I bought a packet of "sourdough starter" when visiting San Francisco in 2000. I mixed it up into a batch a few months later, and - believe it or not - my starter is still alive and well and living in my fridge. It's survived two house moves, a couple of long holidays (when I froze it and resurrected it) and still makes excellent bread. If you have a sleepy starter (one that doesn't seem to be recovering with the usual "flour plus water" feed), I recommend soft fruit - a really ripe peach, for example, or a banana gone brown. The extra fruit sugar perks the starter right up again. Cooked potato is good too - I nuke one in the microwave, scoop out the cooked insides and mash them, then add them warm to the starter. Excellent advice from a proven sourdough vet, Jes - thanks! PJH

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