How Do I Fix My Sourdough Starter After One Year Of Neglect? #sourdoughstarter🍞, by Little Ranch Family on YouTube. 1 min 2 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 2 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes a day for 5 to 7 day
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open the jar and look at the starter. Fuzzy patches in pink, green, orange or black mean mould, so throw it out and start a fresh starter instead. A dark liquid layer and a dry grey crust are normal.
Pour off the dark liquid, called hooch, or stir it back in if you want a sharper flavour. Scrape off any hard crust on top and use the soft starter underneath.
Weigh 15 g of the old starter into a clean jar. Keep the rest in the fridge as a backup until the new jar is bubbling well.
Add 50 g flour and 50 g lukewarm water, around 25 to 28 C. Stir until no dry flour is left and scrape the sides of the jar down.
Cover the jar loosely with a lid or cloth and leave it at room temperature, about 22 to 26 C, away from direct sun.
Wait 24 hours. Pour off any hooch and feed again with 15 g starter, 50 g flour and 50 g water.
Repeat this once a day for 3 to 5 days, moving to twice a day once you see regular bubbles and the starter rises after feeding.
The starter is ready when it doubles in size 4 to 8 hours after a feed and smells yeasty and sour. Bake a test loaf or store it in the fridge and feed it weekly.
Tips and common mistakes
Use filtered or left-out tap water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated, since chlorine slows the yeast.
Keep the same flour for the whole revival so the starter can build a stable colony.
Cold slows everything down, so move the jar somewhere warmer rather than feeding it more often.
A thin layer of dark liquid on top is alcohol, not spoilage, and it means the starter is hungry.
Questions
Can a starter left in the fridge for a year really come back?
Usually yes, if there is no mould. The yeast goes dormant rather than dying, and a few days of regular feeding brings the bubbles back. Dry or frozen starters often recover too.
How do I know when to throw it out?
Throw it out if you see fuzzy mould in pink, green, orange or black, or if it smells like rot or nail polish. Grey liquid, a dark crust and a sour smell are all fine.
Do I have to discard starter every time I feed it?
Yes, or the jar overflows and the feed ratios stop working. Keep just 15 g and discard or give away the rest, or use the discard in pancakes and crackers.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
