Hi, I love the blog. I have a starter in my fridge that I feed weekly, but I don't know why when I need to use "fed" starter that I need to discard 1 cup, then feed it, let it sit and use that. I've made this bread using the 1 cup that I removed from the starter. I fed this cup of starter and let it sit overnight and used it and the bread was excellent. I am curious to know how different the bread would be if I followed the directions for using the "fed" starter. Thanks Great question. The reason for the discard in sourdough is to keep the levels of acidity in check. If a starter never gets divided, over time the acidity level will build and your starter will become sluggish, gray and thin. When you fed your starter and let it sit before using, that was "fed" starter. If you were to just take starter straight from the container and put it in your recipe, that is "unfed" starter. It would still perform, but not nearly as well. Just like Mom told us not to skip meals, it important for your starter to get fed properly to work its best. Hope this helps. ~ MaryJane

• Reply