My sourdough starter was a total diva until I stopped feeding it twice a day

For years I babied my starter with twice daily feedings and precise ratios. Then last month I forgot about it for 3 days in the fridge during a vacation. Came back, fed it once, and it produced the best rise I've ever gotten. Now I just dump it in the fridge and feed it once a week with whatever flour I have. Anyone else cut back on feeding schedules and get better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah19822d ago

Switched to a once a week fridge feeding too and my starter got way happier and stronger.

nina_clark22d ago

Hmm, I gotta push back a little on the "forgot it for three days" part... that's not really forgetting, that's just the fridge method. A mature starter can easily go a week or two in the fridge without feeding and be totally fine. Forgetting would be like... leaving it on the counter for a week and coming back to a science experiment. But yeah, I switched to a once a week fridge feeding schedule a year ago and my bread actually improved too. The constant feedings can make the starter too acidic and sluggish over time. A bit of neglect seems to wake them up and make them work better.