Sourdough Feeding, Storing and Reviving

Sourdough feeding

The sourdough starter needs to be kept separate from bread dough as a bread dough contains salt, fat, yeast and other things that would contaminate your starter. Therefore, feeding the starter in a discrete container will help to keep it healthy and active.

If you are baking, daily it is better to feed the sourdough times in the morning and the evening with 1 part sourdough, 1 part flour and 0.7 – 1 part water.

If you are not baking once s week, it is best to keep the sourdough in the refrigerator. For more extended periods feed the sourdough at least every ten days. It should be enough nutrients to keep its active enough to raise bread.
1. Mix water with sourdough and flour in a clean jar
2. Let the sourdough rise at a warm place (25°C-28°C) for about 6 –12 hours. (sourdough should be doubled its volume)
3. Store in Refrigerator
4. Every 10 days remove 1/3 to 1/2 parts of the sourdough and replace with fresh flour and water.
5. Let mixture rise at a warm place (25°C-28°C) for about 6 –12 hours. (sourdough should be doubled its volume)

How to Store and keep sourdough

Even with the best possible care, a sourdough can die, for example when it gets moldy.  Please note that one cannot freeze sourdough also freeze-drying requires special chemical and biological agents that protect the yeast cells to be protected during the freezing process.  However,   sourdough can be stored easily by drying it. The micro-organism survives this treatment and the dried sourdough will revive as soon it gets in contact with some water.

Dry Sourdough

1. 40 g active sourdough, best after 6-12 hours after feeding
2. Spread the sourdough as thin as possible and let it get dry at room temperature.
3. Break it into pieces and keep it in a glass or Millar bags with a drying agent bag to store it in a dry at a cooler place (not the refrigerator). The shelf life is about 1 year.

Reviving Dried Sourdough

20 g dried sourdough
40 g Water
20 g flour (wheat or rye, depends on your sourdough)

1. Mix the dried sourdough with water and let it soak for 1-2 hours.
2. Now stir in the flour and let it rise for about 12 hours. Your sourdough should double during this time.
3. If only some bubbles appear, keep feeding until the sourdough shows its old activity.
4. Before the first baking, make one or two feedings at a warm temperature to promote the yeasts.

Read more:

• Bread Making
• Preferment and Starter
• Yeasted preferment (Sponges)
• “Null” dough (without micro-organisms): Water Roux
• Making a Sourdough Starter
• Sourdough Feeding, Storing and Reviving
• Treatment of Sourdough
• Nut Cranberry Raisin Bread
• Japanese Milk Bread
• Swiss Whole Wheat Bread with sourdough (Ruchbrot)
• Swiss Whole Wheat Zopf
• Porridge Bread (No-Knead Bread) with cracked Barley and Dal
• White Fluffy Toast Bread
• Anise Zwieback
• No-knead Cracked Barley Black Bean Bread

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