August 10, 2011 - 5:54am
Sourdough Starter Matainence
I need a little advice :)
I've been feeding my starter for over 2 weeks now , i've used some and made my first loaf and had a nice sucess with taste at least not enough rise but i think that was due to the sort of flour I used in combo with recipe....anyway the starter is doing great, everytime I give it a feeding it doubles(sometimes a little more) and seems to be healthy. I will be going away from Friday night until Sunday night and I really don't have anyone to continue feeding it is there anything I can do so I don't loose my starter, I read somewhere you shouldn't put it in the frig until it's at least 30 days old is that true? I do have a cellar that is much cooler. thanks
Share
I see nothing wrong with refrigeration. I do it all of the time and the sarter revives nicely. I suspect yours will do so also, since it is now doubling with each feeding.
Ford
The idea behind the 30-day rule of thumb is that the starter is still maturing during the first few weeks. Storing it in the refrigerator prematurely simply slows this process down; it's not going to kill or destroy your starter.
I don't know about storing for 30 days but I do mix up a batch of starter and store it for a week or 2 at a time taking out what I need whenever I bake.
To store just make sure it is still strong. Feed it and refrig. immediately. If you let it sit out and eat all the fresh food it will go hungry in the refrig. :-(. My storage starter has a hydration level of 55%.
Janet
I think the 30 day "rule of thumb" applies to switching to regular cold storage, not a one time thing. As the others have pointed out, I doubt there will be a disaster, and as Janet pointed out, keeping it low hydration has been successful for many who either travel with it, or need to store it. Anything around 70% or less is good, you'll have to knead it into a little firm doughball.
- Keith