Everyone who has ever had a starter has probably had a time where their starter isn’t as lively as it could be. This can be because of unintentional neglect… it might smell like nail polish remover… it might have missed a feeding or more… it might have gotten forgotten in the back of the fridge… I get it, life has a way of taking over sometimes.
If you want to read about a time I COMPLETELY forgot about my starter, it’s HERE.
Ultimately, even if we are perfect caretakers of our starter, sometimes it can use a little assurance that it’s the strongest it can be - so that it has all the strength needed to make the best loaf of bread possible.
I do each of these four things periodically… I whip-stir most of the time because it’s an easy step I can do even at a regular feeding. The remaining ones, I add in when I’ve skipped a day of feeding because… life. Or, when I’ve been baking so much I want to pause and make sure it’s nice and strong still. Whatever your reason, these are good things to do periodically to assure strength and health of your starter.
4 ways to TO BOOST Sourdough STARTER:
If a starter is runny or not very bubbly or not performing as well or it has been a little neglected… these are FOUR things you can do to whip it back into tip top shape and be a super baker in no time at all!
Oxygen Boost - whip stir your starter TWO times between feedings - and again when it is a feeding time, whip air into it as you stir in the flour and water. Make sure you have a breathable lid. I have lids available HERE.
Superfood Boost - Do a feeding or two using part or all rye or freshly ground whole wheat flour. A good quality flour with high protein is important. I love Giusto's - available HERE and on amazon.
Frequency Boost - Double the amount of Feeding Times in a 24 hour period - for a day or two, instead of feeding your starter once, feed it two times per day.
Power Boost - use less water in a feeding so the starter is more stiff… you can either omit the water in a feeding or halve the amount of water (or just enough so that you can mix it... it will return to softer liquid batter, not to worry
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