That sourdough tip about cold proofing from my neighbor saved my starter

My neighbor Karen, who's been baking since the 70s, told me not to toss my starter when it got sluggish. She said just move the jar to the back of the fridge for 48 hours and feed it once with rye flour. I thought she was nuts because everything online says keep it warm and feed daily. After a miserable stretch of flat loaves last month, I tried her way and the next bake had the best oven spring I've ever gotten. Has anyone else had luck with chilling their starter when it seems stuck, or do you just power through with extra feeds?

2 comments

2 Comments

martinez.paul2d ago

...and honestly that's how most good advice works, the stuff that's been passed down usually wins over the loud online crowd. Same thing happened with my grandma's trick for fixing cracked pie dough, just add a splash of cold water and rest it, while every blog said to work it faster. Sometimes the old way works because it gives things time to settle, not because it's doing more.

ivan4622d ago

Totally get this, man. That quiet, patient approach almost always beats the frantic fix, and it's nice to see someone else say it.