How to feed sourdough starter
Want to learn how to feed sourdough starter? you’re in the right place!
Learn how to feed sourdough starter: it only takes a few minutes but the benefits you’re gonna be reaping from it are endless!
First of all you can have two types of sourdough the solid or the liquid one. These two have different water to flour ratio when it comes to the feeding process. The different ratio is what differentiate the two types and also how often you’re gonna need to feed it.
How to feed sourdough starer: solid starter
The solid sourdough starter need to be fed more often than the liquid one. When you feed the stater you should stick to a 1:0,5:1 ratio. This means you can use 100gr of sourdough starter, 50gr of water and 100gr of flour. Usually you want to discard a bit of the starter you have and feed the remaining. Soon after mixing the flour and water you can put the starter in the fridge.
If you want to make bread you can divide the starter in two. The first half will be fed and kept at room temperature until doubled to be used in the recipe. The other half will be fed and stored in the fridge.
If you are not using the starter, you should feed it at least twice a week to keep it thriving.
How to feed sourdough starer: liquid starter
The liquid starter is more versatile and need less caring. You can feed it once a week if you do not use it. The ratio you’re going to use is 1:1:1, meaning the same amount of starter, water and flour.
The procedure is the same for both starter, so once you fed it you can store it the fridge the amount you’re not going to use for the recipe.
Feeding the sourdough starer: frequently asked questions
- What’s the best flour to feed the starter?
You can use plain flour to feed the starter. This is the best since it helps slowing down how often you need to add water and flour. Flours that are rich in fibers will feed the dough quicker, since the bacteria and yeast thrive on complex carbohydrates. - What if I do not have time to feed the starter or when I am away from home for longer period?
If you are away from home on holidays, or you simply are too busy to care for the sourdough starter you might want to keep it stored in a safe way. You have two possibilities: freezing or dehydrating.
– Freezing the dough is the simplest way to keep it longer. Simply put the starter in a ziplock back and freeze it. When you’re ready to start feeding it you can thaw it and add flour and water. It would be best to feed it a couple of time in a brief period of time to make sure it will be vital. If you are using a liquid starter feed it with the same ratio of the solid one before freezing it.
– Dehydrating the starter is a bit trickier but will work well too. The fastest way is to add to the starter the same amount of flour and mix it in a food processor to turn it into crumbles. If you have 100gr of starter you’ll add 100gr of flour. Once you have your crumbles, you can keep it to dry for a few hours or in a dehydrator at the lowest temperature possibile. The dehydrated starter keeps well as long as it’s kept in a dry place. - What do I do with the starter I discard when feeding the sourdough?
You can make crackers, add it to flatbread dough, use it to make pancakes, waffles or in a cake. If you have plenty you can give it to friends an family and help them learning how to use it.
Want to know why you should be using sourdough? take a look at the countless benefits you’re going to get when baking with sourdough. If you want to make your sourdough from scratch take a look here.
