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Finally realized my sourdough starter was dying because I kept it in the fridge all winter
I had 5 failed loaves in a row and figured the yeast was just weak, but a baker at the farmer's market told me it needs 68-72 degrees to stay active. Has anyone else killed their starter by keeping it too cold?
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ivan_hayes2917d ago
Laughing because I literally did the same thing last winter, stuck my starter in the garage thinking 'cold = slow = safe' and came back to a jar of sad, grey goo with zero bubbles. Tbh the farmer's market baker saved me too, told me to keep it on top of the fridge near the heat vent. Now my starter sits on a heating pad set to like 70 degrees and it's finally doubling in size again.
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river_hart1817d ago
No kidding about the heat vent trick, that's exactly what got mine going again too. I have mine sitting on a little seedling heat mat with a towel over it so it stays around 75-78 degrees. It's crazy how much difference 10 degrees makes, like my starter went from barely rising an inch in 12 hours to doubling in 6 hours flat. I also started feeding it a mix of half bread flour half whole wheat for a boost, and now it smells like yogurt instead of that weird acetone smell it had when it was too cold. Ever try mixing flours like that or is yours picky?
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