You open the refrigerator, look at the forgotten jar in the back and think:
There is absolutely no way that thing is still alive.
Before you throw it away, take a closer look.
An established sourdough starter can sometimes survive periods of neglect better than new bakers expect.
Inactive Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Dead
A starter that isn’t currently rising may simply be dormant, cold, or hungry.
You might notice:
- Very few bubbles
- Little or no rise
- A strong sour smell
- Liquid on the surface
- Separation
- A sluggish response after the first feeding
Those signs alone don’t necessarily mean you need to throw it away.
Feed It Before You Give Up
If there are no signs of spoilage, give your starter fresh flour and water and allow it to ferment in a comfortably warm location.
Don’t expect one feeding to fix months of neglect.
Give it several feeding cycles and watch for increasing activity.
Even small bubbles are encouraging.
When Should You Throw It Away?
There are some signs I wouldn’t try to rescue.
If you see fuzzy mold or pink/orange discoloration, discard the starter.
Don’t scrape off the questionable section and continue using what’s underneath.
Starting another starter is always an option.
What About a Bad Smell?
Sourdough can smell surprisingly strange.
Depending on its condition and fermentation stage, you might notice sour, yeasty, fruity, vinegary or solvent-like aromas.
Those smells are different from visible evidence of contamination.
As you care for your starter, you’ll become familiar with its normal range of smells.
How to Tell When It’s Active Again
After feeding, look for:
- Bubbles throughout the starter
- Noticeable expansion
- A predictable rise and fall
- Increasing activity after successive feedings
Mark the starting level on your jar so you can actually see the change.
And If It Really Is Gone…
You haven’t failed at sourdough.
You learned something.
Start again.
If you’d rather skip the process of creating a starter completely from scratch, Lettuce Live Living dehydrated sourdough starter gives you an established starter that you can reactivate at home.
Sourdough is remarkably forgiving.
Sometimes it just needs breakfast.
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