Nepedia

Store and revive a sourdough starter

By Nepedia

A dormant-culture routine followed by two fresh feeds before mixing bread.

Makes
About 1,000 g after second refresh
Heat
No oven needed
Cooking time
No baking in this starter recipe

Use the active starter in a final dough and follow that recipe for baking.

Explore variations · 4 →Jump to ingredients & method ↓
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Store and revive a sourdough starter

Makes
About 1,000 g after second refresh
Heat
No oven needed
Cooking time
No baking in this starter recipe

Use the active starter in a final dough and follow that recipe for baking.

Starter & maintenance

Store and revive a sourdough starter

A dormant-culture routine followed by two fresh feeds before mixing bread.

Method

  1. 01 · Store

    Up to 1 month in the source

    Use: Store ingredients

    Coat about 300 g mature culture with a thin water film. Place in a closed, nonperforated food-safe bag and refrigerate.

    Ready when: Culture protected from drying; no contamination.

    Baker sliding a tray holding a sealed bag of starter into a refrigerator.
    01 Refrigerate the cultureProtect the starter from drying and refrigerate it as directed.

  2. 02 · Refresh 1

    30–60 min warm-up; then overnight

    Use: Refresh 1 ingredients

    Two days before baking, keep 200 g refrigerated culture. If possible let it warm briefly. Mix with fresh flour and water; cover in a warm spot.

    Ready when: Renewed bubbles and expansion.

    Baker refreshing a stored starter with fresh flour and water, with the emptied storage bag set aside.
    02 Refresh after refrigerationMix the retained cold culture with fresh flour and water and let it revive.

  3. 03 · Refresh 2

    About 6–9 h, depending on dough recipe

    Use: Refresh 2 ingredients

    Next morning retain only 100 g. Add flour and water; mix and cover. This is the recipe’s morning levain feed.

    Ready when: Vigorous, expanded and webbed culture.

    Baker finishing a starter feed made with white and whole-wheat flour.
    03 Feed with white and whole-wheat flourRetain the required portion and feed again; wait for vigorous activity before mixing dough.

  4. 04 · Mix dough

    Bake the following day after the chosen bulk/proof

    Use: Ripe culture

    Use the required portion in final dough later that day; retain a separate portion to continue the culture. If still weak, repeat regular feeds before baking.

    Ready when: Starter is active enough to raise the dough.

    Baker transferring a webbed, bubbly portion of ripe starter into a separate bowl.
    04 Use the ripe cultureTake the portion needed for dough when the culture is bubbly, expanded and webbed.

What to look for

StageLook and feelNeeds attention
ActivityFeedings lead to repeatable expansion, bubbles and an internal web.Calendar age alone does not show that a new culture can raise bread.

Troubleshooting

If you seeLikely causeWhat to do nowNext time
Starter is not vigorous yetA young or cool culture needs more development.Continue regular feedings and wait for reliable activity before using in bread.Keep feeding amounts and temperature consistent.
Pink/orange colour or fuzzy growthThe culture is contaminated.Discard it and start again in clean equipment.Keep the container covered and utensils clean.

Recipe notes

  • No commercial yeast, sugar, fruit, pork or added alcohol is used. Fermentation itself naturally produces small amounts of ethanol; this is not a guarantee of chemically zero alcohol.
Show ingredient flow

Recipe

Store and revive a sourdough starter

A dormant-culture routine followed by two fresh feeds before mixing bread.

How do I make it?

  1. Put the starter in the fridge

    Up to 1 month

    Lightly coat about 300 g of ripe, active starter with water. Put it in a closed food-safe bag with no holes and refrigerate.

    Baker sliding a tray holding a sealed bag of starter into a refrigerator.
    Protect the starter from drying and refrigerate it as directed.

    Ready when: The starter stays moist and free from contamination.

  2. Wake the starter: first feed

    30–60 min warm-up; then overnight

    Two days before baking, keep 200 g of the refrigerated starter. If possible, let it warm briefly, then mix in the fresh flour and water listed for the first refresh. Cover and leave in a warm place.

    Baker refreshing a stored starter with fresh flour and water, with the emptied storage bag set aside.
    Mix the retained cold culture with fresh flour and water and let it revive.

    Ready when: Bubbles and growth have returned.

  3. Give it a second feed

    About 6–9 h, depending on dough recipe

    Next morning, keep only 100 g starter. Add the flour and water listed for the second refresh, mix and cover. This is the morning feed that prepares your starter for the dough.

    Baker finishing a starter feed made with white and whole-wheat flour.
    Retain the required portion and feed again; wait for vigorous activity before mixing dough.

    Ready when: The starter has grown strongly, with fine stretchy strands inside.

  4. Use the starter in your dough

    Bake the following day after the chosen first rise and shaped rise

    Later that day, add only the amount of prepared starter your dough needs and keep a separate portion to feed again. If it is still weak, keep giving it regular feeds before using it to bake.

    Baker transferring a webbed, bubbly portion of ripe starter into a separate bowl.
    Take the portion needed for dough when the culture is bubbly, expanded and webbed.

    Ready when: The starter is active enough to raise the dough.

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you noticeLikely causeWhat to do
Starter is not vigorous yetA young or cool culture needs more development.Continue regular feedings and wait for reliable activity before using in bread. Keep feeding amounts and temperature consistent.
Pink/orange colour or fuzzy growthThe culture is contaminated.Discard it and start again in clean equipment. Keep the container covered and utensils clean.
Useful recipe notes

No commercial yeast, sugar, fruit, pork or added alcohol is used. Fermentation itself naturally produces small amounts of ethanol; this is not a guarantee of chemically zero alcohol.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Store and revive a sourdough starter at a glance

Makes
About 1,000 g after second refresh
Heat
No oven needed
Cooking time
No baking in this starter recipe