Care and Feeding Tips for Sourdough Starter

If you got your starter from me, you have 250 grams of 100% hydration starter.  My use and care may not be "best practices", but it keeps the starter relatively healthy without undue attention and waste of flour and works for my bread baking schedule (I bake four loaves at one time approx once every 3-4 weeks)

Feeding the Starter

When you receive the starter, discard all but about 50 grams.  To that 50 grams add:

• 50 grams whole wheat flour
• 50 grams white flour
• 100 grams non chlorinated water (see note 3A  below regarding water temperature.)

Use a one pint jar, with a loosely fitting cover and with straight sides that will allow the starter to be easily scraped out.  Mix the ingredients thoroughly so you don't have dry pockets of flour.

Care and Use

You'll now have a freshened 250 gram starter.  At this point you can:

1. If you want to make bread as soon as possible:  Leave it at room temperature (60-70°) overnight (8-9 hours) (6 hours at 80°) to come to full maturity for breadmaking in the morning OR
2. If you want to hold the starter and make bread at some point down the road:  Put it in the fridge where it will hold easily for a week without extra attention. 
3. In either case, cover the jar with a loose fitting lid to prevent dehydration while allowing for release of gases.  If you apply a tight fitting lid, you'll only forget one time.
   1. If I'm going to put the starter in the fridge for longer term storage, I mix it with relatively cool water. (65°) If I'm going to leave it on the countertop and plan on reaching full maturity in 8 hours I will mix it with warmer water (80°)
4. I will often neglect the starter for two to three weeks at which time the alcohol produced by the microbes will rise to the top of the jar as a clear, slightly gray liquid.  Don't worry.  Just pour off the liquid (don't mix it in, that will kill the microbes) and feed the starter as above.  Keep it at room temperature so it can come back to vigorous life. 
   1. Since the vitality of the starter is questionable depending on how long it has been since I fed it, I will always give the starter a fresh feed the night before I plan to bake and leave it on the countertop overnight. 
   2. So that you can assess the vitality of the starter, make a mark on the side of the jar after you have just fed it and mixed it thoroughly.  The starter, when fully mature, will have risen to double its height. 
      1. If the room has been cool for the prior 8-9 hours you may not see the expected rise.  Put it in a warm place and let it keep working.  If the room has been warm since you last fed it, the starter may have risen fully and begun its decline as the microbes have run out of food.  In that case, re feed it, moderate the temperature and try again. 
   3. Your goal is to use the starter for baking when the starter has reached maximum maturity; right before it runs out of food, and is consequently vigorously hungry for the bread ingredients you will be adding.

Please feel free to email me with any questions at [email protected]

I've found a wealth of information, excellent technique and good teaching from Maurizio at www.theperfectloaf.com .  He's going to be much more precise and regimented than my life and practices allow for.  The above is the result of his instruction combined with my actual experience of what you can get away with.