For light flavoursome sourdough breads we need a lively, fresh sourdough starter, which has had a few frequent refreshments before use. But what happens when life gets busy, or you take a break from baking and your starter sits neglected in the fridge for months? Don’t worry! Even if it’s been a while, you can revive your sourdough starter and bring it back to life with a bit of attention and patience.
Here’s how!
Assess the Condition of Your Starter
First things first, let’s see what we’re working with.
Open the container and take a good look and sniff. A healthy sourdough starter should have a tangy, slightly yeasty aroma. If it smells like rotten cheese or you notice any mould, discard/compost it all and build a new starter.
You can find a step by step guide and video on how to make a rye sourdough starter from scratch in the “The Common Loaf” section of our website, just click HERE
If you see a layer of liquid on top of your dormant starter, don’t panic, its called “hooch”, This just means your starter is hungry. You can either pour it off or stir it back in.
Discard (Compost) and Refresh
For a wholemeal rye sourdough starter, (which is my preferred starter), I find that for every week it has been lying dormant in the fridge it will need at least that many refreshments to get it going again. I.e. if it has been in the fridge for three weeks, it will need at least three refreshments. It shouldn’t really need more than five refreshments to get going though.
Now, it’s time to bring your dormant starter back to life.
Refresh Your Starter
Step 1: Scrape all of your dormant starter into a new container and clean out your jar, with clean warm water.
Step 2: Put 50 grams of the dormant starter back into the clean jar, add 50 grams of water (around 24-30°C or 75-86°F) and 50 grams of rye flour.
Step 3: Stir everything together well to incorporate air and ensure an even distribution of the wild yeast and bacteria.
Step 4: Leave the starter out at warm room temperature while it is fermenting.
– Compost the remaining dormant starter.
Establish a Regular Feeding Schedule
For the next few days, commit to feeding your starter twice daily. Each time, discard/compost 100 grams of starter and add back in 50 grams rye flour and 50 grams water. Mix together, just like the step above. This consistent feeding schedule will help your starter regain its strength. Keep an eye out for signs of life—bubbles, rising, and that wonderful tangy smell. As it becomes more active, you’ll see it doubling in size and bubbling vigorously.
Fine-Tuning and Maintenance
Once your starter is reliably rising and falling as shown in The Sourdough Starter Cycle, it’s a good sign that it’s back to full strength. At this point, you can adjust the feeding schedule to once weekly if you’re baking frequently. Return the starer to the fridge when not in use and long term storage.
Ready to Bake or Store
When your starter is doubling in size within a few hours after refreshing and developing a nice crabapple flavour it’s ready to use in your sourdough recipes.
If you’re not baking immediately, you can store it in the fridge and feed it weekly to keep it healthy and happy.
I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Happy Baking
Joe
Leave A Comment