How to Revive Sourdough Starter
How to Revive Sourdough Starter- learn how to bring your beloved sourdough starter back to life. Whether you're new to sourdough baking or a seasoned pro, I'll show you how to revive a sourdough starter using some basic techniques that I've discovered over time.
Servings: 1 jar
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- ½ cup water room temperature to lukewarm, make sure it's filtered + non-chlorinated
- 1 cup scant, just under a cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Take your starter out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter. Let it warm up (you could leave it out a few hours, or even, overnight).
- Pour off the hooch from top leaving a thin film.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir it all together.
- Place ½ cup of the stirred together starter into a clean container. Set aside the rest of the starter and you could use it in a sourdough discard recipe (or you could toss this discard out).
- Add into the container with the starter a scant cup of flour and ½ cup of filtered water. Stir together to combine.
- Close your container and place it in the warmest spot of your kitchen (I put the top on my jar but I don’t seal it closed).
- After a few hours, close the container tightly and place in the refrigerator. The next day, your starter should be very bubbly and happy. Mark the height of your container to keep a better track of how it’s rising.
- In case it’s not bubbly the next day, use a wooden spoon to stir the starter together. Remove most of the starter, leaving about a ½ cup.
- Add into your container a scant cup of flour and ½ cup of filtered water (room temp to lukewarm). Stir together to combine. Leave on the counter (I leave on the counter with the jar lid loosely on top) for a few hours and then transfer to the refrigerator (seal the jar tightly).
- The next day, your starter should be bubbling and ready. In case it is not, repeat the process one more time.
- As soon as your starter is at its peak activity, it’s ready to bake with.
Notes
To feed your starter by weight (1:1:1)
100 grams sourdough starter
100 grams room temperature water (filtered + non-chlorinated)
100 grams flour
- For a larger amount of starter, keep similar ratios and scale up, as needed.
- When your starter has been properly revived and you start actively using it and feeding it again, it will rise to double in size much faster.
- If your starter seems to be sluggish after reviving it and feeding it, you could substitute half of the unbleached all-purpose flour with rye or whole wheat flour.
Best Tips for Reviving Sourdough Starter
- Use high-quality flour: The type of flour you use will affect the taste and activity level of your starter. It's best to use unbleached, all-purpose or bread flour for a strong and active starter.
- Keep it warm: A warmer environment will help speed up the revival process. You can place your starter near a heat source or wrap it in a towel to keep it warm.
- Use bottled water: Tap water sometimes contains chlorine or other chemicals that can harm the natural yeast in your starter. Using bottled or filtered water will ensure a healthier environment for your starter.
- Be patient: Reviving a sourdough starter takes time and patience. Don't rush the process and follow the feeding schedule consistently for best results.
- Discard regularly: As your starter becomes more active, it will also grow in size. It's important to discard a portion of the starter before each feeding to prevent it from overflowing and becoming too acidic.
- Experiment with different ratios: Every flour and environment is unique, so don't be afraid to experiment with different feeding ratios to find what works best for your starter.
- Keep a journal: Keeping track of your feeding schedule and any changes you make will help you understand how your starter reacts and allow you to make adjustments as needed.