In our first sourdough starter troubleshooting post we tackled sourdough starter viability, and what will and won't cause your starter's demise. We also found out what a spoiled starter looks like, and how to know when it's time to throw it out and start over.
Today we'll take on the thorny question of whether it's worthwhile to try to revive an old but struggling starter — or if it's best to start over.
Sourdough starter: A miracle in the making
Creating your own starter from scratch is exciting and even a little magical; for details, see our step-by-step guide to creating a sourdough starter.
Simply mixing flour and water allows friendly bacteria and wild yeast to join forces and establish a balanced ecosystem that is able to impart great flavor and rise to your sourdough baking.
During the 6 to 10 days that it takes to get your starter up and running, it's a little more vulnerable to bacterial intruders and mold because it hasn't yet developed the defenses of a mature starter. But once fully developed, a well-maintained starter will readily fend off unwanted invaders and is very unlikely to spoil.
Reviving a neglected starter vs starting a new one
What if you inherited an old starter from your grandma and it's looking a little like it might be at death's door?
Sourdough authorities argue that there's nothing sacred about an old starter; a freshly developed "mature" starter will impart just as much flavor and rise to your bread.
Starting over with a new starter will get you back to baking great sourdough bread in a little over a week. So why take on the unpredictable task of trying to resurrect a sickly starter?
And is it even possible to thoroughly revive a starter that's sorely neglected?
Let's find out.
I start with two very neglected starters. Both starters (one all-purpose, one whole wheat) had been well-maintained until they were left at room temperature for a full month without being fed.
Why test both a white and a whole wheat starter? Starters can be maintained with all different types of flour, so I wanted to see if a whole wheat starter responded in the same way as a starter fed with all-purpose flour.
I pour the dark hooch off the neglected starters, and feed them following the feeding schedule called for in our sourdough starter recipe.
The revived starters smell a little "off" at first, but not awful; think vinegary sour, with a slightly unpleasant edge. Within four days they're rising well and have a nice, mildly tangy aroma. My theory is that both the acidity and the maturity of the neglected starters helps them fight off unwanted bacteria at the beginning of the process, which might allow for a faster return to a healthy and balanced starter.
By way of comparison, I also begin a starter from scratch. My brand-new starter is able to keep up in terms of rise. However, after four days it still smells a little funky and doesn't seem quite ready for baking bread.
Putting the starters to the test: Test bake #1
On Day 4 (after only four feedings) I bake Naturally Leavened Sourdough Bread using my revived starters (which I mix together for the test), and my regularly well-maintained starters.
The results are a little shocking: two beautiful and delicious loaves. Both loaves taste mildly sour, although taste testers agree that the revived-starter loaf is slightly tangier.
Test bake #2
On Day 5, after a total of six feedings, I try another test bake—this time including the brand-new starter; the revived starters, and my well-maintained regular starter.
Again, the results are surprising: three nice loaves, each with a similar rise and crumb structure. The only real difference is in the flavor of the breads. Each has mildly sour flavor, but the brand-new starter yields a slightly blander loaf.
Sourdough starter troubleshooting: the takeaway
It's definitely worth trying to revive a neglected starter (so long as it shows no signs of contamination). Pour off any discolored hooch, and start feeding it twice a day at room temperature. If it rises well and has a good aroma after three to four days, you're back in business!
We'd love to hear your own sourdough starter stories and questions below. Did you revive your starter from the brink of death? How long did it take? Is it thriving now?
For more information, please check out our first sourdough starter troubleshooting post.
Recipes in this post
Filed Under:
Recipes
Comments
Post A Comment
Blog
April 30, 2020 at 1:33pm
Hello! I am a first-timer when it comes to sourdough starter, and I used the KAF recipe for it using unbleached all-purpose flour. The first 24 hours actually showed fantastic development - it actually doubled in size! - but that was literally the ONLY day it's done anything. Every day since (and I am now on day 11), it's seemed stagnant, not rising at all. In fact, while for a few days it smelled yummy and sourdough-y, now it barely even smells tangy; it pretty much just smells (and looks) like flour and water. I've gone through a TON of flour, so I'm wondering if it's even worth it to continue to use up flour to try and revive it or if I should just start over? Thank you for any advice you can give!
May 6, 2020 at 8:44am
In reply to Hello! I am a first-timer… by Lizzie (not verified)
Hi Lizzie, I apologize for the delay in responding to your question, and hope by now that your starter has turned a corner and is rising like a champ! If this isn't the case, then you might want to try the alternative feeding routine suggested to us by microbiologist and sourdough baker, Debra Wink. She observed that starters that show an early burst of activity (due to a type of bacteria that gives off carbon dioxide), are often plagued by a subsequent delay in the wild yeast kicking in. This isn't insurmountable, and even if you continue feeding according to our original starter recipe, eventually your starter will work its way to rising. If you want to try something different, the alternative feeding plan offered by Wink lowers the pH of the starter environment, which she found helps pave the way for the wild yeast to join the party. It works best with either whole wheat flour or whole rye flour, but if you don't have these flours available, you can still use unbleached all-purpose flour. And if you're worried about using up all your flour, you can reduce the size of your starter, at least until your starter begins to rise predictably. Here's the plan:
1. Feed only once a day.
2. Feed with wholegrain flour, if available.
3. Feed with a ratio by weight of 2 parts starter : 1 part water : 1 part flour. For example, with a smaller starter this would mean one feeding a day of 30g starter + 15g water + 15g wholegrain flour.
Once your starter begins rising predictably (twice) with this feeding routine, then it's important to return to twice a day feedings, which will further promote yeast development. You'll also want to gradually transition back to AP flour, and increase the percentage of water/flour to line up with the 1:1:1 ratio, by weight.
Don't be surprised if your starter hesitates a bit each time you change it's feeding routine, as the organisms need time to adjust, but once your starter is again rising predictably, then you should be good to go.
I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes.
Barb
April 29, 2020 at 2:58pm
Hello, I am on Day 8 of creating my starter, and like many, I am getting bubbles but no rise. We are going to be away for a couple of days on our boat, is it OK for me to put the starter in the fridge while we are gone and then start feeding it again? I am going to start with the whole wheat 2:1:1 ratio for the next two days, or am I better off to keep feeding it twice daily per your recipe and then kickstart it when we get back? I have gone thru a 3/4 a bag of AP flour and as you know, that is almost as scarce as yeast. Thank you for your help
May 4, 2020 at 9:59am
In reply to Hello, I am on Day 8 of… by Ellen Beebe (not verified)
Hi Ellen, I'm afraid I missed the opportunity to answer your question in time for your trip, and hope that whatever choice you made worked well for you and your starter. I probably would have advised to start in with the new feeding plan before your trip, but either way shouldn't have caused any harm. If you're still worried about running out of flour, you might want to consider maintaining a smaller starter, at least until your starter begins rising predictably. Good luck, and let us know how it's going!
Barb
April 29, 2020 at 1:34pm
I began my sourdough starter about a week and a half ago. It smells amazing and I have used the discard to make many wonderful things such as pancakes, carrot cake, biscuits and crackers. I attempted to make a Focaccia and the taste was amazing. Their were holes in the finished bread, but it was very, very dense. The dough just didn't seem to rise. My starter was made using a 1:1 ratio of King Arthur AP flour and filtered water. I maintain it at a 1:1:1 ratio. It tends to be on the runny side so I wasn't too concerned that it wasn't doubling, but when my bread dough didn't rise appropriately I began to worry. I am now on day 10 and I am getting lots small bubbles on top, it makes houch so I have begun to feed it 2x a day, but still no rise. I have tried putting it in the oven with the light on for heat and still no rise. Can you offer some advice on what I may be doing wrong?
May 4, 2020 at 9:46am
In reply to I began my sourdough starter… by Victoria (not verified)
Hi Victoria, sorry for the delay in responding to your question! I hope by now your starter has taken off and is rising like a champ, but if this isn't the case, then it may be time to change things up a bit. First, I like to check what type of jar you have your starter stored in. To see the type of doubling behavior we talk about it helps to have your starter stored in a clear jar with straight sides that is taller than it is wide. If you're maintaining the starter according to our sourdough starter recipe, a wide mouth quart-sized Mason jar works well. If you'd like to maintain a smaller starter, as described in our blog and recipe, then a wide mouth 8-ounce jelly jar works well. There's nothing wrong with storing your starter in a covered bowl, but it can be more difficult to see it rising in the way we describe. It's also important to note that the 1:1:1 ratio of ingredients in our recipe is by weight, rather than volume. If you happen to be measuring equal parts by volume, this will result in a very liquidy starter that will have more difficulty rising. If you don't have a scale, note that our recipe calls for feeding 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) starter with 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) water and 1 scant cup (4 ounces, 113g) flour. If neither the jar or the consistency of the starter is the problem, then you might want to consider trying an alternative feeding plan, suggested to us by microbiologist and sourdough baker, Debra Wink. She observed that lowering the pH of the starter environment seems to help pave the way for the wild yeast to kick in. Here's the plan:
1. Feed only once a day.
2. Feed with whole wheat or whole rye flour, if available. If not, unbleached AP flour is okay.
3. Feed with a ratio of 2 starter : 1 water : 1 flour, by weight. For example, you could feed 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) starter + 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 57g) water + 1/2 cup (2 ounces, 57g) wholegrain flour. Or a miniature version: 30g starter : 15g water : 15g wholegrain flour.
Once your starter begins to rise predictably (twice) it's important to switch to twice a day feedings, which will further promote yeast activity. You'll also want to gradually phase in the unbleached AP flour and the larger percentage of flour/water, to bring you back to the 1:1:1 ratio, by weight.
Don't be surprised if your starter behaves a bit sluggishly each time you change its feeding routine, because the organisms need time to adjust, but once you see the starter rising predictably again, then you can consider your starter mature and ready for baking bread.
I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes.
Barb
April 29, 2020 at 12:43pm
Hi Barb - I'm on day 17 of my sourdough starter (started Apr 13). I noticed the last two days that the top has an opaque layer to it when I open up the jar. The scent has been consistent recently and does not smell bad. It almost looks like it had a dusting of flour, but no speckles of flour dust and the color is normal. Is this a signed of it going bad?
May 4, 2020 at 9:11am
In reply to Hi Barb - I'm on day 17 of… by Zoe S (not verified)
Hi Zoe, sorry for the delay in responding to your question! It sounds like your starter may be drying out on top, so if you're not covering the jar securely with plastic wrap or a lid, you might want to consider doing so. The reason we say to "cover loosely" is not because the starter needs airflow in order to ferment properly (it doesn't), but because fermentation gases can build up in a tightly lidded jar and cause the lid to pop off. As long as you jar has sufficient head room for gases to collect, and you open the jar every now and then to vent the gases, this shouldn't be a problem. If dryness isn't the issue, then it's possible you're seeing some type of mold, but that seems unlikely unless you've left the starter unfed for several days at room temperature. Ordinarily a starter that has been fed regularly and consistently for over two weeks should be fairly resistant to mold. Without know your exact feeding routine, it's difficult to advise, but I think it's probably safe to continue feeding, and look for this new behavior to disappear. If you think it might be mold, take a portion of healthier looking starter from the bottom of the jar, clean out your container and utensils very well, and feed twice a day at room temperature for a few days until the starter begins to rise predictably. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes.
Barb
May 8, 2020 at 11:04am
In reply to Hi Zoe, sorry for the delay… by balpern
Hello Barb,
I didn't get a notification of the response, so just seeing this now. I actually had the starter stored in a jar that was sealed. It didn't happen when I put the starter in the fridge. Previously, I was feeding it twice a day and then moved to once a day. I took the starter out and again, the dry looking top occurred overnight. I took the top layer off and fed it. I also left the lid a tad loose. I'm not sure which part helped or both, but there was no dry looking layer on top today! Fingers crossed that it stays on this path.
I read that it could be yeast overgrowth if it's drying out on top, but I'm not sure as I could see bubbles in the dry layer, but perhaps the wrinkled effect comes over time.
Thank you for your advice!
Zoë
May 11, 2020 at 11:59am
In reply to Hello Barb, I didn't get a… by Zoë (not verified)
Hi again Zoe, if your starter is now rising predictably then I would encourage you to return to twice a day feedings, as more frequent feedings tend to keep the yeast vigorous. Ideally you want to feed your starter when it's at its peak of rising, or just beginning to fall. I can't really explain what was going on with your starter, but I'm glad to hear the situation has improved, and hope you'll be baking beautiful sourdough loaves soon!
Barb