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The week my 20 year old starter died and I baked 40 loaves with a backup from a friend
Last month was the worst and best week of my baking life. My 20 year old sourdough starter, which I named Doughlores, got moldy after my fridge broke on a Monday. I had a wedding order for 40 loaves that Saturday, so I panicked and called my friend Pete in Portland. He drove over 3 hours with a jar of his starter, and we fed it every 4 hours for two days straight. The bread came out with a tighter crumb than my usual, but the bride said it was the best she ever had. I still miss Doughlores, but now I keep a backup jar in my mom's freezer. Has anyone else lost a long term starter during a big order?
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stella_scott967d ago
Doughlores is honestly such a great name and I'm sorry for your loss, that's a real tragedy wrapped inside a wedding cake of chaos. Of course the fridge picked a Monday to die, because fridges can smell fear and deadlines from a mile away. Pete driving 3 hours with a jar of backup starter is the kind of friendship people write songs about, or at least bake about. And the bride saying it was the best she ever had is hilarious in a sad way, like your dead starter got one last win from beyond the grave. Keeping a backup in your mom's freezer is smart, that's basically a starter safety deposit box. My own jar has been living in the back of the fridge for 6 years and I'm now thinking about giving it a will.
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