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.
December 4, 2024 at 3:14pm
My first bread I made with my starter was fine. A little bland. The second loaves were very sour and tasty, but didn’t rise. It is drafty in the kitchen so I put the loaves in the oven with the light on and they never rose. I went ahead and baked them☹️ what happened?!
December 8, 2024 at 2:25pm
In reply to My first bread I made with… by Kristy (not verified)
Hi Kristy, it's hard to say exactly what happened without a little more information, but I'm always reluctant to suggest using the oven with the light on as a rising environment for starter or bread dough. That's because the temperature in there can creep up to 100°F, which is really higher than is desirable. For best results, I would try not to go over 80°F for the dough, and the starter itself should be fine at between 68-72°F. What might have happened to your second batch is that the warmer environment led to over-fermentation, which could have contributed to a pour rise. Alternatively, if your starter wasn't very active when you added it to the recipe, this could have caused it not to rise well. Another possibility has to do with how you measured your flour. For best results, we recommend either weighing your flour, or using this method to measure your flour by volume. If your dough seemed very stiff and dense, this most likely contributed to it not rising well. For more help troubleshooting, please don't hesitate to contact our Baker's Hotline. We're here M-F from 9am-7pm EST, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm EST, and the number to call is 855-371-BAKE (2253). You can also talk to us via CHAT.
October 9, 2024 at 11:13pm
I have maintained a sourdough starter for 55 years. When it was given to me shortly after I was married, I was told it had been going continuously for 100 years. Naturally, I would NOT throw this out, despite the fact it had been sitting in my frig unused for many years.
My daughter-in-law got the sourdough bug and I wanted to pass this on to her. I set about feeding it daily for a number of days -1 cup water and 1 cup flour- and setting it in my oven with the light on for 12-14 hours, just like I did in the old days. After doing this for several days, I let it rest in the frig for a few days (the rest was really for me). Now I am ready to start up again.
It only took a two or three feedings before I started getting bubbles in the starter, usually even before I was finished mixing in the flour. It has a wonderful tangy sourdough aroma.
I see the recipes today are starkly different than the 1970s. My starter has always been thin and has always had a fair amount of hooch, which I would stir back in. The challenge now appears to get this starter 1) thicker so it can be used in modern recipes and 2) reduce the volume so it is easier for me to maintain. I won't let it sit neglected in the frig for years ever, ever again!
I should mention it was neglected because I was diagnosed with celiac disease over 16 years ago and could not use it. Because it had been going so long, I just couldn't throw it out. So, the other thing I am doing is trying to slowly switch it over to a gluten free sourdough starter by feeding with sorghum flour instead of wheat flour and discarding. I am about to switch to KA gluten free bread flour for feeding and asking for help from another blogger here in how to attain my goals of reducing the volume (for ease and expense) and make it a thicker starter so my daughter-in-law feels like she can use it in her recipes.
October 13, 2024 at 5:07pm
In reply to I have maintained a… by Barbara Wheeler (not verified)
Hi Barbara! I responded to your earlier question as well, so I think I would go with the same advice, which is to reduce the starter to a version of our Smaller Starter recipe, which fits nicely in an 8-ounce canning jar. For your feeding routine, I would go with 20g starter + 40g water + 20g GF Bread Flour. Feed once a day when you have your starter out at room temperature, or you can leave it out for 2-4 hours to start bubbling, and then store it in the fridge for up to a week. Note that it will likely take several days for your starter to adjust to the new flour source, so I would recommend keeping it out at room temperature and feeding it once a day until it is rising well and has a good aroma.
October 9, 2024 at 10:54pm
I have a sourdough starter that I have maintained for 55 years. I have always used 1 cup of water and 1 cup of unbleached wheat flour to feed it. It's very thin and quite different than what I am seeing commonly in use now. Do you have a recommendation on how to feed it to make it more robust starter and less inclined to produce so much hooch? I see the value of using weight vs volume but I'm kinda lost on how to convert from volume to weight when I would also like it to be thicker. Thank you.
October 10, 2024 at 5:36pm
In reply to I have a sourdough starter… by Barbara Wheeler (not verified)
Hi Barbara! Because water is much denser than flour, 1 cup of water ends up being more by weight than 1 cup of flour so by today's standards, you have an abundance of water in your starter or a scarcity of flour. To remedy this I would simply begin by adding and extra cup or 113g of flour to your starter, then each time you feed and discard, use only 1/2 cup or 113g of water and 1 full cup or 113g of flour. Happy baking!
October 1, 2024 at 11:13am
Hi Barb,
I have followed the King Arthur recipe closely, and I am now on day 12 or 13. I’m seeing a few bubbles each time but it’s not rising or even coming close to doubling. I’m feeding every 12 hours. Any suggestions on how I can get it to start rising? We started with KA wheat flour as directed and then switched to KA all purpose flour. It’s possible the wheat flour was out of date but not sure. Thanks.
October 1, 2024 at 12:58pm
In reply to Hi Barb, I have followed the… by Jerry (not verified)
Hi Jerry, if your starter is bubbling, that's a good sign. Patience almost always wins out when it comes to creating a sourdough starter! At this point you might find it helpful to substitute about 25% of the flour you're feeding your starter with fresh whole wheat flour. Whole grain flours have more wild yeast present on them, so this should give your starter a boost. If you're able to stick your starter in a slightly warmer spot (around 75°F) this might also be helpful, but no need to make it super-warm (don't go over 80°F).
To save on flour while you're waiting for your starter to rise, you could also consider maintaining a smaller starter. This little starter fits nicely in an 8-ounce canning jar, and will only eat up a total of 40g of flour a day. Once your starter begins rising predictably and you're ready to do some baking, it's easy enough to increase the quantity of starter you have available and get back to the normal feeding routine. If you like the way your starter is performing with some whole wheat flour in there, it's fine to keep feeding it that way, or you could gradually transition back to feeding with just unbleached all-purpose flour.
I hope this works! Let us know how it goes!
March 3, 2024 at 10:33pm
Hello Barb
I have tried my own starter and after several failed loaves of bread I finally gave up on my starter and got a starter from King Arthur.
Before I try and make a loaf of bread I would like advice.
I live at high altitude over 5,000 ft. My previous loaves would be very heavy and doughy. Some had a lot of big holes. It’s almost like they were not cooked inside even with increased bake time. Most of the bottoms were overcooked or burnt. If you have any advice it would be greatly appreciated.
Jane
March 4, 2024 at 10:53am
In reply to Hello Barb I have tried my… by Jane (not verified)
Hi Jane, baking at high altitude can definitely be challenging, but there are certainly ways you can adjust your sourdough routine to accommodate your environment! Our friend, Maurizio Leo, who is an accomplished sourdough baker and also lives at 5000 ft, has a great guide with tips on how to bake sourdough at high altitude. From your description of earlier loaves, I suspect they might have been over-proofed. Often allowing the shaped rise to occur overnight in the refrigerator is a good way to prevent this from happening, and many sourdough bread recipes allow for this option. Check out our Vermont Sourdough and Pain Au Levain bread recipes.
Pagination