Hi Aimee, it does sound like feeding twice a day at room temperature for a few days should help to rev up your starter. A mature starter can survive quite well in the refrigerator, but it won't thrive there. Feeding at room temperature serves to replenish the populations of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that you need in order to bake flavorful and high rising sourdough bread. In particular, feeding when your starter is at its peak of rising, or just beginning to fall, helps keep the yeast activity vigorous. If you've noticed your starter collapses significantly between feedings, it may be helpful to give your starter a slightly larger meal, which will slow down fermentation. Try feeding with a 1:2:2, or even 1:3:3 ratio of starter:water:flour, by weight. The goal is to find a feeding routine at room temperature that fits with your schedule and allows you to replenish your starter closer to when it's at its peak. Also, you'll want to be sure to add the starter to your bread recipe when it's at the peak, or just starting to fall, which is what we mean when we say "ripe" or "fed" starter. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes.
April 30, 2020 at 8:32am
In reply to I am new to making sourdough… by Aimee Ochoa (not verified)
Hi Aimee, it does sound like feeding twice a day at room temperature for a few days should help to rev up your starter. A mature starter can survive quite well in the refrigerator, but it won't thrive there. Feeding at room temperature serves to replenish the populations of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that you need in order to bake flavorful and high rising sourdough bread. In particular, feeding when your starter is at its peak of rising, or just beginning to fall, helps keep the yeast activity vigorous. If you've noticed your starter collapses significantly between feedings, it may be helpful to give your starter a slightly larger meal, which will slow down fermentation. Try feeding with a 1:2:2, or even 1:3:3 ratio of starter:water:flour, by weight. The goal is to find a feeding routine at room temperature that fits with your schedule and allows you to replenish your starter closer to when it's at its peak. Also, you'll want to be sure to add the starter to your bread recipe when it's at the peak, or just starting to fall, which is what we mean when we say "ripe" or "fed" starter. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes.
Barb