Just realized I was overcomplicating my sourdough starter for years

I used to follow a strict feeding schedule with filtered water and a kitchen scale, but now I just feed it when I remember with tap water. My loaves from my Seattle kitchen actually got better and more consistent after I stopped stressing about it. Anyone else find that a more relaxed approach works better for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

evand652mo ago

Wait, are we really acting like tap water and forgetting to feed it is some kind of baking breakthrough? If your starter works like that, it was probably strong to begin with. Most people I know who got lazy just ended up with a jar of mold.

chen.hugo2mo ago

Guess we found the one person whose starter thrives on neglect. Tbh my last one just gave up and turned into a science project.

patricia3854d ago

Haven't you heard that some starters actually do better with irregular feeding schedules? There's a whole method called the "neglect technique" that some bakeries use to build up the yeast's resilience. A strong starter can bounce back from a missed feeding, but most people's issues come from temperature swings or using chlorinated water.