Cooking & Baking

There are two states for sourdough starter, ‘keeping’, and ‘working’.

You can keep sourdough starter in the refrigerator for a week or more. So it’s fine withstanding temps in the 40s. Iff storing this way it’s best to ‘feed’ the starter and get it working again briefly every week or ten days. (Though a good starter can handle a few weeks unattended in the refer).

If you’re getting ready to bake, you have to get the starter working-rising and bubbling-by feeding it. That goes quickly at 75-80 degree ambient temperature. But it’s a time versus temp thing. At lower temperatures the starter will still work, it will just take longer. I get mine working by putting a newly fed batch in the oven with the oven light turned on. That usually provides enough warmth to get a good ‘work’ in two to three hours. If it’s cold outside I’ll put in a mug with hot water to heat the oven a little more. It’s fun tinkering with the combinations.