Do I Have to Feed My Starter Every Day?
In summary… No. Your starter is a living bacteria. It requires feeding every 24-48 hours on the counter and every 1-2 weeks in the fridge. But what happens if you go on vacation? Or you don’t have time? Or you can’t take care of your starter?
Have no fear. Your starter WILL make it.
An active and mature starter will double every time it is fed. If you plan on going out of town you can prepare your starter.
Feed it at a 1:1:1 ratio
Put it in a large jar with a lid on top (keep in mind it will grow)
Place it in the fridge
Realistically, your starter CAN survive 2 months in the fridge. Yup. The bacteria will eat the gluten and then become DORMANT. A dormant starter can and will wake up. After 2 months of neglect, pull your starter out and let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
Remove the hooch (grey brown liquid on top)
Pour the starter into a large bowl and feed at a 1:1:1 ratio.
Let it sit on the counter and continue feeding it every 24 hours for 3 days
Your starter should start to bubble and become very active after 3 days! If you need to BOOST it, simple add a little whole wheat flour or rye flour in replacement of all purpose.
PS, if you have way too much starter, consider making one of my sourdough discard recipes.
Happy Baking!
