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My sourdough starter used to be a real pain, but now it's like a pet that feeds itself
I'm thinking about how I used to babysit my starter back in 2018, feeding it twice a day and stressing if I left town for a weekend. Now, after switching to a method from a baker in Austin, I keep it in the fridge and feed it once a week. The difference is night and day (the flavor actually got more complex with the slower fermentation, which was a nice surprise). I used to waste so much flour on discards, but now I maybe use a cup a week. Has anyone else found that a less fussy routine actually improved their results?
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shanes665mo ago
Did you read that article about cold fermentation in Modernist Bread? They had a whole section on how starters kept at lower temps develop more acetic acid, which gives that sharper, more complex tang. Makes total sense why your flavor improved.
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torres.riley5mo ago
Modernist Bread actually tested starters at 50 degrees.
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kimr915mo ago
Yeah, the fridge method is a total game changer. I saw what @shanes66 said about acetic acid, but that Modernist Bread bit is mostly about dough retardation, not starters in the fridge. The cold mainly just puts your starter to sleep, slowing everything way down. The flavor change you noticed probably comes from the longer time between feedings at room temp before it goes back in the cold, letting those bacteria work longer. It's less about the cold itself and more about the stretched out feeding schedule.
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