The Simple Way to Care for a Sourdough Starter

Learning how to care for a sourdough starter can feel tricky at first, but it doesn’t have to be. I want to put your mind at ease because sourdough starter is much easier to care for than you think!

You have this brand new sourdough starter that you created, got from a friend, or rehydrated from dehydrated starter.

Congratulations! You have begun your sourdough journey.

Maybe you went online and now it feels like there are a lot of rules about how to care for a sourdough starter. Do not get discouraged!

I don’t follow a lot of the normal sourdough starter rules, because I have found that they really are not that important.

I want to help you relax and show you how simple taking care of your sourdough starter can be!

How to Care for Sourdough Starter the Simple Way

Tools to Care for Sourdough Starter

Glass Jar with Large opening for easy cleaning. I really like recycled fruit jars, salsa jars, or wide mouth mason jars.

Knife, Spoon, or Rubber Spatula for mixing

Lid, Coffee Filters, Cloth, or another covering system for your jar.

Rubber bands or hair ties to mark the starting level on the jar.

Ingredients to Care for Sourdough Starter

Flour – I like using freshly milled flour and rye flour is especially great! Any flour will work just fine.

Water – Filtered and unchlorinated, if you can. If not, I have used tap water for years too. Let the water sit for a day or two so some of the chlorine can evaporate.

Sourdough Starter

Step 1 – How often do you Bake?

If you bake multiple times a week, you may want a larger jar for your starter.

If you bake once a week or every other week, you may want less starter so a smaller jar will do.

You can do both too. If you decide one week to bake a ton you can use your starter to create a giant starter. Then in between those weeks you can keep your starter small.

Your starter is as flexible as you are!

I bake about once a week so I keep my starter in the medium jars.

Step 2 – How often do you want to Feed your Sourdough Starter?

I like to feed my starter right after I use it, so about once a week.

I only try to have as much starter as I can use in one week. Maybe you will feed it daily because you use so much, or you keep a large amount of starter and only feed it once a week.

These are all decisions you get to make that will help you create a plan care for a sourdough starter!

Step 3 – Find a Consistency or Thickness that Works!

Sourdough starter ferments quickly in wet or hot environments and ferments slower in dry or cold environments.

If you plan to feed your starter more than once a week then you may want a more wet consistency like thick pancake batter (see above picture). It will have a ratio close to 1.5 part water to 1 flour. It could be 1 1/2 c water to 1 cup flour or 150g water to 100 g flour.

If you, like me, want the starter to last a week in the fridge, then you will want a thicker starter that resembles really wet bread dough (see below picture). This ratio is closer to 1 part water to 1 part flour. It could be 1 cup water to 1 cup flour or 100g water to 100g flour.

Your starter will handle any amount of water well, but it will handle all of them differently. You have to choose what you want it to do.

It may take some time to find a consistency that ferments in time with your baking schedule.

Be patient. You can do this!

Step 4 – Order Matters! – Starter, then Water, then Flour

The order you add your ingredients makes your life easier or harder. If you try adding dry flour to your starter first it is hard to mix it fully and evenly.

I recommend taking the old starter you have first and adding the water to it. I shake the water to clean the sides of the jar to get all the scraps left behind that you would wash out later.

After mixing the water into the starter and rinsing the sides, now you have a watery starter that will easily mix with the flour.

This is how I mix my starter every time so that it is mixed thoroughly and isn’t too difficult to clean later!

Step 5 – Make it a Routine!

You have the consistency you like and you know about how often you want to bake. Now it is time to test your plan out!

How do I Store my Sourdough Starter to take a Break?

If you need to take a break for less than a month, then I would feed it using the thicker consistency, and once it has started to ferment I would put it in the fridge. Your starter will be hungry and will have hooch on top when you go to use it again, but it should be safe.

If you want months away from your starter, than you can dry some and start from a dehydrated starter, which I teach you how to dehydrate a starter and rehydrate the starter again in these articles.

If you want to keep some starter in the fridge while you are gone, then make a very dry starter ball and then surround it with flour. It should keep just fine like that for a long time because sourdough starter ferments very slowly in dry, cold environments.

Is the Float Test Important?

No. I do not think the float test is a good indicator for starter strength.

The float test is supposed to measure how much air is inside your starter because then it will float on top of the water instead of sinking.

However, as soon as you start moving the starter around the air pockets break. I feel like the float test is another way to make new bakers feel like they are doing it wrong.

If you are using fresh milled flour, it is unlikely that your starter will float because bran breaks gluten strands.

Personally, I don’t use the float test at all.

Can I use Sourdough Starter before it Peaks?

Yes! I use my starter early when I am in a rush.

Your starter is multiplying quickly as it feeds so I think you can use it before its peak easily. If you use it really early, you will have to wait longer for a rise though because there will be less starter yeast.

Can I use Sourdough Starter after it has Fallen?

Yes!

I use starter as it is falling often too. It can cause your baked goods to taste different, but it has never bothered my family enough that we don’t eat it.

The higher acidity affect the baked goods by braking down the gluten strands. So the farther the starter is past its peak, the worse it will be at rising breads.

I have made wonderful breads using starter past its peak, but once it has totally flattened back to the original height, it is best to use that starter to make things that do not need to rise.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the fancy term for starter that has past the peak. It has risen to it’s full height and begun to fall again.

Discard is more acidic than sourdough starter at its peak, but it is still good. You can use it the same as you would at any other time until it has fallen almost completely back to its original height.

When you bake with old discard that has begun forming hooch, it will have a more sour taste to it and will be poor at holding gluten structure because it is so acidic.

Can I Store my Sourdough Starter in the Fridge?

If you will not be baking everyday or every few days, then I recommend using the fridge to slow your starter down.

You can put the jar with the scrapings in the fridge and then pull it out to feed it the night before you want to bake with it again.

Or you can feed the scraps of starter, leave it on the counter until you notice it start to rise, and then store it in the fridge. Then you have ready to go starter for the week!

Letting the fermentation process begin before you place the starter in the fridge will help avoid Kahm yeast. Kahm Yeast is harmless, but will require you to start over from a teaspoon of starter from the bottom of the jar and throw the rest away.

Why does my Sourdough Starter have Black Liquid on it?

You will get black liquid on top of your starter at some point.

DO NOT TRASH IT.

This is hooch. It is an alcohol that the sourdough starter yeast makes to protect the starter from other bacteria in the air. You can choose to drain the liquid off or mix it in. If you mix it in and then choose to use that discard it will have a strong tangy flavor. 

What is Sourdough Hooch?

Sourdough hooch is the black liquid that is created on top of hungry sourdough starter. The liquid is acidic and is made by the sourdough yeast bacteria in order to preserve the yeast from other bacteria.

If you see hooch on your starter it means that your starter is hungry, and could really use another feeding soon.

My Sourdough Starter has Mold on it. Can I Save it?

Unfortunately, no.

You should trash ALL of your starter if you see mold growing on it that is white, black, or pink. 

It is better to be safe than sorry. That is why having dehydrated sourdough starter is a back up option is so important.

I have been maintaining a sourdough starter since 2018 and I have only had mold once. It is not common if you store your sourdough starter properly like I had directed you here.

I got mold in my starter because I left the starter cover ajar, overnight, without feeding the starter after using it. Unfortunately, I had not been careful and I knew the next morning that it had been a mistake.

I had to throw away the starter scraps and start over with dehydrated starter.

Can I use Sourdough Starter Instead of Commercial Yeast in Recipes?

YES! Once you begin using sourdough you realize that everything can be made with sourdough starter!

I tend to find yeast bread recipes I enjoy and then instead of yeast like the recipe calls for I add 100 grams of starter.

I treat the dough the same way I would any sourdough bread and it usually works out well!

How do I use Bread Fails?

If your bread turns out too dense or gummy there are still ways to use it! Learn what you can from the bread fail and then get slicing!

My favorite ways to use the flop breads are croutons, toast, and French toast. 

Bread that flops can be used in different ways, it just takes some creativity! 

Do you have Favorite Sourdough Bread Cookbooks?

I recommend these two books to start. There are many more at your library that you can check out!

Bittman Bread by Mark Bittman

This book is a great book for people who want to bake with fresh milled flour or whole wheat flour. It also helped me be more comfortable breaking the “bread rules” you see online and in many other books.

Artisan Sourdough by Emilie Raffa

This book combines whole wheat with bread flour to create delicious breads that my family has enjoyed for years! I use these recipes with all fresh milled flour and adjust them by adding more water.

What tips do you have to Care for a Sourdough Starter?

Let us know in the comments below how you care for your sourdough starter!

Other Articles You May Enjoy

Fresh Milled Flour Basics You Need to Know

Wheat Berry Varieties – Basics You Need to Know

How to Use a Dehydrated Sourdough Starter

Pin For Later