How Do I Know If It’s Dead? And Other Sourdough Starter Questions, Answered (2024)

FAQs

How Do I Know If It’s Dead? And Other Sourdough Starter Questions, Answered? ›

The first few super bubbly days are often a result of other bacteria coming to play in the starter, but when they die off, the bubbles will slow or even stop. Keep feeding your starter, and you'll see normal activity (bubbles) return in a few days. If your starter has a bit of dark liquid on top, it's not dead!

A “ripe” starter is one that's fermented for some number of hours and is ready to use in a recipe, whether to make a levain or mix directly into a dough for sourdough bread-making. Generally, when a starter is ripe, it has risen, is bubbly on top, has a sour aroma, and has a looser consistency.

In between feeds, whilst your starter is in the fridge, it becomes dormant and sometimes it will look like it's separated, with a layer of murky liquid on the top often called the 'hooch'. This is absolutely normal. Just stir it all back together again and use the starter as required.

If the starter is not close to doubling by 12 hours later, feed it again – and repeat until the starter doubles within 12 hours, then reduce to a 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.

If your sourdough starter won't rise anymore, reset it by putting 25 grams of starter in a jar and feed it 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. With this ratio, your starter should double in size in about 12-24 hours.

It's okay if your starter doesn't have big bubbles. Large bubbles can be the result of the flour you're using and the hydration. What's more important overall, is to see strong signs of consistent fermentation: some bubbles, consistent rise each day, a sour aroma, a loosening in texture.

Yes, you can overfeed your sourdough starter. Audrey explains: “Every time you add more flour and water, you are depleting the existing population of natural bacteria and yeast.” If you keep adding more and more, eventually you'll dilute the starter so much that you'll just have flour and water.

While some starters might develop a thin layer of hooch (a liquid that forms on the surface), especially if they have been neglected, mould growth is a definite problem. A mouldy sourdough starter will exhibit visible signs of mould growth, which can vary in appearance depending on the type of the mould.

If your starter gets completely covered on top with bubbles but does not rise, it is healthy but may just be a wet mix. Try reducing the water in your next feeding and see if you have different results. Also, the type of flour you are using can impede the rise of your starter.

The most important sign of sourdough starter readiness is that your starter is doubling every single time you feed it. A sourdough starter needs to at least double its volume, but could even triple if it's really active and happy.

How to revive a sad sourdough starter? ›

Take 50g of starter from the jar and feed it another 100g of flour and 100g of water. Leave the starter for around 12 hours. After this second feeding it should double. If it does then it's ready to use.

Typical signs of food spoilage and mold include pink, orange, or green colors, white fuzzy spots, or sometimes areas that are darker with white areas on top. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend throwing your starter away and creating a new one.

How do you feed a sourdough starter? Simple. You add roughly the same amount of flour and lukewarm water as you have starter, mix it around so there aren't any clumps of dry flour, and let it chill out until things start bubbling up.

Keep feeding your starter, and you'll see normal activity (bubbles) return in a few days. If your starter has a bit of dark liquid on top, it's not dead! It simply means it's hungry and that it's time to feed it. Unless your starter has a pink or orange hue or is beginning to mold, you probably haven't killed it yet.

If you don't want to discard sourdough starter daily, scale back your feedings by 1/4 cup amounts. Still feels like you're baking too much? You can further reduce your feedings to a weekly basis if you keep your starter in the fridge rather than on the countertop.

If you don't discard your sourdough starter, it will grow too big and be unmanageable. Not to mention you will go through an unmentionable amount of flour.

The starter looks lifeless

Other than failed bread and weak dough, you can tell just by looking at a starter that it is weak. It won't have any bubbles and it won't rise very much after feeding. It will look lifeless. An active, bubbly starter, on the other hand, looks alive.

But before that happens, your starter will give you a sign that it's hungry. According to King Arthur Baking, it will throw off tons of "hooch," the alcoholic liquid that collects on top of the starter as it sits. Some hooch is fine, the outlet explains, even hooch that has changed color and gone dark.

Creating a healthy and vibrant sourdough starter can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days depending on several factors. The temperature of your kitchen is the most important factor to consider. Starters thrive in a warm environment, ideally around 75°F (24°C).

When starting to build your starter you can leave it a bit thinner but once you start making bread you will want it THICK, You want your sourdough starter to be the consistency of thick pancake batter. if it's too thin add a scoop of flour. If it is too thick add water to find the right consistency.