Can I Use My Sourdough Starter Directly from the Fridge?

Can I use my starter straight out of the fridge? It's possible - but you really shouldn't. While it might seem convenient to bake with a cold starter, for consistently delicious sourdough bread, it's better not to use your starter straight from the fridge.

Jump to:

• Why you shouldn't use your starter straight from the refrigerator
• What is a sourdough starter?
• How the refrigerator affects your sourdough starter
• What is the ideal temperature for fermentation?
• When should I feed my starter before refrigerating?
• How to activate your starter for the best results
• What you need
• Why you should weigh your ingredients
• Step-by-step instructions
• Signs indicating that my starter is ready for baking:
• Why it’s best to wait until your starter has doubled before using it
• When it’s OK to bake with your starter from the fridge
• Help!!! I keep feeding my starter but it won’t rise
• FAQs
• More helpful baking guides

What is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is simply a mixture of flour and water. As it undergoes fermentation, this mixture evolves into a lively ecosystem teeming with wild yeast and bacteria. When nourished and maintained, this dynamic community gains strength, ultimately enabling it to leaven dough and create delicious bread.

How the refrigerator affects your sourdough starter

The cold temperature of the refrigerator slows down the metabolic activity and the growth of yeast. However, bacterial activity proceeds at the same pace, which means acid production also continues.

As your starter rises, it metabolizes sugars in the flour that you’ve fed it. If you’ve kept a starter for sometime, you’ll know that it can go through its food source in a matter of hours at room temperature. In the refrigerator, the fermentation process becomes much slower and this food can last a couple of days or even up to a few weeks. This makes the refrigerator a great long term storage method for a mature starter. 

How to activate your starter for the best results

Think of activating your starter as sharpening a knife, it gives the microorganisms in your culture a boost so they are ready for the task at hand, it brings out your starter's best characteristics and helps increase your chances of a great bake.

What you need

Spatula: I love spatula from OXO because the long handle allows me stir my starter without getting sticky stuff all over my hands. Plus the small head fits into any container and is great for scraping.
Jar: I've used Mason Jars from Ball and Kerr forever, but I've been really liking Weck jars lately since they have a wide mouth with no grooves where dried up starter can build up.
Kitchen scale: This cheap but mighty scale has been a staple in my kitchen since I started making bread. It's only $10 and has never had any issues, well worth the investment. I've tried lots of more expensive scales and this one continues to out perform and outlast them all.
All-purpose flour: I've fed my starter all-purpose flour from Central Milling for the last 4 years. It's an organic flour sold by a company comprised of passionate bakers who really care about the quality of their product. All-purpose is less expensive than bread flour and whole wheat and provides enough nutrition to your starter. You are going to go through so much flour over the life of your starter, all-purpose is an excellent option that will not break the bank. If you can't find Central Milling, use organic all-purpose from King Arthur Flour, Bob's Red Mill or your local mill.
Water: Always use filtered or spring water for your sourdough starter as tap water in the United States has a lot of chemicals that can adversely affect the microorganisms in your starter culture. We've used this Reverse Osmosis System for years and love it!

Step-by-step instructions

Why it’s best to wait until your starter has doubled before using it

The easiest way to guarantee consistently good results is to use your starter once it has at least doubled or tripled. Your starter is at its peak when its at its highest level right before it falls or deflates.

This is when there is the highest concentration of yeast and when they are the most active and most efficient at fermenting dough.

When it’s OK to bake with your starter from the fridge

Just like each starter is truly unique, every baker’s experience with sourdough is different! If you’re an experienced baker and are familiar with working with a cold sourdough starter that has been kept in the refrigerator for a long time and you’ve had success, then it’s totally OK to use your starter straight from the refrigerator.

You can utilize a cold starter in any sourdough discard recipe. These recipes don't require a sourdough starter for leavening, so you can use your starter directly from the fridge. These recipes offer a fantastic solution for using excess sourdough. They also offer a speedy alternative while giving your bakes a boost of flavor.

For example, Sourdough Irish Soda Bread and Sourdough Discard Flatbread utilize baking soda and baking powder instead of sourdough starter for leavening. Additionally, my Whole Wheat Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread and Sourdough Discard Focaccia rely on commercial yeast for rising.

Help!!! I keep feeding my starter but it won’t rise

Feeding a starter that continues to look flat and lifeless can be exceedingly frustrating. But don't worry, starters are extremely resilient, and unless your starter has grown mold it's still viable.

Here are some reasons your starter may look lifeless and is not be rising like it should:

Issue: Your kitchen is too cold

One reason your starter won’t rise may simply be because your kitchen is too cold. Fermentation occurs at an optimum temperature of 78 to 80.

Solution: Give your starter a boost by keeping it in a warm spot like your microwave oven or your oven off with the light on. Depending on where you are in your sourdough journey, you may want to think about investing in a proofing box which will keep your starter at the ideal temperature.

Issue: Yeast has weakened

Maybe you've kept your starter in the fridge for too long and it's taking a longer time for your yeast to rebound.

Solution: Give your starter an infusion of rye flour. Rye has an abundance of amylase and other nutrients, this helps expedite the conversion of starches into sugar and could be the boost your starter needs to restart activity. Try adding rye to your feeding routing for a few days until your starter becomes good and bubbly!

Issue: Bubbly but won't rise

The hydration level of your starter and the type of flour you feed it could also affect its consistency and how it rises. A starter made with whole wheat flour or rye flour could be active and viable but may not rise as high as one that’s made with white flour. A lower hydration starter could also have a thicker consistency that won’t increase in volume as much.

Solution: Not all starters will double, especially if its made with different flours or maintained at a lower hydration level. As long as there is an even distribution of bubbles throughout your starter it's probably completely fine! Each starter is unique and what you feed it could affect its rise and consistency.

FAQs

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