Great idea, BUT....I have had the same sourdough starter for more years than I will admit in a public forum. Yes, sometimes I go long periods of time without using it. As long as it is in the refrigerator it will keep. If the starter sits unused for a very long time the liquid rises to the top and can turn dark, even black. At that point I pour off the dark liquid, bring the starter to room temperature, and then stretch it with equal parts of water and flour. It has always come back to life, had a wonderful taste, and is completely usable. You can also do this if the starter seems to be too strong. You want a good starter with plenty of taste, but every now and then (especially if you have had it over 20 years) it will be too strong. I stretch the starter, dump off half of it after it has been stretched and sat over night, and then stretch it again. Probelm solved. My starter has gone from Alaska to Hawaii to Alaska to Florida. It has more miles on it than most people I know. I will try the dried version. Thanks for the great idea. But I will always have a container of it sitting somewhere in my refrigerator. Bake on!!!

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