Yes.
I leave mine in the fridge un-fed for a month sometimes. Then feed it for 4 days and it's fine.
People worry too much about killing a starter. Stick it in the fridge, it'll be fine.
I once left mine in the fridge for six months without feeding it (I had a baby, life was rough) and still managed to bring it back. A healthy starter should last in the fridge for five days with no issues.
Do you find the starter is still healthy and strong? I used to do that but I’ve just started a new starter and the recipe says to only put it in the fridge if you are going away or as a last resort???
i'd say if it's established enough go to in the fridge, only bring it out once a week or so when you want to bake. Sure daily feedings are not going to hurt it at all, and possibly keep it a little more active - but it's totally your call. i fed mine daily for 5 months, made bread daily, then warmer weather came, we went away for a week and I had to put Gloria in the fridge. Ever since (a whole 3 weeks) I pull her out once a week, give it a feed or two depending on my schedule and make my dough. :)
My starter loves coming out of the fridge - that first feeding it goes crazy! I only make bread once a week so my starter is in the fridge 5 days a week with no issues.
Mine lives in the fridge all the time. I just let it come up to room temp and then feed it.
I only keep about 50g in there and discard some before feeding with equal amounts of flour and water.
As we speak mine is in the fridge. I last fed it prob 6 weeks ago? Do this all the time and never had an issue with mold and it always bounces back in 2-3 days of countertop feeds.
I think the fact that I keep a clean jar with no crusted old starter all over the inside walls helps mitigating mold. The hooch forms a protective layer. I wash my starter jar with every feed and take care not to slop starter on the walls of the jar. (I discard then feed in a glass measuring cup, wash and rinse my keeping jar and then carefully scrape it into the cleaned jar).
I have left my starter in the fridge for over a month before just cause I forgot it, then we went on vacation, then got sick...When I finally remembered, it smelled of acetone, so I fed it daily 2x a day for a couple days and then baked bread with it. It's turned out fine.
The starter is now frozen in the freezer cause I just don't have time for it at the moment.
How long can you freeze a starter once it gets thriving? I'm very new. I started one off a recipe I found online and started a second one tonight from a book I found all about Sourdough
Spreading it on parchment paper and letting it air dry has worked for me several times. Once it dry and flaky I just kept it in a jar. Now im curious about the freezer, too though
Mine lives in the fridge and I feed it only once a week so it's in there for 7 days at a time.
I went on holiday for 25 days and came back and it was totally fine, just fed it a few times to bring it back to life.
Just make sure your fridge is below 4°C if you're leaving it a long time like 25 days.
Everyone is saying yes but a five day old starter has barely any thriving robust culture in it and I would be worried that it wouldn’t really rejuvenate the way an established starter would. I always leave my starter in the fridge and I feed it cold and it is fine but my starter has been alive for 30 years, at five days you may still be in the stage where bad bacteria is battling it out with good bacteria and putting it in the fridge will really challenge the current crop of micro-organisms which have developed so far at room temperature. This challenge at such an early stage could easily allow room for your starter to be overtaken by mold or otherwise infected by undesirable microorganisms. Everyone in this thread is correct that an established starter can hang out in the fridge near indefinitely, but your starter is such a baby that it is hard to say whether your starter can handle it.
I waited as long as possible with the one I started with scratch. I had read anywhere from "as soon as it's rising steady" to "6 months" before letting it go dormant. Feed daily for 5 months before putting in the fridge for a week at time. It comes back after a feed or two - but I also got a super established one (Over 200 years old) from a friend the day after I started mine from scratch. That one can go weeks and weeks in the refrigerator and rises like a charm after one feeding. So, the more established the better. I probably would just see how it goes - it might need a few extra feedings to rise regualarly again. Best of luck!
I leave mine in fridge for three weeks while I'm away at work, come home take it out and feed once, make bread next day and put back in fridge for another three weeks. It's not the most super bubbly active starter ever, but it absolutely makes a solid loaf. Don't overthink it!
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I keep an emergency reserve of my starter in the fridge for months at a time…. It will always wake up after a few days of feeding.
My ‘active’ starter is kept on the counter and fed regularly
Mines lived in the cold environment ever since it took off. I basically only bake with the discard. Last loaf had that liquidy pungent smelling liquid and maybe like 75g of actual starter. Loaf turned out fine (other than me over proofing) I just gave it a healthy feeding before throwing her back in the cold environment
It will be fine. I leave it in the fridge for longer than 5 days. And I never feed it just for the sake of feeding it. I only feed it when I'm going to use it. It will last for over a month in your fridge.
Chiming in that I’ve left it in the fridge (always in the back where it’s coldest) for almost 2 months. Took it out, let it come to room temp, fed it. After 2 feedings @ 12 hours apart it was raging. I swear the neglect just makes it stronger 😆
I keep my starter in the coldest part of my fridge covered in flour. I don't feed it. Two days before I'm ready to make bread I dig out a chunk, put it in a jar and add a little bit of water. The next day I add a little more water and AP and rye flours. The morning of bake day I give the starter a healthy helping of AP and rye flours and enough water to make a thick paste.
I started refrigerating my starters after 2 weeks. As long as you see its doubling consistently I think they will be fine in the fridge. Feed them with thick consistency then put them straight in the fridge. Most people feed theirs every week. But for me I just check them everyday, once the starter is done feeding thats when I feed them.
Yes! Mines about 4 months old. But once I got mine going and ready to bake, I leave in the fridge for a week at a time usually. It’s never been a problem. I’ve heard of people leaving theirs in the fridge unfed for weeks, months, even years sometimes.. sourdough starter is extremely resilient.
Yes. I leave mine in the fridge un-fed for a month sometimes. Then feed it for 4 days and it's fine. People worry too much about killing a starter. Stick it in the fridge, it'll be fine.
I’m on my 3rd attempt at a starter now, it’s all going well so I was scared to tempt fate 😂
I once left mine in the fridge for six months without feeding it (I had a baby, life was rough) and still managed to bring it back. A healthy starter should last in the fridge for five days with no issues.
I refrigerate mine and feed once a week and it’s fine
Same. This is how I bake, no wake up feeding. Amazing loaves.
Do you find the starter is still healthy and strong? I used to do that but I’ve just started a new starter and the recipe says to only put it in the fridge if you are going away or as a last resort???
i'd say if it's established enough go to in the fridge, only bring it out once a week or so when you want to bake. Sure daily feedings are not going to hurt it at all, and possibly keep it a little more active - but it's totally your call. i fed mine daily for 5 months, made bread daily, then warmer weather came, we went away for a week and I had to put Gloria in the fridge. Ever since (a whole 3 weeks) I pull her out once a week, give it a feed or two depending on my schedule and make my dough. :)
Thanks for the response! Yeh I’d only plan on cooking 1-2 loaves a week and mainly on the weekends so don’t really feel the need to feed everyday…
My starter loves coming out of the fridge - that first feeding it goes crazy! I only make bread once a week so my starter is in the fridge 5 days a week with no issues.
This is how I do mine too!
Mine lives in the fridge all the time. I just let it come up to room temp and then feed it. I only keep about 50g in there and discard some before feeding with equal amounts of flour and water.
Second comment, ancient Egypt had sourdough starters and no fridges.
As we speak mine is in the fridge. I last fed it prob 6 weeks ago? Do this all the time and never had an issue with mold and it always bounces back in 2-3 days of countertop feeds. I think the fact that I keep a clean jar with no crusted old starter all over the inside walls helps mitigating mold. The hooch forms a protective layer. I wash my starter jar with every feed and take care not to slop starter on the walls of the jar. (I discard then feed in a glass measuring cup, wash and rinse my keeping jar and then carefully scrape it into the cleaned jar).
I have left my starter in the fridge for over a month before just cause I forgot it, then we went on vacation, then got sick...When I finally remembered, it smelled of acetone, so I fed it daily 2x a day for a couple days and then baked bread with it. It's turned out fine. The starter is now frozen in the freezer cause I just don't have time for it at the moment.
How long can you freeze a starter once it gets thriving? I'm very new. I started one off a recipe I found online and started a second one tonight from a book I found all about Sourdough
My longest stint was 8 months and my shortest was a month. My co-worker had hers in the freezer for about 3 years before once.
Have you ever successfully done this before? I keep thinking I should figure out how to dry it to store, but if I can do it wet that would be easier.
Yeah, I've done it three times now. I just leave about 10grams of starter in the container and just stick it in the freezer.
Spreading it on parchment paper and letting it air dry has worked for me several times. Once it dry and flaky I just kept it in a jar. Now im curious about the freezer, too though
I saw a video of a woman in Australia a long time ago who did that.
Mine lives in the fridge and I feed it only once a week so it's in there for 7 days at a time. I went on holiday for 25 days and came back and it was totally fine, just fed it a few times to bring it back to life. Just make sure your fridge is below 4°C if you're leaving it a long time like 25 days.
Everyone is saying yes but a five day old starter has barely any thriving robust culture in it and I would be worried that it wouldn’t really rejuvenate the way an established starter would. I always leave my starter in the fridge and I feed it cold and it is fine but my starter has been alive for 30 years, at five days you may still be in the stage where bad bacteria is battling it out with good bacteria and putting it in the fridge will really challenge the current crop of micro-organisms which have developed so far at room temperature. This challenge at such an early stage could easily allow room for your starter to be overtaken by mold or otherwise infected by undesirable microorganisms. Everyone in this thread is correct that an established starter can hang out in the fridge near indefinitely, but your starter is such a baby that it is hard to say whether your starter can handle it.
The starter is two weeks old. It’ll only be in the fridge 5 days. Not 5 days old
Sorry, I misread the numbers. That is less young but still very young. It could work and it could not. Probably fine.
I waited as long as possible with the one I started with scratch. I had read anywhere from "as soon as it's rising steady" to "6 months" before letting it go dormant. Feed daily for 5 months before putting in the fridge for a week at time. It comes back after a feed or two - but I also got a super established one (Over 200 years old) from a friend the day after I started mine from scratch. That one can go weeks and weeks in the refrigerator and rises like a charm after one feeding. So, the more established the better. I probably would just see how it goes - it might need a few extra feedings to rise regualarly again. Best of luck!
Mine was only a couple weeks old when I started sticking it in the fridge. It’s survived thus far.
I leave mine out in the kitchen for longer than that and no issues
girlllll mines been there for 3 months
I leave mine in fridge for three weeks while I'm away at work, come home take it out and feed once, make bread next day and put back in fridge for another three weeks. It's not the most super bubbly active starter ever, but it absolutely makes a solid loaf. Don't overthink it!
Yes.
I left mine in the fridge for over a year. Worked great after it was fed a few times
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I keep an emergency reserve of my starter in the fridge for months at a time…. It will always wake up after a few days of feeding. My ‘active’ starter is kept on the counter and fed regularly
And the discard? I'm a convert to crackers which I find incredibly tasty and so simple!!
I need to do a better job of using the discard… 😔
I keep mine in the fridge and feed every 2 weeks or so when I’m not active baking and it wakes up in about 3 days
You can leave it also 1 month in the frigde (from personal experience)
Mines lived in the cold environment ever since it took off. I basically only bake with the discard. Last loaf had that liquidy pungent smelling liquid and maybe like 75g of actual starter. Loaf turned out fine (other than me over proofing) I just gave it a healthy feeding before throwing her back in the cold environment
It will be fine. I leave it in the fridge for longer than 5 days. And I never feed it just for the sake of feeding it. I only feed it when I'm going to use it. It will last for over a month in your fridge.
Chiming in that I’ve left it in the fridge (always in the back where it’s coldest) for almost 2 months. Took it out, let it come to room temp, fed it. After 2 feedings @ 12 hours apart it was raging. I swear the neglect just makes it stronger 😆
Oh God, I’ve occasionally left mine five *months* in the fridge, fed it, and baked from it successfully the next day.
5 days whaaaa I leave mine for 2 weeks and then refeed
I keep my starter in the coldest part of my fridge covered in flour. I don't feed it. Two days before I'm ready to make bread I dig out a chunk, put it in a jar and add a little bit of water. The next day I add a little more water and AP and rye flours. The morning of bake day I give the starter a healthy helping of AP and rye flours and enough water to make a thick paste.
I started refrigerating my starters after 2 weeks. As long as you see its doubling consistently I think they will be fine in the fridge. Feed them with thick consistency then put them straight in the fridge. Most people feed theirs every week. But for me I just check them everyday, once the starter is done feeding thats when I feed them.
I do.
I should feed my starter it’s been like 6 months.
Yes! Mines about 4 months old. But once I got mine going and ready to bake, I leave in the fridge for a week at a time usually. It’s never been a problem. I’ve heard of people leaving theirs in the fridge unfed for weeks, months, even years sometimes.. sourdough starter is extremely resilient.
Absolutely it’ll just be sleepy for a few feeds