Hi Janet, it's a little hard for me to determine exactly what you're seeing on your starter, but if it's just on top of the hooch, I think it's definitely worth giving your starter a few days of twice daily feedings to try to restore it back to health. Remove the hooch and top layer of the starter and feed some of the healthier looking starter from the bottom of the container. I would expect that within a few days your starter will be doubling after a feeding in about 6-8 hours and have a good aroma, which are good signs that it's ready to start using in your baking again. Of course, you'll also want to be sure that there are no more signs of white spots. Before you return your starter to the fridge, give it another feeding and let it sit out at room temperature for 2-4 hours to start the fermentation process. This is especially important for starters that spend much of their time in the refrigerator.
February 9, 2024 at 2:35pm
In reply to Hi, My starter (a few month… by Janet Rudzinski (not verified)
Hi Janet, it's a little hard for me to determine exactly what you're seeing on your starter, but if it's just on top of the hooch, I think it's definitely worth giving your starter a few days of twice daily feedings to try to restore it back to health. Remove the hooch and top layer of the starter and feed some of the healthier looking starter from the bottom of the container. I would expect that within a few days your starter will be doubling after a feeding in about 6-8 hours and have a good aroma, which are good signs that it's ready to start using in your baking again. Of course, you'll also want to be sure that there are no more signs of white spots. Before you return your starter to the fridge, give it another feeding and let it sit out at room temperature for 2-4 hours to start the fermentation process. This is especially important for starters that spend much of their time in the refrigerator.