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Showerthought: I was wrong about needing a fancy setup for sourdough starter
For years I kept my starter in a special jar in a warm spot, feeding it with expensive flour. Last month my fridge broke for a week, so I just left it on the counter and fed it regular store-brand AP flour. It got way more active and bubbly than it ever did before. I think people overcomplicate the environment and ingredients way too much. Has anyone else had a starter thrive on basic stuff?
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ivangreen6mo ago
Totally... it's like we're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. The starter just wants to eat and live at a normal temp, not be some high-maintenance project. All the extra stuff probably just stresses it out.
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abbyp614mo ago
Right? Why do we make it so hard? @ivangreen is onto something. My starter lives in a regular old mason jar on the counter. I feed it whatever flour is open, sometimes bread flour, sometimes all purpose. I don't even check the water temp, just lukewarm from the tap. It's never been happier or more active. All that fussing with heating pads and exact ratios just made it weird and sour. Now it's just a simple part of my kitchen, not a science project.
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matthewwilson6mo ago
Ngl I was the same way with my starter. Bought a special crock and everything. Then I left it out on the kitchen counter for a few days with cheap bread flour because I got lazy. It doubled in size faster than it ever did in its fancy spot. Makes you wonder if we just read too much online and overthink it. My best loaves lately came from that lazy period.
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lee186mo ago
Yeah, the "warm spot" thing can be tricky. If it's too warm all the time, the starter can actually get weak and runny. Room temp is usually the sweet spot.
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