Gave up on sourdough starter after 3 weeks, then a bakery in Portland changed my mind

I was at Tabor Bread watching the baker toss out half his starter each morning and he explained it's just flour and water, not some sacred pet. Now I keep mine in the fridge and feed it once a week, has anyone else found a low maintenance routine that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_allen24d ago

I read somewhere that the whole "discard every day" thing is just a marketing trick from bakeries to sell more flour lol. That guy at Tabor Bread was real about it though, flour and water is literally all it is. I've been doing the fridge method for like 6 months now and it's so much easier. Feed it once a week on Sunday morning, leave it out for a few hours, then back in the cold. It bubbles up fine, smells good, makes decent bread. The trick is that cold fermentation actually builds more flavor anyway, so you're not losing anything by slowing it down. I also read that you can use a tiny amount of starter in your feedings, like 10g to 50g flour and water, and it still works great. Less waste, less hassle, more bread.

leelewis24d ago

Laughing at myself for how long I fell for the daily discard thing.