Feeding your Sourdough
Maintaining your starter:
My best advice (as with most things!) is be patient. Sourdough does not care about your schedule.
Use only non-chlorinated water. Chlorine can kill the good bacteria in your starter - if you only have city water, you can set it out for 12-24 hours and the chlorine will evaporate.
Refrigerator storage: Feed once a week
I swap out the quart-sized yogurt jars when feeding. Clear jars are great options. A large opening is best for pouring, mixing, and scraping.
Measure out 113 g (1/2 cup) of the starter; discard the rest (or bake something with it).
Feed this 113 g of starter with 113 g each water and flour. Always mix each addition well. I like to mix the warm water in first, then the flour.
Cover it and let it rest on the counter until it starts bubbling (1 to 2 hours) before returning it to the refrigerator.
I feed mine about 2-3 times a month and have had no problems reviving it – sometimes it takes 1 feeding, sometimes 2 to get it going again, depending on how long I waited in between feedings.
There may be a brownish liquid that forms on the top, smelling like acetone, if its been a while since you played with your starter. Some people call it hooch. I generally pour a bit off, down the sink & blend in the rest.
Room-temperature storage: Feed twice a day
Starter that's kept at room temperature is more active than refrigerated starter, and requires more attention and more feeding.
Room-temperature starter should be fed every 12 hours (twice a day) using the standard maintenance feeding procedure: discard all but 113 g, and feed that 113 g starter with 113 g each water and flour.
Discarded Starter:
Throw in Compost
Splatter in small amounts for chickens - there’s some beneficial bacteria in there!
Find recipes online, like pancakes, crackers, quick breads.
Avoid the sink drain as much as you can - ain’t nobody got time for gunk!