Now that we’re in the beginning phases of feeding the starter culture that we actually want, I have a small problem – I’m going out of town for a few days! Thankfully, unlike a pet, a sourdough starter can be left alone for a few days without feeding. You just need to put it in the fridge. This slows down the starter’s metabolism and it should come back to life when I’m back.

We’ll talk when I get back about how to revive a cold starter. If you prefer, you can easily get away with one feeding per week. It’s way less wasteful and less to remember. Once a week also requires a bit of forethought to use the starter, so we’ll discuss a few additional options.

For now, however, just keep doing what you’ve been doing. I took out 150g of starter. Then, I went down to 75g of AP flour and 75g of filtered water before putting FernanDough in the fridge. You can go as little as 50g of each, but I wouldn’t go much less than that.

Keep feeding your starter until you observed a regular pattern of it rising and falling throughout the day. It’s been almost a week and I understand if you’re a little antsy about all the work you’ve been doing without much reward. This week, I suggest making a sourdough-flavored bread with commercial yeast. You’ll get the taste of sourdough plus the convenience and reliability of a commercially produced yeast. King Arthur has a good recipe – and it gives you something to do with your discard.

Keep checking on the blog while I’m away for more bread thoughts – and good luck baking!