I bake sourdough almost exclusively for cheese toasties.
I used to maintain my started by feeding daily and leaving it at room temp. It was a routine, but since I’m admittedly quite lazy it eventually bothered me.
It’s been about a month since I’ve changed over to keeping my starter in the fridge and only feeding it the day prior to baking. Once used, I’ll place the under starter back in the fridge for next time.
Honestly, this is way better for my lifestyle. Much more relaxed.
Recipe:
300g water
450g bread flour + 50g whole grain bread flour
9g salt
150g starter
Coil fold every 30 mins, 4 times.
Bulk ferment: honestly it always changes. I go by when it looks okay. Jiggly, increase in volume. I’ve never taken temps. Should I?
Cold proof: overnight
Bake: 36 mins @230degrees C, lid on. 16mins @180 with lid off.
Rest: 3 hours at least
by patagoony
18 Comments
I can’t help as I’ve only ever fed my starter weekly, but I’m super interested in those flours?! I’ve been on the Sainsbury’s own brand basic strong white bread flour – did you ever try that? Did you see a marked improvement when you moved up a flour bracket?
This is the only way.
Next time you prep the starter for baking, make a little extra and dry it out so you have some dehydrated starter as back up. Store it in a jar in a dry dark cupboard and forget about it until you need it.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2015/05/01/putting-sourdough-starter-hold
I am ever so jealous of the grain and seed mix flours you have!!
Gorgeous on all accounts! How do you store your loaves? In the freezer?
I also do the fridge method, and skip the levain to use starter directly.
However, your recipe calls for a lot more starter than I typically use. I know the bulk time varies, but any idea on a ballpark estimate?
I agree I don’t discard I keep mine in the fridge take 50g from it the night before add 75 water 75 flour put the starter back in the fridge when it gets low I feed it a couple of times then back in the fridge discarding drove me crazy
Beautiful loaf 💜💜💜
That sandwich looks delicious!!!
Stunning !!
Me too! So much easier!
Saving this shit for later.
Hello that’s stunning! My practice is similar to yours: feeding it weekly, timing it 1 day prior to baking. And then the recipe as well: 60% hydration and 150g starter (mine is actually levain but because of the 50g discard + 50g water + 50g flour so it becomes 150g total), and 9-10 g of salt. I autolyse first for 45-60mins.
I do stretch and fold every 30mins, 4 times. I agree that bulk ferment is more a visual check rather than fixing the time. My kitchen thermostat is set at 17C so that’s the ambient temperature.
I’m curious at making the ear / scoring. I never got it like the Youtube videos where the lame or razor could glide smoothly and the slice can splay open beautifully. Mine always drags – I tried with a new lame, a santoku knife, using a different starter (my go-to is rye but I also have a strong white bread flour starter), but it still drags. I tried scoring immediately after taking the dough out of the fridge, people swear by it, but it still glides.
People say what makes it splay open nicely is the ‘skin’ so putting it in the fridge or just popping it in the freezer for 30mins before baking so it develops skin is the way to go. I tried that but there’s no skin 🙁 so it always drags. Please share your tips.
Yes! I feed two days prior and it’s way more maintainable
I feed mine and put for an hour or couple of hours, put in fridge, take out when needed, used, fed and again wait few hours, in fridge and so on. Look at the breads i make (i cant get oven spring as with 100% white bread, i put at least 30% rye whilegrain wheat, spelt, corn etc which wont develope as much gluten as white)
Started doing something similar and the results have been great. Starter gets out of the fridge before I go to bed, take out 50g and feed. Feed original starter, leave overnight. By morning it’s all doubled up and ready for backing. The 50g jar (now is 100g after flour and water) goes into the bake, original starter jar goes back to fridge.
This is beautiful, once my starter is a little more mature I’ll be following your technique. I have also received a 30g portion of starter from an established lady online, so I’ll be keep both going for comparison.
May i ask how old your starter is please, apologisies if you have already mentioned this.
I will be taking a trip to Sainsbury’s to spend a ridiculous time in the flour aisle 🤣❤️🤌
how long can it stay in the fridge before it needs to be fed again? if i’m not baking frequently*
I started doing this too and have had better success plus I was so sick of wasting so much flour