Old timer at the farmer's market told me to let my sourdough starter go hungry sometimes

I was feeding it every single day like clockwork and getting flat loaves. He said skip a day, let it get tangy and strong, and my last batch came out with that perfect oven spring I've been chasing. Anyone else ever starve their starter on purpose?

3 comments

3 Comments

wadem891mo ago

Doesn't a hungry starter just mimic what happens in nature when wild yeast goes dormant between feedings?

gavin69223d ago

Exactly. The whole "dormant between feedings" thing is basically what nature does. Think about it, yeast in the wild doesn't get fed on a schedule. It eats when food is available and then waits. That wait is part of their life cycle, it's not some bug that needs to be fixed. People get way too caught up in trying to keep their starter at peak activity all the time. That's like trying to keep a bear from hibernating, it just throws off their whole rhythm. A hungry starter slows down, produces more acid, and that acid is what gives sourdough its real flavor. That's why your buddy Dave's forgotten sludge made such a good loaf, the yeast and bacteria had to work together in a more natural way.

scott.drew1mo ago

Yeah that "go dormant between feedings" thing is exactly what my buddy Dave figured out the hard way. He was feeding his starter three times a day like he was raising a puppy and his loaves came out like hockey pucks. Then he went on a weekend camping trip, forgot about it completely, came back to this super sour smelling sludge and baked the best loaf he's ever made. Now he only feeds it every other day and swears by it.