How To: Revive Sourdough Starter
Do you have a sourdough starter that you've been meaning to use, but it's just sitting in the back of your fridge for months? All you need to do is follow our simple instructions and before long, your forgotten sourdough starter will be revived and ready for baking delicious bread and treats in just a few days!
Ingredients
- 50 g unfed sourdough starter
- 500 g flour divided
- 500 g water divided
Instructions
- Remove the unfed sourdough starter from the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
- Look closely at the starter, discard immediately if your starter has mold, a pink/orange/red tinge, or smells musty, as these can be signs of contamination, so I don't recommend trying to revive it.
- If the starter passes the test, stir in the hooch, or pour it off. I prefer to stir it back in, but it can be poured off too.
- In a clean jar or container, mix 50g of the unfed starter with 50g warm water, stir until combined, then add in 50g flour.
- Set aside the fed starter for 12 hours, then feed it again using a fresh clean jar, combine 50g starter, 50g water and 50g flour. Mark the side of your jar with the height of the starter.
- Watch the starter for signs of activity. It may be a little bit sluggish, but you should start to see a few bubbles here and there.
- If the starter is close to doubling within 12 hours, wait 24 hours before feeding again. If the starter is not close to doubling within 12 hours, feed it again 12 hours after the initial feed- and repeat until the starter doubles within 12 hours, then reduce to a once every 24 hour feeding period.
- Once the starter is revived and doubling regularly, it should be maintained on the counter and fed every 24 hours for 4-5 days. This will help get your starter healthy again before it's placed back in the fridge.
- Feed your starter weekly or bi-weekly once it's in the fridge to keep it healthy and active.
Notes
How Do I Know If My Starter Is Ready To Bake With?
- It rises predictably after feeding
- It at least doubles within the expected timeframe for your feeding ratio and temperature
- It has bubbles throughout, not just on the surface
- It develops a domed top
- It smells pleasantly fermented
- It can repeat that same performance after consecutive feedings.
Expert Tips
- Don't panic, feed it. A neglected starter can look rough after a long fridge nap, but ugly doesn't mean dead. If there's no mold or obvious contamination, give that fermenty baby some fresh flour, water, and a little time. There's a very good chance you'll be back to baking before you know it.
- Give it the once over. Before you start feeding, take a critical look at your starter. Hooch, separation, a strong fermented smell and generally sad appearance can all happen when a starter has been neglected. Mold or obvious spoilage is a different story. If something looks genuinely off, check my guide to figure out if your sourdough starter has gone bad and know when it's time to let go.
- Stick with the usual. Try to feed your starter with the flour it was raised on. I like to keep it familiar when waking up sourdough starter. If you've always fed it bread flour, keep feeding it bread flour. The same goes for whole wheat, whole grain, all purpose, rye flour, or gluten-free. No need for a surprise party when your starter is already having a rough day.
- Mark the jar. Don't always trust your eyes to tell you if your starter rose 25, 50 or 100%. A rubber band, a piece of tape, a hair tie, or a dry erase marker can make the rise much easier to track.
