Should I stir my sourdough starter before measuring? [duplicate]

I'm new to using sourdough starter and some directions aren't very clear. I'm not sure if it needs to be stirred down before I measure for cooking and for feeding it. I've been stirring down the starter before measuring both when feeding and when cooking with it. Is that the right way?

Also, I've only been keeping 1/2 cup of starter to feed, adding 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour. If I keep more, do I need to increase the amount of flour and water I add?

sourdough

Best Answer

Rather than worrying about whether you 'stir down' the starter before measuring by volume, you should really be measuring by weight. Kitchen scales are cheap and incredibly helpful, especially for any kind of baking.

Regarding feeding: there are almost as many different feeding ratios as there are sourdough starters. None of these are set in stone. A common ratio is 1:1:1 starter:flour:water, again by weight. Thus, if you keep more starter, you feed it more.

Pictures about "Should I stir my sourdough starter before measuring? [duplicate]"

Should I stir my sourdough starter before measuring? [duplicate] - Set of shiny black spoons on gray table

Should I stir my sourdough starter before measuring? [duplicate] - Daughter and senior mother standing at table in kitchen and stirring dish in frying pan while preparing food for dinner

Should I stir my sourdough starter before measuring? [duplicate] - Side view of cheerful female in apron and casual t shirt standing in modern kitchen and mixing ingredients with whisk in stainless bowl while preparing dough

Should I stir down my sourdough starter?

My sourdough starter gets a clear, thin liquid that smells like alcohol on top, should I throw it out? You can discard this liquid (or \u201chooch\u201d as it's commonly called) or stir it back down into the culture, either way. I typically stir it all in together.

Should I stir in the liquid on top of the sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter has liquid on top means the starter just needs more flour to feed it. The hooch is harmless, you can simply stir it back into the starter, and feed it with fresh flour and water.

Can you stir sourdough starter with a metal spoon?

METAL: Stirring your starter with a metal spoon or placing it in a metal bowl won't kill your starter. While we don't recommend making or keeping your starter in contact with reactive metals like copper or aluminum, stainless steel is harmless.

Can you over mix your sourdough starter?

Myth 7: You can't overfeed sourdough starter. While starters do need regular feeding, it is possible to overfeed one. Each time you feed a starter, you thin out the population of microorganisms by adding flour and water. The remaining yeasts and bacteria eat the new flour and multiply, rebuilding the population.

How to tell if your Sourdough Starter is Ready to Bake

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Jill Wellington, Karolina Grabowska, Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio