What happens if I forget to feed my sourdough starter?
Is there something wrong that can happen if I forget to feed my sourdough starter? I kinda forgot to do it twice, but it still appears to have a few bubbles in it. Previously it contained hooch, which I discarded. Also, my starter has a dense consistency because the whole grain flour I guess.
So how should I feed it? I am using 5 tbsp of flour and 4 tbsp of tap water (previously rested for an hour or more to let the chlorine to fall to the bottom)
Best Answer
Then feed it again
In my experience, any issues with sourdough, up to and including a surface layer of fungus, formaldehyde smell, and rotten dirty socks smell, can be fixed by simply feeding it. The worse the sourdough's condition is, the longer you have to feed it; if you don't have any of the above mentioned issues, two days consistent feeding should be fine.
Three notes:
- Usually I put in 2:1 volumetric flour to water.
- I have used whole grain wheat (and rye) before, with no difficulties. The consistency will be a bit different, but whole grains can sustain a good long term sourdough. In my experience, a sourdough "trained" exclusively on whole grains does a much better job on any bread recipe with bran in it; whether whole grain or added.
- If you are forgetful about a sourdough, consider putting it in the fridge. I put mine in the fridge and feed it once a week. You can miss a couple weeks, which will then cause the aforementioned smells, but it can be recovered in a few days of consistent feeding on the countertop.
Pictures about "What happens if I forget to feed my sourdough starter?"
How long can sourdough starter go without feeding?
A starter stored in the fridge can be fed once a week, if you plan to use it often, or you can store it for up to two months without feeding. When you want to use the starter again, remove it from the fridge for a few hours, then feed it every 12 hours for 36 hours before you make bread with it.What happens if I miss feeding my sourdough starter?
The rule of any kitchen is \u201cWhen in doubt, throw it out,\u201d but I wouldn't panic and toss your starter if you only missed 1-3 days of feeding. If it's more than 3 days AND you have a warm kitchen, you'll have to make the call based on how well you know your starter.Can you starve your sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter is filled with naturally occurring yeast. So you can only kill it in two ways. One, heat it to above 138 degrees or something close as that's where regular yeast in a bottle or package gets dead. Two, starve it for so long that it can't come back.How do I know if I killed my sourdough starter?
So how can we tell if a sourdough starter is dead? A sourdough starter is dead when it doesn't respond to regular feedings. If this is the case, the starter needs regular refreshments to be brought back to life. You may also see mould or discolouration, if this happens it's often best to throw it out and start again.Can You Rescue SourDough Starter After 6 Months Of Neglect
More answers regarding what happens if I forget to feed my sourdough starter?
Answer 2
Pour out 1 cup (or about 1/3 of the total amount if you don't have 1 cup) and feed with 2 parts unbleached all-purpose flour to 1 part water. I keep my sourdough in a quart canning jar in the fridge. Once a week, I set it out until it reaches room temperature, set aside 1 cup for bread, feed it with 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup filtered water, leave it out overnight, then put it back in the fridge the next day unless I'm making something else with sourdough. I always leave sourdough out overnight after feeding it.
Answer 3
Simple. Cut feed back to half of total weight (minus container weight). Add double flour to feed and same amount of water as cut back feed weight + 100 ml (approx).
Mix till combined and so on for 2/3 days. It will recover.
fridge for few hours between feeds.
Have been working with sours for long time, experienced baker, they are so unstable but bulletproof if treated right.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Jill Wellington, David Selbert, Pixabay, Gary Barnes