Where to keep sourdough starter
I am wondering what the pros and cons are of keeping a sourdough starter inside the fridge or outside the fridge. Certainly, keeping the starter in the fridge reduces the frequency of feedings, but does keeping the starter in the fridge negatively impact its quality?
Best Answer
Keeping the starter in the refrigerator is a fairly common practice, and does not degrade the quality of the starter. In fact, you can also freeze a starter...or even dehydrate it for longer storage. As you point out, this just reduces its activity, and the frequency of feedings. Of course, when you are preparing to bake, you should remove it from the refrigerator well in advance. Depending on how long you go between feedings, you may want to remove it from the refrigerator 24 hours or more in advance, and begin regular 12-hr (or so) feedings to get it working at its full effectiveness again.
Pictures about "Where to keep sourdough starter"
Can I leave my sourdough starter on the counter?
The key: maintaining your sourdough starter so that it's healthy, happy, and ready to go when you are. Once you've successfully created your starter, you'll need to feed it regularly. If you bake a lot of sourdough treats, you may want to keep it on your counter, at room temperature.Should sourdough starter be kept in a warm place?
By creating a sourdough starter, you are nurturing a colony of bacteria. Those bacteria have an ideal temperature to thrive in \u2013 that's between 20 and 24 Centrigrade, 70 and 75 Farenheit. The closer you can keep your sourdough starter to this temperature, the quicker and easier building it up will be.Where do you keep sourdough starter warm?
Try placing your sourdough on the top shelf or on top of a cupboard to stay warm. It's can be 1-2 degrees (Celcius) warmer than just sitting on your bench-top. Place your starter in the microwave to warm up. Leave the door just barely shut so the light stays on.Should I keep the lid on my sourdough starter?
While the temperature and surroundings of a starter are crucial to its outcome, the sourdough starter does not need to be sealed in an airtight container. It's still helpful to cover the starter with some sort of a lid, to prevent any mess from ensuing (via The Perfect Loaf).Sourdough Starter Maintenance - Sourdough Starter Fridge Storage
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Jill Wellington, Genadi Yakovlev, Monstera, Sebastian Coman Photography