Hot take: I think everyone's wrong about sourdough starters on the counter vs in the fridge.

I kept my starter, 'Bubbles', on the counter for a year, feeding it daily like everyone says. Last month, I got busy and stuck it in the fridge, only feeding it once a week. The bread from the fridge starter has way more complex flavor and a better rise. It's not even close. So why do we push new bakers to do daily feedings when a lazy method makes a better loaf?

3 comments

3 Comments

ninasingh13d ago

My starter lived in my car's glovebox for a month once.

andrew_jackson29d ago

You think a weekly fridge starter makes better bread? I have to disagree. My daily counter starter, 'Old Hickory', makes a loaf with a much more open crumb and a sharper sour tang. That daily feeding keeps the yeast active and hungry, which gives you a stronger rise during baking. A cold starter just sleeps most of the time, so you lose that power.

black.laura29d ago

My grandma kept her starter in a blue ceramic crock on the back porch, even in winter. She fed it once a week with potato water. The bread it made was dense as a brick, but the flavor was like nothing I've had since. It tasted like wheat and woodsmoke. I guess some methods are just about the history, not the crumb.