Hi Denny, it's great that you were able to maintain a mature starter from your local bakery, but you may need to adjust your feeding routine a bit to keep it active and rising well. Consider our sourdough starter maintenance routine, and if you're worried about using up too much flour with feedings, you could even consider maintaining a smaller starter. Note that discarding a portion of the starter is generally necessary to keep the ratio of ingredients in balance, and we also recommend feeding twice a day when your starter is maintained at room temperature. It's also fine to refrigerate a mature starter, but I would do so after you have fed it and let it sit out for 2-4 hours (or until it begins bubbling). After refrigeration, a day or two of twice a day feedings at room temperature will serve to increase the populations of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which will help achieve a great rise and flavor in your sourdough bread. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

• Reply