Starter

CarolT

Hi can someone help. I took my starter from fridge where it had been unfed for 4 days. I fed it and then again 2 days later. I left it out of fridge in warm spot and it doubled and bubbled. Did not feed yesterday and moved it to my colder kitchen. This morning it is flatter - can i bake with this today? Or have i missed the window of opportunity. Also - can someone explain fridge and feeding and using. Do you feed every day and put back in fridge and will it bubble in fridge to just take enough to bake with? Thank you.

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farinam's picture
farinam 2015 June 1

Hello CarolT,

I usually bake once a week but sometimes a bit more.  My stock starter stays in the fridge and I do nothing betweens bakes.  I even just leave it in the fridge while I am away on holiday for three or four weeks (or even longer).

The night before I plan to bake, I take the stock from the fridge and remove what I need to prepare a levain for my bread (or whatever I am making).  This is usually 90g and it goes into a Pyrex (500ml capacity) jug and to this I add 45g flour and 45g water, mix and cover with GladWrap and leave on the bench to activate ready for the morning.  Then I add to the stock to replace what I have taken out (generally 45g flour and 45g water but every so often I up it to 50/50 to make up for losses and escaped gases).  Then it is back to the fridge until next time.  Even after up to four weeks, it is the same procedure.  Beyond that it might take a couple of cycles to get back to full activity.

Things do not stop in the fridge, they just slow down, so your culture will get bubbly and you will notice the mousse-like texture of it when you ladle some out for your levain.  Over the longer periods, once the yeasts etc have gone dormant for lack of food, the mixture will de-gas and look 'flat' but it will come back to life when food arrives.  If it is left for a really long time, then it is possible (depending on the hydration that you are working at) that there will be a separation of layers with a clear coloured liquid (known as hooch) on top and a flour slurry underneath.  Some pour the hooch off, others just mix it back in but the presence of hooch doesn't mean that your culture is dead, it should revive OK with no more than a couple of feed and discard cycles.

I think you could easily go ahead with your bake, it might just take a little longer as the yeasts and bacteria have to take a little time to re-activate when the new food supply arrives.  And besides, it only costs you a half kg of flour and some time and you will learn something from the experience.

Good luck with your projects.

Farinam

CarolT 2015 June 2

Hi thank you for your reply. Perfect - completely understand your process and very helpful answer to my query. I have my starter in the fridge so will try your process. Many thanks. Regards. Carol

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