferments faster.

Slow Down Sourdough in the Freezer

If you are trying to meal prep bread or dough for the far future you can freeze it! Freezing is a great way to preserve your dough or starter for longer periods of time.

When freezing dough, it is best to get to shaping the dough or second rise before freezing the dough. You can freeze the dough right after shaping or right after the second rise. When you want to make the dough, let it sit for an hour or two at room temperature. Then either let it rise the second time or bake it depending on when you froze it.

When freezing sourdough starter, you can freeze the whole container as long as there is room for the starter to expand as it freezes. You could also freeze it in a bag or an ice cube mold so that it is easy to store. When ready to use simply bring it to room temperature and feed it.

Slow Down Sourdough with a Cooler

When I run out of space in my fridge the cooler is my next best option.

Get a cooler big enough to hold the bowl and fill the bottom with a layer of cold water. Add ice cubes and put in your bowl of dough or sourdough starter. It is a great way to store sourdough for a day or two. I also love that it is transportable like this as well.

Keep the Sourdough in a Cold Room

Sourdough slows down in the cold, so keeping your home at 65-70°F (18-21°C) will slow down your fermentation for a few hours.

Keep the Sourdough on a Cold Counter

Stone counters are cold and can slowly make your sourdough colder as it sits on top. It may add a few hours to your fermentation time.

Use Discard as your Sourdough Starter

Using discard as a starter will add extra sour flavor to the bread, but will also add a few extra hours to fermentation. The discard starter has to become active again before it ferments the bread which takes extra time. This works best with flat breads like pizza dough or naan.

Use Recently Feed Starter

This is a great way to add a few hours to your fermentation without compromising on flavor. Using recently feed starter will not add the sour flavor that discard does and the loaf should rise as high as it normally would.

What is your Favorite Way to Slow Down Sourdough?

Let us know in the comments down below what your go to way is to slow down sourdough!

Other Articles You May Enjoy

The Simple Way to Care for a Sourdough Starter

How to Shape Bread Dough for a Loaf Pan

Everyday Sourdough Sandwich Bread Made with Fresh Milled Flour

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