The past two years have seen many changes in the way we live and interact. At the start of the pandemic many people discovered the joys of making things at home. Baking became an obsession for many. Home based bread baking businesses flourished. Sourdough based baking was rediscovered. It has been a couple of years and it seems that the obsession is easing a bit. Work demands, opportunities to get out and the availability of goods have transformed our home baking habits again. Our relationship with sourdough is changing yet again, although I doubt it will disappear from home kitchens.
Sourdough starter can be rewarding but it does take care and feeding and a bit of a commitment. It can quickly become another thing you have to stay on top of in your busy life. Some articles can make it seem that it is just too much to juggle with “the return to normal”. I think there is plenty of room for sourdough in a busy life. If you give yourself a break and do not take it too seriously. Let me tell you how.
My sourdough starter relationship
I am a sourdough starter mama. No, I did not get mine started during the pandemic. My obsession goes back about 8 years. Actually longer, but that is how long my only successful sourdough starter has been living in my fridge. Before buying a sourdough starter culture, I tried in vain to start my own using any number of methods and recipes online and in bread baking books. Apparently my home was devoid of the right type of wild yeasts to get it going. My desire to replicate a sourdough giant pancake recipe from The Roadhouse in Talkeetna drove me to buy a starter culture. That simple purchase started a baking journey that has transformed my baking skills in many ways. Years later, the search for the pancake recipe recipe continues, but we have enjoyed other delicious sourdough recipes.
Caring for and feeding your starter can be a lot of work
Why am I writing this blog post when so many others have already written about the delicious ways they have used their starter? Well because there is more than eating the results to owning a sourdough starter. There is the care and feeding that is often simplified to “once per week remove 1 cup of the starter, discard, mix in 1 cup flour and about 1 cup of water and let sit for 2 to 4 hours before using”. There are some recipes for using the discard, but overall the idea of having to do something at least weekly, and plan far enough in advance to “feed” the starter before using can be overwhelming.
It was to me. Now we come to the purpose of this post. Keeping and using a sourdough starter need not be so hard or onerous. If you have almost given up on your sourdough starter now that you are getting out of the house again, read on.
Bringing sourdough starter back to life
My relationship with my sourdough starter has had its ups and downs. I almost killed my starter at least 3 times. There have been other times that, I am sure, were pretty close. I have, in a last ditch effort, poured off the pretty badly smelling liquid off the top, scooped out a table spoon of the still ok smelling thick starter underneath, fed it with flour and water and crossed my fingers. Everything I read said to throw it out and start over, but since I could never seem to grow a culture in my kitchen, and I was loath to spend the money on another culture again, I wanted to give rescue a shot. I fed it, let it grow. Scooped out another small amount and did it again. Eventually, It came back to looking like the vibrant being it was before.
Breaking the “fed” vs. “unfed” sourdough starter rules
I break other rules too. I regularly use my discard in a variety of recipes, including ones that call for a fed starter. The end results have yet to disappoint. The taste is generally amazing (more sour) and the only difference I can see is needing a little extra time for the finished product to proof/rise. There are times when I use my starter a couple times a week and others where it may be 3 or even 4 weeks between uses. When it’s been a while, I mix in the liquid on top, measure out what I need, feed the rest and let it sit on the counter for a while before putting it back in the fridge. I may need to use a little more flour in the recipe, since it becomes thinner with time, but making the process simpler is worth it.
Don’t give up things that add joy to your life
There is joy and pleasure to be had from making something from scratch. The sourdough resurgence showed us that old tried and true methods work just as well at home as they do in commercial kitchens. If sourdough starter made its way into your home, do not give up on it. There may still be time to save it and enjoy the delicious results when time permits.
Give it the smell test if it has been a while since last use. If the liquid on top is clear (the color could be gray or even brownish) without foam or cloudy build-up and smells okay (sour, tangy and even alcohol smell are okay) stir it in and feed your starter. If you are not sure about the liquid at all, go ahead and pour it off. Scoop out a small amount of the starter from underneath, put it in a clean container and feed it with some flour and water. You can gradually build back the volume by adding more flour and water without removing any. Just give it time to start bubbling before you do add more.
Going forward remember that you can use unfed starter in almost any recipe calling for fed with good results. You may need to give it extra time to rise, and it may need a little extra flour to get the right dough consistency, but you will get a good result. I am not claiming identical results, as I have not done a head to head comparison, but I have never been disappointed with my unfed starter results. I know some sourdough experts will disagree with my suggestions and that is ok. My methods may not be perfect, or the right way to do things, but I am not aiming for perfection. I aim for delicious results; approachable methods and options that work in busy, over scheduled lives.
Taking calculated risks has many rewards
We all got started with sourdough for different reasons. I continue because even though instant yeast is easier, I like having options, and often the process and the wait are just what I need. I will continue to explore recipes, and maybe one day I will finally get that sourdough pancake recipe just right. In the meantime we will all enjoy the experiments along the way, and not worry so much if the starter was fed before I used it. Join me in taking some risks in the kitchen. The joy of the process, and the results may surprise you.
Note: I am not part of any affiliate program at this time and will not earn a commission if you visit any outside linked businesses. The links are provided for reference only and not an endorsement. That said I loved my time in Alaska and cannot wait to visit again.
Do you have any experiences with sourdough baking? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment or contact me directly. You can also sign up for the occasional newsletter below.
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