Sourdough starter how long does it last

My "recipes" are more guidelines. If you want to share more precise recipes or scale up, that is a good reason to weigh ingredients and to know what hydration your starter is at. The chef, who'd been repeatedly forced to feed the starter not his job! The starter, a year-old version used by one of Paris' most esteemed bakeries the name wasn't revealed , did just that: it died, completely. When someone says they have a ancient starter that's been maintained forever, I always remember this story.

Knowing the foibles of we as a species, I almost never believe a starter is as old as people say it is, but I allow people their delusions, unless I'm recounting this story.

If you maintain a starter carefully, it can last a long, long time. If you use a good regimen, it can be stable. Michael Gaenzle, formerly of the German Fat and Cereal research center had some starters that were unchanged for at least 50 years.

When a starter has been in use for some time in a bakery, the chances are pretty good that a new starter started in that location will be very similar to any other starter started in that location. The key elements in determining what a starter will be like include the flour used to start the starter as that is probably where the organisms come from, the water used to start the starter as that can change the starting pH, the temperature the starter is started at as that can favor some organisms over others, and the hydration of the starter when it is started as that can also favor some organisms over others.

Most "nautural" starters are a mix of many organisms with a few being dominant. That is because there are a lot of organisms on the flour. The conditions of the starter's inception and maintenance will determine which organisms win out. Debbie Wink had some interesting papers on these topics. Of course, the real question is what all this means to the baker.

And usually, not much. Most starters are pretty stable in 30 to 90 days of use depending on who you beleive. And if it dies, your next starter will more than likely be very much like the previous one. Rachael, if you find your sourdough too sour there are ways to make the dough milder. Feed the starter more often, is one. Don't let it sit around mature collecting acids. Build for a loaf with your starter and just before it peaks, mix it in and keep the dough at temperatures that favor the yeast growth and if using a retarding method, do it before too much fermentation has taken place in the dough.

Another is to add just a little bit of sugar or honey to the culture when you feed it. You may want to experiment separately from your regular starter. This may trigger a temporary imprint into the RNA and result in a less sour culture how many generations I do not know 10 or or 10, or more.

It seems to happen in many cultures that are fed sugar especially in the beginning of culture formation. Once it has been left unfed for long enough, it will have died. Some might smell like nail polish, mild vinegar, or even a little sweet. Most of the funky smells are from good bacteria, so you can feel confident that your starter is healthy. You want to be careful if it gets smells that are very strong and foul.

If your starter smells anything like strong cheese, vomit, or dirty socks, it has most likely gone bad and not safe to use. Starters that develop colors such as pink, blue, orange, yellow, etc. If for whatever reason your sourdough starter has been exposed to high heat, it may be damaged beyond repair.

Step 4: Once completely dry, it will become brittle and come off the parchment paper easily. Remove the dried starter from the parchment paper and crumble it up into small peices, or crush into a powder. Step 5: Store in an airtight container in a dark cool place, or place in a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer. This is a long term storage option as the dried starter will stay as it is indefiniety.

It can be left like this for years! Step 2: In a large bowl, add the dried starter, and the same amount in weight of water. Cover the bowl with a breathable cloth. In a day or so, the starter should be bubbly, active and ready to bake with!

It preserves the starter indefinitely with no maintenance whatsoever. And anyhow, once you revive it, the yeasts and bacteria will increase again back to normal. There is also the option of drying your starter, and then placing it in the freezer for long term storage! The general advice is, that for shorter term storage, the refridgerator method works best , as it is simply a matter feeding it and placing it in the fridge.

Freezing is more suited to medium term storage , as there is a chance that it can degrade over time if left in the freezer for more than a year. This is an excellent way of preparing your sourdough starter to use regularly, without maintenance of a starter on a regular basis. Just remember not to use up the last portion without keeping some behind first! Drying out the starter is the best option for longer term storage , as it can be forgotton about completely, until you are ready to use it again, no matter how much time has passed.

This is because it takes less effort to revive a dried starter, than it does to revive a frozen or refridgerated one. Drying it out actually preserves the bacteria and yeasts better than freezing or refridgerating it, which is why it revives so much quicker , and usually only requires one feeding before it is ready to use, no matter how long it has been stored away for. Reviving a starter from long term storage is far easier and quicker than making a new one from scratch.

A revived starter is ready to use in only a day or two , whereas a new starter will need at least a couple of weeks before it becomes active enough to bake bread with. It will also need a few months before it becomes mature and strong, with developed complex flavors. You never know, you may thank yourself for doing so later on down the line!

If this is the case, and your sourdough starter needs a little extra help to get back to normal, there are a couple of options you could try:. Feeding it more often than 3 times a day will be counter productive. It will depend on a number of things:. The same will apply for when you store your sourdough starter. It may take more feedings to revive one starter than it does to revive another. This is especially apparent with refridgerated sourdough starter. A good way to tell, is if the hooch developing on the top is increasing and becoming darker.

This is a sign that it may need another feed before being stored back in the fridge again. I have a list of essential equipment that I use to feed my starter and bake sourdough bread, including my favorite utensils and starter jars. Check out my Baking Tools section to find out more. Add flour 2. Add water 3. Mix thoroughly 4. Plenty of space in jar 5. Close lid tightly 6. Label and place in fridge.